The required Family and Community Medicine Core 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.

The required Internal Medicine Core Clerkship provides medical students with a comprehensive introduction to the field. Students will experience various facets of internal medicine, including ambulatory care, academic medicine, hospitalist medicine, and night shifts. The curriculum features preparatory sessions to enhance clinical skills, interdisciplinary activities for collaborative learning, and weekly student conferences focused on clinical reasoning and relevant medical topics. This course aims to immerse students in the clinical environment, preparing them for future growth as competent and knowledgeable clinicians.

The clinical reasoning course is an intensive USMLE Step 1 preparation course. Students will be guided by the course director to develop a plan that incorporates 50+ hours of study per week, utilizing the appropriate resources, such as, the UWorld question bank, First Aid, Sketchy Series, Pathoma, and other credible resources as needed. By the end of the course, students will be prepared to sit for the USMLE Step 1.

The Clinical Reasoning 2 course has the dual objectives of intensive USMLE Step 2 preparation course and development of advanced communication skills. Weekly synchronous sessions will focus on advanced communication topics, while the rest of the time will be unscheduled so students can pursue independent study. Course directors will provide support in the mastery of concepts and use of Step 2 preparatory material.

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).

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).

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.

Physicians can and should advocate for their patients. But what does patient advocacy involve beyond recommending and implementing the best course of treatment? This course will introduce learners to one major sphere of health advocacy: patient advocacy. Students will examine the nature of patient advocacy, including its relation to two other major spheres of advocacy, the ethical question of whether and why physicians should advocate for their patients, how to identify practical ways of advocating for patients, and the role of self-care in preventing advocacy burnout

Physicians have an obligation to advocate at the level of the institution, which may include their clinic, hospital system, or other entity that provides or facilitates health care. This course will introduce students to some of the strategies they can use to advocate for and with health care institutions. These strategies include how to use the power and influence of a physician to make local institutional change, conduct quality improvement projects, and use the resources available to institutions to remove patient and population barriers to better health.

The required Obstetrics-Gynecology Core Clerkship offers medical students a comprehensive introduction integrating aspects of medicine, surgery, radiology, pediatrics, and preventive care. Students will experience various components of OB/GYN, including labor and delivery, gynecology surgery, ambulatory care, maternal-fetal medicine, oncology, urogynecology, and ultrasound. The rotation provides a balanced schedule, ensuring exposure to key areas of OB/GYN. Weekly academic sessions focus on essential clinical concepts, and the clerkship culminates in a review and assessment of clinical skills, preparing students for the NBME Shelf Exam. This clerkship aims to expose students to the diverse and complex nature of OB/GYN.

The required Pediatrics Core Clerkship offers medical students a comprehensive introduction to pediatric and adolescent care, covering both inpatient and ambulatory settings. The clerkship begins with an orientation focusing on procedural knowledge and essential topics such as well-care visits, newborn and adolescent care, and nutrition management. Students will spend time in ambulatory pediatrics, either in the community or at the WMed General Pediatric Clinic, where they will engage in direct patient care, observe interactions, and develop skills in patient interviewing and physical examination. The remaining time is dedicated to inpatient pediatrics, with rotations through day shifts, night shifts, and newborn care. The course aims to provide a thorough understanding of pediatric care from newborn through adolescence, enhancing clinical skills and preparing students for the evaluation and management of pediatric patients.

The Psychiatry Core Clerkship provides medical students with a broad clinical experience in psychiatry. Students will rotate through inpatient units, outpatient clinics and community mental health organizations gaining exposure to a variety of psychiatric conditions. They will engage in mental health evaluations, learn to diagnose and manage psychiatric disorders, and develop skills in patient interviewing and therapeutic communication. The clerkship emphasizes the importance of understanding mental health as a fundamental component of overall health, providing a foundation valuable for any medical specialty. Throughout the rotation, students will immerse themselves in the clinical environment, taking on responsibilities as integral members of the healthcare team while being supervised.

The Surgery Core Clerkship provides medical students with comprehensive exposure to various surgical experiences. Students will be assigned to hospital-based operative rooms, medical/surgical units, post-operative care, and surgical trauma intensive care units (STICU). They will participate in a range of general surgery inpatient procedures and patient management. The clerkship includes on-call shifts to teach the management of emergent surgical diseases. Students are expected to attend academic surgical conferences, complete assigned readings, and participate in evaluations based on clinical observations, interactions with the Clerkship Director, standardized patient encounters, and bioskills assessments. By the end of the clerkship, students should have a fundamental understanding of common surgical diseases, be proficient in identifying patients needing surgical referral, and be comfortable with sterile technique and basic suturing. Optional experiences, such as attending a breast clinic to learn about outpatient management and breast disease, are also available.

Transition to Clinical Applications provides the bridge between foundations of medicine and the clinical application of medical knowledge. The course begins with a comprehensive summative examination (NBME CBSE) covering content presented in Foundations. Students will participate in simulation, group-based workshops, and discussions to prepare for the clinical learning environment and focus on patient care. Our goal is to preparing students to thrive in the clinical setting. Students participate in BLS recertification and procedural skills development and assessment during the last week of the course.

Note: Throughout this course, students should plan to enter the building at 7:30am. Prebrief begins promptly at 7:45am. At this time, expectations and scheduling for the day are reviewed. Questions about the day's events are answered.

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.