Students in most other medical schools are required to do six to nine months of advanced clinical electives in their advanced training period. We analyzed our own data and found that the median and mode for the number of electives among YSM graduates is four. Of these four, only one or two are typically four-weeks long, including the required subinternship, meaning that the typical YSM grad has only completed three months of advanced clinical electives. I provide this information to help you, along with your advisor, think carefully about the use of your time when planning your ATP schedule.
For many of you, the ATP will be the last time you have the opportunity to work alongside our amazing Yale faculty in specialties that can enhance the depth and breadth of your clinical experience and acumen before entering residency. Such specialties include Infectious Disease, Pulmonary Critical Care (ICU), Cardiology, Radiology, Rheumatology, Dermatology, Nephrology, Lab Medicine, and Anatomic Pathology (just to name a few), many offered in both adult medicine and pediatrics. We also have specialized electives in Addiction Medicine, Street Psychiatry, Adolescent Gynecology, and Transgender Medicine. For those who will be taking care of patients who have back pain, musculoskeletal injuries, or who are aging (i.e., all of you), consider Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or Orthopaedics with a focus on outpatient care. Or how about Urology, ENT, and Anesthesia. You can read about all the electives here!