Clerkship in Internal Medicine

The Medicine Clerkship is a 9-week inpatient and ambulatory rotation found in the Exploration phase of the medical curriculum. The Medicine clerkship builds on the foundational knowledge acquired in the Discovery phase to teach a holistic approach to the care of adult patients, with a focus on common clinical pathology, preventive care and the impact of social determinants of health. The rotation is comprised of a 4-week rotation at our University campus, a 3-week rotation at one of our community campuses in Massachusetts (St. Vincent Hospital, Berkshire Medical Center, Milford Regional Medical Center, Lahey Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, or Charlton Hospital) a 1-week rotation in the primary care setting and a 1-week rotation in the post-acute care setting. In these clinical environments, students hone skills in history taking, physical examination, and the formulation of differential diagnoses and management plans. In the inpatient setting, students work under the supervision of interns, residents and attending physicians to care for multiple patients through the course of their hospital stay, collaborating with other specialties and allied health professionals. During the 1-week ambulatory rotation, students work with a primary care physician to learn principles of outpatient medicine and preventive care through performing annual physical examinations, follow-up visits and urgent care. The post-acute care rotation provides a structured experiential exploration of the many forms of care delivered in the outpatient setting with an emphasis on rehabilitation and home-based care.

Students meet in small groups regularly during the rotation with a core faculty member who serves as a Longitudinal Content Leader (LCL). Each LCL session includes a review of a core Internal Medicine topic, ECG review and case discussion. Our LCLs provide teaching, formative feedback, and mentorship through the course of the rotation.  

The Medicine Clerkship offers 2 curriculum days: Acute Care day, which focuses on acute conditions such as myocardial infarction and sepsis and offers training in phlebotomy, arterial puncture and other procedures; and Primary Care/Palliative Care day, where topics such as advocacy, geriatric care are discussed and students participate in simulations focused on initiating serious illness conversation with patients and caring for patients with disabilities. 

NOV 25 2024 | cjb