Doctor of Medicine: Clinical Applications gc2026 Courses and Core Clerkships

Credits:

6

Directors:
Kassir
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The Family and Community Medicine Year 3 Clerkship is designed to introduce students to the depth and breadth of family medicine, and the critical role it plays in the delivery of health care in the United States. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of material, some seen in other clerkships and rotations, but in the context of the core overriding principles of family medicine. These principles include provision of comprehensive, contextual care utilizing the bio-psychosocial model rooted in continuity, allowing for coordination of complex care over time. The clinical weeks will be spent in a single family medicine office, giving the students the opportunity to experience the breadth of diagnoses and visit types seen in family medicine, and to experience continuity of care. Prior to the rotation, students will take a formative exam, giving them the opportunity to design their own study plan. Individual learning topics and case assignments will guide students through important areas of study during the rotation.

Credits:

7

Directors:
Edewaard, Kelly
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The 8-week third year Medicine Clerkship offers a variety of internal medicine clinical experiences. Students will be assigned to either Borgess Medical Center or Bronson Methodist Hospital as their "home base" facility. Students will immerse themselves with 1 week of ambulatory internal medicine, 2 weeks of WMed academic medicine, 2 weeks of hospitalist medicine, and 1 week of nights. During these clerkships students immerse themselves into the clinical environment, taking on specific responsibilities as a valued member of a healthcare team, while being supervised at all times. The final (8th) week is devoted to summative events.

The WMed third year curriculum includes a number of innovations designed to optimize the students' experience and provide an excellent foundation for future growth as a clinician. Students will have two preparatory half days at the start of week 1. These information-packed sessions are designed to optimally prepare the student to excel in the specific clinical skills of an internist, as well as understand their student role, responsibilities and course objectives/goals. Each Wednesday, students will have their own student block conference after internal medicine grand rounds facilitated by WMed medicine faculty. These sessions will focus on key clinical reasoning and relevant topics. The assessment week (week 8) focuses on synthesizing the key knowledge and skills learned during the clerkship and includes the summative assessments. Also, in week 1, there are two half days dedicated to interdisciplinary activities. These interdisciplinary activities, or "plenaries", will bring students from all clerkships together for a joint educational experience.

Credits:

2

Grading:
Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 2
Description:

The overarching objectives are to create space and time for you to organize and apply basic and clinical sciences concepts to clinical care. To promote engagement, the blueprint follows a USMLE Step 2 design and fosters the use of USMLE Step 2 materials along with curriculum materials to master assimilation and practice of information through clerkships as well as enhance performance on USMLE Step 2. There will be two CBLs each week and an NBME Customized Step 2 based exam on these content areas. There will also be four sessions each course focused on development across areas of Health System Science.

Credits:

2

Grading:
Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 2
Description:

The overarching objectives are to create space and time for you to organize and apply basic and clinical sciences concepts to clinical care. To promote engagement, the blueprint follows a USMLE Step 2 design and fosters the use of USMLE Step 2 materials along with curriculum materials to master assimilation and practice of information through clerkships as well as enhance performance on USMLE Step 2. There will be two CBLs each week and an NBME Customized Step 2 based exam on these content areas. There will also be four sessions each course focused on development across areas of Health System Science.

Credits:

2

Grading:
Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 2
Description:

The overarching objectives are to create space and time for you to organize and apply basic and clinical sciences concepts to clinical care. To promote engagement, the blueprint follows a USMLE Step 2 design and fosters the use of USMLE Step 2 materials along with curriculum materials to master assimilation and practice of information through clerkships as well as enhance performance on USMLE Step 2. There will be two CBLs each week and an NBME Customized Step 2 based exam on these content areas. There will also be four sessions each course focused on development across areas of Health System Science.

Credits:

0

Directors:
gibson
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Description:

WMED recognizes that the development of behaviors consistent with medical professionals is a longitudinal process. Professionalism is continually evaluated throughout all four years of the curriculum. Course/clerkship directors are required to document each student's professional behaviors and to include an assessment of the student's professionalism and engagement which will contribute to the final grade in the longitudinal Professional Development course, as well as clerkship grades. Each course/clerkship has outlined the engagement and professionalism expectations to be assessed. Once students begin clerkships, the Professional Development course focuses on the cultivation of lifelong habits that are critical to credentialing, complying with occupational health requirements of medical providers, completion of course evaluations, and activities that will translate into maintaining medical staff privileges. The grade matrix reflects these expectations. This process facilitates longitudinal tracking of behavior to identify concerns, as well as areas of commendation. Repeated professionalism concerns are referred to the assistant dean for Clinical Competency and IPE. Commendations are tracked as a component of the Professional Development grade and potential inclusion in the student's MSPE. In addition to the formal assessments of professional behaviors as part of a courses/clerkship, all faculty and staff, at any time, may provide confidential feedback regarding the behavior of any medical student utilizing the online Medical Student Feedback Form (MSFF).

Credits:

0

Directors:
Gibson
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Description:

WMED recognizes that the development of behaviors consistent with medical professionals is a longitudinal process. Professionalism is continually evaluated throughout all four years of the curriculum. Course/clerkship directors are required to document each student's professional behaviors and to include an assessment of the student's professionalism and engagement which will contribute to the final grade in the longitudinal Professional Development course, as well as clerkship grades. Each course/clerkship has outlined the engagement and professionalism expectations to be assessed. Once students begin clerkships, the Professional Development course focuses on the cultivation of lifelong habits that are critical to credentialing, complying with occupational health requirements of medical providers, completion of course evaluations, and activities that will translate into maintaining medical staff privileges. The grade matrix reflects these expectations. This process facilitates longitudinal tracking of behavior to identify concerns, as well as areas of commendation. Repeated professionalism concerns are referred to the assistant dean for Clinical Competency and IPE. Commendations are tracked as a component of the Professional Development grade and potential inclusion in the student's MSPE. In addition to the formal assessments of professional behaviors as part of a courses/clerkship, all faculty and staff, at any time, may provide confidential feedback regarding the behavior of any medical student utilizing the online Medical Student Feedback Form (MSFF).

Credits:

.5

Directors:
Crutchfield
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Description:

The concept of social justice relates to the appropriate distribution of resources. Often, however, what constitutes just distribution of health care resources is assumed. There are a variety of foundational theories of social justice, each of which may imply a distinct distribution of health care resources. This course will introduce learners to the foundational theories of social justice in health care and evaluate the different implications they have for how society arranges health care resources.

Credits:

.5

Directors:
Cruthcfield
Grading:
Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Description:

Whether a difference in health condition is inequitable depends on, among other things, whether that condition is a disease and whether its distribution and/or treatment are just (i.e., distributed according to the correct theory of social justice). This course will identify those differences in health conditions and their treatments that may be unjustly distributed and analyze those interventions which may effectively repair the potential injustice.

Credits:

6

Directors:
Ault; Austin
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The Women's Health Clerkship is 6 weeks in length. Ob Gyn combines medicine, surgery, radiology, a little bit of pediatrics, preventive medicine and many other aspects of human biology. Our big picture is health care for women.
This rotation can be very unpredictable. Your schedules are posted on the course site. To give each of you a balanced experience, each one of you have an individual rotation schedule. This is done to give everyone an equivalent number of days in each of the areas that are the most valuable for you.
We hope you get to experience some of the amazing things we do in Ob Gyn and appreciate their diversity and complexity.
The following components make up the Clinical Experience:
Labor and Delivery: 4 day shifts
Labor and Delivery: 4 night shifts
Gynecology Surgery: 3 shifts
Ambulatory: 8 shifts
Maternal Fetal Medicine Oncology, or Urogynecology: 5 shifts
Ultrasound: 1 shift
Students will meet one day a week to cover various academic topics in Ob Gyn. During the second half of the last week of the clerkship, students will review and synthesize essential clinical concepts, review and assess important clinical skills, and prepare for and successfully complete the NBME Shelf Exam.

Credits:

6

Directors:
Woodhams
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The third year Core Pediatric and Adolescent Clerkship will provide the student with broad exposure to both the inpatient and ambulatory aspects of general pediatric care. There are four components to the clerkship: an orientation portion, three weeks of ambulatory pediatrics, three weeks of in-patient pediatrics (days, nights, and newborn), and synthesis and assessment week.

A. Orientation
1. The clerkship will commence with 3 half-days of orientation material. We will begin by defining the expectations and reviewing important procedural components and resources that students will be expected to utilize throughout
the rotation. Topics include prevention and well care visits, issues unique to the newborn and adolescent period, fluids, electrolytes, and nutrition management. Tuesday will be spent in the Simulation Center, focusing on procedures
and simulated patients.

B. Three Weeks of Ambulatory Pediatrics:
1. Placements are in the community or the WMed General Pediatric Clinic.
2. Main tasks of the rotation are accomplished through observation of doctor-patient, doctor-family and doctor-staff interactions, and direct patient care with a focus on patient and family interviewing and physical examination. Staffing
of jointly attended encounters with medical students and attendings may occur at the time of patient care in the exam room, but students will have an opportunity to further discuss the case later in the day.
3. Goals of the ambulatory component are:
i. Compare and contrast the basis for well child care from newborn through adolescence (growth, development, nutrition, safety, anticipatory guidance) and how these tasks change throughout maturation.
ii. Develop differential diagnoses and discuss initial management plans for common pediatric illness and disease processes.
iii. Practice oral presentation skills.
4. Utilizes COMSEP's national pediatric third year curriculum.
C. Three Weeks of Inpatient Pediatrics
1. One week of Inpatient Pediatrics Days (6a to 6p).
2. One week of Inpatient Pediatrics Nights (5:30p to 6:30a).
3. One weekend of Inpatient Call (7 am to 6 pm, Saturday or Sunday of Inpatient Days week).
4. Three to five days of Normal Newborn (7am to 6:30pm)

Credits:

6

Directors:
White, M. Crooks
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The goals of the third year medical student clerkship in Psychiatry is designed to provide the student with a broad clinical experience. The students will participate in clinical experiences in the inpatient unit at Borgess, Bronson, Oaklawn(Marshall) or the inpatient or outpatient unit at the Battle Creek VA.
Student will spend one week on the inpatient service for neurology at Bronson Methodist Hospital, Borgess Medical Center, or Bronson Battle Creek Hospital. They will be a member of the team seeing consults and caring for the hospitalized patients with neurological issues. During this week they also will be involved in the evaluation of acute infarcts/strokes.
The second week is intended to be an experience in the outpatient neurology practice at one of the medical centers. This experience shall entail seeing patients in the outpatient clinic, and may involve other outpatient experiences such as the neurodiagnostics or sleep labs. For students that may have interest in neurosurgery, or other surgical specialties, they may spend this outpatient week on the neurosurgical service at Bronson Methodist Hospital or Borgess Medical Center (subject to availability). During these clerkships students immerse themselves into the clinical environment, taking on specific responsibilities as a valued member of the healthcare team, while being supervised at all times.

Credits:

8

Directors:
Miller
Grading:
Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
None
Offered:
Term 1 and 2
Description:

The third year core surgery clerkship will expose students to a variety of surgical experiences. The students will be assigned to the resident services at Bronson Methodist Hospital and Borgess Medical Center. They will be exposed to a variety of general surgery inpatient procedures and patients. The student will spend time on call to learn about management of emergent surgical diseases. Students will attend one breast clinic to learn about outpatient management and breast disease.
The students will be expected to attend academic surgical conferences and will have assigned readings. The summative evaluation will be composed of direct clinical observations by preceptors and residents, direct interaction with the Clerkship Director, a standardized patient and a bioskills portion. Upon the completion of the clerkship students should have a basic knowledge of many common surgical diseases and be comfortable knowing which patients need referral to a surgeon. The students should also be comfortable with sterile technique and basic suturing.

Credits:

2

Directors:
Gibson
Grading:
Pass/Fail
Prerequisites:
Completion of Core Clerkships.
Offered:
Term 2
Description:

Transition to Advanced Clinical Management will provide students with an opportunity to review administrative expectation in the fourth year, discuss grading and absence policies and develop skills to assist in the assessment and management of critically ill patients. Students will also have dedicated self-directed learning time to prepare for Step 2 CK, as well the opportunity to participate in a simulated NBME Step 2 CS experience in preparation for taking licensing exams.