Long School of Medicine

Clinical Curriculum

Undergraduate Medical Education

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

OBGYN faculty with students

The clinical curriculum begins in March of the second academic year and allows flexibility in schedules for students to customize educational plans that suit their long-term career goals. A longitudinal “Team Care” educational experience threads curricular themes that are common across all clerkships. Monthly Team Care curriculum includes topics such as: quality improvement and patient safety, physician wellness, transitions of care, social determinants of health, patient-centered care, and the socioeconomics of medicine/value-based care.

The clinical curriculum is comprised of 48 weeks of clerkships, eight weeks of “selectives” (four weeks of inpatient sub-internship and four weeks of ambulatory care which focuses on systems of practice), 20 weeks of “electives”, and four weeks of didactics which prepare students for their internships.

Core Clerkships

Students rotate in 4 to 8 week blocks of core clerkships, assuming increasing patient care responsibility commensurate with achievement of specific milestones and competencies. Clinical clerkships may be taken in any order beginning in March of the second academic year and must be completed by the end of the third academic year.

Electives/Selectives

The elective curriculum, available to students beginning in March of the second academic year, offers students a myriad of opportunities to explore different medical specializations and/or allows the student to return to a core specialty with advanced duties and responsibilities. There is ample time allotted for students to travel for residency interviews and prepare for USMLE Step 2 CK exam.

Elective/Selective requirements include:

  • 8 weeks of clinical selectives (4 weeks of inpatient sub-internship and 4 weeks ambulatory care)
  • 20 weeks of electives (2-4 week electives can be taken locally or anywhere in US)
  • 4 weeks of mandatory didactics