Family Medicine Core Clerkship course combines hands-on clinical training in outpatient primary care settings. Students also work with the Clerkship Director in flipped classroom didactics to reinforce the clinical reasoning occurring in patient encounters and increase core family medicine knowledge. Students apply concepts in real time as they evaluate patients under preceptor supervision, while also participating in weekly didactic sessions that include video-based preparation and interactive, case-based discussions. Emphasis is placed on the development of differential diagnoses, evidence-based management plans, and application of USPSTF guidelines.
It is critical to note that the clinical clerkship experience is not intended to instruct the student on everything about Family Medicine nor provide the student with clinical experience in every aspect of the discipline. The Clerkship Director and the assigned Preceptor may provide educational guidance, but it is each student's responsibility to learn the subject content. Lifelong self-learning is the goal and is expected in this core clinical clerkship. In addition, students must show that adequate direct patient care experience has been achieved by demonstrating adequate patient log support of an average of at least four outpatients or two inpatients per day.
Successful completion of all pre-clinical (Year 1 and Year 2) coursework and passing score on COMLEX Level 1.