The structure of a combined medicine and surgery clerkship

Abstract

The third-year combined medicine and surgery clerkship at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine is a student-centred, multidisciplinary course designed to foster learning skills and emphasize the teaching of principles rather than of isolated facts. The clerkship's curricular and educational objectives are based on a set of clinical subject areas designed to educate a third-year student as a generalist physician. Clerkship activities include clinical duties and four types of integrated activities: small-group problem-based learning sessions, clinical skills workshops, expert resource sessions and integrated reading assignments. Students are evaluated by department-based measures, problem-based learning tutor evaluations, and integrated, monthly quizzes. The clerkship itself is evaluated and monitored regularly by both formal and informal data collection.