The one-year “Applications” phase allows medical students to practice their patient care knowledge and skills in a variety of clinical settings. This year starts with participation in a two-week structured session, “Intersession I: Transition to the Clinical Years,” which focuses on skills needed for medical students to function effectively in patient care settings.
During this phase, medical students rotate through clerkships in ambulatory medicine, family medicine, inpatient medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. Students have the opportunity to participate in clinical experiences in metropolitan centers, working-class neighborhoods, suburbs, inner city areas and rural communities.
All third-year clerkships take place on Drexel’s academic campuses. Assignments for third year are based on the results of a lottery system, although medical students can preference year-long assignments at our regional campuses.
The “Transitions” phase focuses on advanced clinical skills and preparation for residency. The fourth year curriculum is structured within “Pathways” — an advising system that gives medical students a well-rounded educational experience and also prepares them for their chosen specialty area. All medical students have a faculty adviser who works with the student to balance the structure and flexibility of their learning needs, helps prepare the student to enter postgraduate training with confidence and works to maximize the guidance and counseling available from preceptors.
Fourth-year medical students have opportunities to complete a variety of clinical elective rotations at hospitals and sites that are not Drexel clinical affiliates, including international rotations.