Medical Student Clerkships

Yale Surgery offers a 12-week integrated clerkship with Emergency Medicine for the Yale medical students: the Surgical Approach to the Patient.

In addition, a wide variety of fourth-year electives and sub-internships are offered for both Yale medical students and visiting students.

• Meaningful exposure to surgical problems and participation in the process of surgical decision making (focused on developing an understanding of the benefits and limitations of surgery, and the assessment of operative risks and outcomes).
• The acquisition of core knowledge and skills in contexts that range from the outpatient setting (hospital-based clinics as well as doctors' private offices), to in-patient services and the operating room. Students work with small teams of residents and attendings, participating fully in the activities of the service. A core curriculum, pertinent to both general surgery and the surgical specialties, is organized to provide interactive, problem-based learning opportunities. The curriculum is augmented by virtual teaching methods, small group teaching, and a robust simulation experience.
• The clerkship is organized to provide both a core general surgery experience as well as an opportunity to choose a shorter exposure to a variety of surgical specialties. This reflects the dual objectives of surgical education and surgical career development.