NYMC > School of Medicine (SOM) > SOM Academics > Clinical Programs > Clerkships

Clerkships

All third-year medical students engage in clerkships that build real-world clinical skills; these are preceded by the Transition to Clerkship course, which is designed to prepare them for clerkship training. This course facilitates the transition to the clinical realm with simulation-based procedural skills training, communication skills training with standardized patients, and small- and large-group didactic sessions in which concepts of professionalism, patient safety, medical errors and health systems are discussed. 

During clerkships, students function as members of the onsite clinical team with attending physicians, residents, interns, nurses and allied health professionals. Through supervised patient care, conferences, lectures, feedback and teaching rounds, students apply what they’ve learned, receive mentorship and grow in confidence, competence and responsibility. 

Third-year clerkship rotations include:

  • Internal Medicine (6 weeks)
  • Surgery (6 weeks)
  • Pediatrics (6 weeks)
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks)
  • Psychiatry (4 weeks)
  • Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Family Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Electives (10 weeks total)

On-Demand Evaluation Forms – Project Overview

Through an appointed task force, NYMC’s School of Medicine (SOM) 3rd and 4th Year Subcommittee of the Education and Curriculum Committee (ECC) has launched a set of supplemental student evaluation forms. These new forms, five in total, are available for all NYMC SOM required clerkships during the 2021-22 academic year. More information about this initiative is presented below.

Purpose:

  • To further support the delivery of real-time, meaningful student feedback.
  • To foster student self-assessment and progressive professional development.
  • To promote a holistic student evaluation and feedback process that reinforces clinical skills acquisition, aligns with SOM graduation competencies, and assesses entrustable professional activities.

On-Demand Clinical Evaluation Forms

  1. History Gathering and Interpersonal Communication: Student demonstration of patient-centered interview skills that are respectful, compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.
  2. Physical Examination: Student demonstration of a clinically relevant, appropriately thorough physical exam skills that are pertinent to the setting and purpose of the patient visit.
  3. Medical Record Documentation: Student demonstration of prioritizing and synthesizing information into a cogent written narrative that also reflects patient preferences.
  4. Oral Presentation: Student demonstration of conducting an accurate, concise, well-organized oral presentation based on personally gathered and verified information.
  5. Student Engagement: Student demonstration of engaging in continuous self-improvement, functioning as an integrated member of the healthcare team, utilizing available resources to bridge gaps in personal knowledge.

When to Use:

  • Have Form(s) available immediately before or after any student has an encounter with a member of the faculty or resident or any time a student is observed performing a clinical skill.
  • Students may use Form(s) to self-assess progress, identify learning needs, and share with advisors when discussing learning plans.
  • Clerkship directors may use information Form(s) to contribute to a student’s final grade.
  • Note: Form(s) may evolve and change of the course of AY 2021-22.
  • Note: The On-Demand Evaluation Forms are supplemental to the required End-of-Course Student Evaluation Forms. While the Forms are not required during AY 2021-22, they are strongly encouraged.

 How to Use:

  • Students:
    • Login to Leo and access On-Demand Forms.
    • Choose faculty member or resident from drop-down menu.
    • Choose which one of the five forms you want to send to your evaluator.
    • Send Form(s) to Evaluator(s) via email.
      • Note: This will be sent to the email address on file in LEO, which may or may not be a NYMC.edu address.
    • Once a Form is completed, LEO should send you an automatic email notification, at which point you can view the completed form on LEO.
    • If you do not see a faculty member listed in Leo for your Clerkship (resident/house staff/attending, etc.), you must email your clerkship coordinator. Please do not email Ed-Tech.
    • If you have a technical question and/or want to provide user feedback, you must email your clerkship coordinator. Please do not email Ed-Tech.
  • Evaluators (Faculty, residents):
    • Open Student email and complete the On-Demand Evaluation Form(s) that the student chose to send to you. The link in the email will take you directly to the form.
    • Each form is brief and should be filled out in its entirety.
    • Each form also has a box for narrative feedback; ideally examples will be provided to enrich the scoring options that faculty selected.
    • Alternatively, you may log in to Leo to access On-Demand Forms directly.

How Data Will Be Used:

  • As is the current practice, Clerkship Directors solicit input on medical student performance during clinical rotations. Clerkship Directors may use completed On-Demand Evaluation Forms to further inform summative student feedback.
  • Students may wish to share completed On-Demand Evaluation Forms with advisors.
  • As this innovation is a pilot project for AY 2021-22, the ECC task force will use data to evaluate process and make future changes, as needed.

Feedback

Students and evaluators will be asked to provide feedback on the quality and effectiveness of the On-Demand Forms so that improvements can be incorporated in the next academic year.