Clerkship, Selective, Elective, and Sub-internship Learning Opportunities

1. Clerkships are required clinical experiences that provide core knowledge in specific disciplines and exposure to specialties before students make final career decisions. Students must exceed minimum standards on both the clinical and written exam requirements. All students must complete all clerkships to graduate.

2. Selectives are 2 or 4 week required experiences designed to expose students to specialties outside of the core clinical curriculum early enough to influence students' career decisions. Students choose from the list of selectives to meet this requirement. Clinical selectives provide an introduction to a particular specialty, with a focus on key clinical topics. Non-clinical selectives provide an experience that complements or augments the student’s fund of knowledge away from the bedside, clinic, and operating room.

As of the 2017-2018 Academic Year, there are three selectives that are offered in the 3rd year (Emergency Medicine, Radiology, and Research Selective) and two in 4th year (Ambulatory Medicine and Surgical Subspecialty).

3. Electives: All BUSM approved electives, found in the 4th Year Course Catalog, must be approved by the curriculum committee’s elective subcommittee. Electives can be either clinical or non-clinical.

a. Clinical elective are 2 or 4 week structured learning experience with direct patient contact in a field of medicine or the biomedical sciences. Students must evaluate patients and develop diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives.

b. Non clinical electives involve minimal or no patient contact but fulfill other curricular elective requirements. They are typically 2 or 4 weeks.

4. Sub-internships are 4-week structured learning experiences for students who work as integral members of the treatment team with primary responsibility for patient care. Students are responsible for evaluation and continued management of their own patients under the direct supervision of the attending physicians and residents. Sub-interns should care for at least three new patients per week, performing initial histories and physicals, writing orders, coordinating care, doing procedures when appropriate, presenting cases, participating in teaching sessions and taking call.

All BUSM approved sub-internships, described in the 4th Year Course Catalog, must be approved by the curriculum committee’s elective subcommittee.