Scheduling Clerkship

The clerkship scheduling program, MedHub, works to maximize the chances that the majority of students will get one of their top schedule choices, but this is not guaranteed. At the beginning of second year, an informational meeting will be held explaining how to enter schedule preferences and the process by which the system optimizes these preferences to schedule the required clerkships.

Clerkship Sites

Clinical clerkships are completed mainly on the wards and clinics of Yale-New Haven Hospital, the West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the St. Raphael's Hospital campus. Students also rotate through private physician offices and affiliated institutions.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to clerkship sites. A few affiliated institutions provide apartments for students who want to live close to their clerkship site

Site Assignments

Site assignments are handled by the department that oversees the clerkship. While departments try to be sensitive to transportation issues, a lack of a car won’t necessarily prevent you from being assigned to an affiliated hospital in a different city.

Students should submit their preference forms to the department by the posted deadline date. Failure to do so will result in the student being assigned to any available site.

Clerkship Scheduling For Students in Combined-Degree Program

Students considering a joint degree must discuss their plans with the associate dean for student affairs. In all cases except for the MD/PhD program, students must complete a full year of clerkships as well as take and pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2CK before starting course work toward a second degree. MD/PhD students usually complete half the required clerkships and it is strongly suggested to take Step I before entering the lab or starting their research work. MD/PhD students are required to take USMLE Step 1 by December 31st of the year in which they complete their first 6 months of clerkships and Step 2 CK by December 31st of the year before graduation.

For MD/PhD Students

Rationale

It is essential that students who have been away from clinical pursuits have the appropriate clinical skills when they return to the wards. The Educational Policy Committee in conjunction with the MD/PhD Program has determined that after any prolonged absence, i.e. approximately one year or longer, students must engage in a “warm-up” period. Students who have participated in a longitudinal experience generally do well when re-entering the clinical setting. It is vital that students have choices to accommodate their at times complicated schedules and laboratory commitments.

Schedule

To assure flexibility, the following tracks have been created:

Experience/Action	TRACK A	TRACK B	TRACK C
Clinical experience prior to entering research or other non-clinical pursuit	6 months clinical experience in the third year prior to absence	6 months clinical experience in the third year prior to absence	No or brief clinical experience in the third year prior to absence
Clinical experience during research or non-clinical pursuit	1 year of longitudinal experience, e.g., Wednesday Evening Clinic or other appropriate weekly or equivalent of weekly clinical experience	None	None
Actions required 6 months prior to re-entry	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs
Actions required prior to re-entry	1. Participation in WEEKLY Wednesday Evening Clinic or equivalent within 1 year prior to re-entry. If students are away from clinical pursuits for greater than approximately 1 year, they may need to follow track B after consultation with Dean for Student Affairs or designate 2. Meet with Dr. Fred Gorelick to discuss elective	1. Elective at consult service, elective @ HSR, pediatrics, or other appropriate clinical sites for at least 1 month 2. Meet with Dr. Fred Gorelick to discuss elective 3. UCONN patient evaluation (You will also have done this at the end of 2nd year)	1. Special re-entry program developed individually for students using private offices or other appropriate clinical sites for at least 1 month 2. Meet with Dr. Fred Gorelick to discuss elective 3. UCONN patient evaluation (You will also have done this at end of 2nd year)
Additional Requirements: All Tracks must notify the registrar six months prior to entry who will schedule appropriate re-entry clerkship Survival Fair must be completed prior to entering the wards. If students have been away from the wards for longer than a year, they will need to repeat parts of survival fair as needed. Upon re-entry for all students, clerkship directors will be notified to facilitate optimal placement for the student

For All Other Students

Rationale

It is essential that students who have been away from clinical pursuits have the appropriate clinical skills when they return to the wards. The Educational Policy Committee upon the recommendation of a subcommittee of clerkship directors and others, has determined that after any prolonged absence , i.e. approximately one year or longer, students must engage in a “warm-up” period. Students who have participated in a longitudinal experience generally do well when re-entering the clinical setting. It is vital that students have choices to accommodate complicated academic schedules and laboratory commitments.

Schedules

To assure flexibility, the following tracks have been created:

Experience/Actions	TRACK A	TRACK B	TRACK C
Clinical experience prior to entering research or other non-clinical pursuit	6 months clinical experience in the third year prior to absence	6 months clinical experience in the third year prior to absence	No or brief clinical experience in the third year prior to absence
Clinical experience during research or non-clinical time	1 year of longitudinal experience, e.g., Wednesday Evening Clinic or other appropriate weekly or equivalent of weekly clinical experience	None	None
Actions required 6 months prior to re-entry	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs	Mandatory meeting with Dean for Student Affairs
Actions required prior to re-entry	Participation in WEEKLY Wednesday Evening Clinic or equivalent within 1 year prior to re-entry. If students are away from clinical pursuits for greater than approximately 1 year, they may need to follow track B after consultation with Dean for Student Affairs or designate.	1.Elective at consult service, elective @ HSR, pediatrics, or other appropriate clinical sites for at least 1 month 2. UCONN patient evaluation (You will also have done this at the end of 2nd year)	1.Special re-entry program developed individually for students using private offices or other appropriate clinical sites for at least 1 month 2. UCONN patient evaluation (You will also have done this at the end of 2nd year)
Additional Requirements: All Tracks must notify the registrar six months prior to entry who will Schedule appropriate re-entry clerkship Survival Fair must be completed prior to entering the wards. If students have been away from the wards for longer than a year, they will need to repeat parts of survival fair as needed. Upon re-entry for all students, clerkship directors will be notified to facilitate optimal placement for the student