No more textbooks/exams during clerkship rotations?

[ButAtYourBest]

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I can't find any info on the day-to-day for clerkship rotations during the "2nd half" or final 2 years of medical school.

It sounds like how I imagine residency. Like you are basically working full-time or interning like an apprentice.

Does this mean you do not study, take tests, have reading assignments or homework, have lectures, textbooks, etc. ??

 

[ButAtYourBest]

sorry!

but please keep at least one instance of my post 🙂

 

[Tattersall]

You spend your rotations working in a clinical environment. I can't speak for other countries, but in New Zealand you do 30 weeks of clinical rotations and then there are four weeks of lectures.

Yes there are exams: shelf exams. If you want to read more about those, check out the rotations forum.

Yes you read books and case files. Lots of them.

 

[gaccboom]

In the US, you'll be working 'regular'-ish days in a clinical environment. Your daily experience depends entirely on the hospital. Clinical blocks may vary from 4-12 weeks in length, and at the end of many of them there's an exam. There may also be oral exams and/or observed patient encounters.

Books and studying are up to you. No one at my school suggests textbooks or gives much guidance; the general advice is to find books you like and read about what's going on with your patients (as that's the best way to learn, they say). It is indeed a significant change in educational experience from the first 2 years where everything is laid out for you.

For perspective, though: interns and residents will also be reading textbooks, and many of them also have in-service exams, too.

 

[b-real]

I can't find any info on the day-to-day for clerkship rotations during the "2nd half" or final 2 years of medical school.

It sounds like how I imagine residency. Like you are basically working full-time or interning like an apprentice.

Does this mean you do not study, take tests, have reading assignments or homework, have lectures, textbooks, etc. ??

Sorry pal, the studying never ends. At the end of each clerkship, you have an exam or two. And the exam may comprise greater than 50% of your clerkship grade (which is infinitely more important than any grade 1st or 2nd year). The first 2 years, you had dedicated time to study during the day. The last 2 years, you're expected to find time around patient care to study.

 

[scrambizle]

You'll have a shelf exam at the end of each block. They can be a little overwhelming at the beginning of third year, but most people get used to them. During 4th year I've had a few departmental exams (EM, Neuro), and you have to take the Step 2 board exam at some point. Then as a resident you have Step 3 (last step), your in-service exam every year, and the board exam at the end of the residency in whatever specialty you pursue. if you go into a fellowship, you'll take an exam on that stuff too.

 

[psipsina]

In addition to coming in and seeing patients, rounding, doing procedures, admitting and discharging etc you are also participating in educational activities. You are expected to read about your patients/upcoming procedures and be knowledgeable (part of your subjective evaluation grade is based on your "fund of knowledge" which is demonstrated by answering pimps correctly and asking thoughtful questions). You will frequently be asked to prepare a talk on a topic (sometimes with <24 hours to put it together). You will also attend various types of didactics ranging from morning report (which is a case presentation), small groups, formal lectures etc. Often time even your lunch will be spent in lecture. In addition to all this you will have to prepare for your shelf at the end of the rotation which will cover things not covered in the activities mentioned above. So you will pick out textbooks/review books/question banks and try to go thru them in your *spare* time. The great struggle is finding that spare time and not spending it in bed.

 

[J ROD]

To sum, you still have to study. Just around your rotations now!!

 

[Law2Doc]

To sum, you still have to study. Just around your rotations now!!

Agreed. As mentioned, you have many more reasons to read/study during clerkship, and far less time in which to do it. You have to read because you will be "pimped" by attendings on a daily basis, and if you don't know the answer, you are often expected to read up on it and give a little presentation the next time you see that attending. You also may be asked to give more formal presentations to larger groups during some rotations. You are expected to read up on the conditions of your patients. You also have shelf exams (standardized exams) at the end of each block, most of which are quite detail oriented. And yet in some rotations you will be working 12+ hour days 6 days/week. So you will always be reading through a couple of Case Files/Blueprints/Recall type books each block, cover to cover. Many do as much reading in a typical rotation as you might in a given basic science block, but on a lot less sleep. The fun never ends. But at least it's more interesting because you can see the day to day application of this info, rather than trying to memorize things in the abstract.