Helping Today's Medical Students Become Tomorrow's Doctors
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Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship |
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Clerkship Success
To build a strong foundation for outstanding patient care, and to match into your chosen field or residency program, you must maximize your clerkship education. In our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success, you'll learn specific strategies for success during the most important year of medical school.
USMLE Step 1 scores and clerkship grades are ranked as the two most important criteria in the residency selection process based on surveys of residency program directors (Green). Program director comments below highlight the importance of clerkship grades:
• "Do well in your clerkship," writes the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. "Yes, this is obvious - and easier said than done - but it's also important. Most residency programs look closely at the third-year clerkship grade when selecting applicants."
• The University of Colorado Department of Surgery writes that "most surgery programs look very favorably on on 'Honors' grade in your MS3 surgery clerkship rotation and may factor in the grades you received in your Medicine and Ob/Gyn rotations."
• According to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California - Davis, "USMLE scores and clerkship grades (especially in Ob/Gyn, surgery, and internal medicine) are considered factual data and ranked high."
• "Most institutions utilize board score and clerkship grade cut points to help narrow the field," writes Dr. Tobias Kohler, residency program director in the Department of Urology at Southern Illinois University.
• "Academic performance, particularly on the core clinical clerkships and the USMLE Step 1, may limit a student's ability to match successfully in ophthalmology," writes Dr. Michael Wu. Dr. Wu is the Director of Medical Student Education in Ophthalmology at the University of Washington.
• The Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly Medical College of Georgia) ENT Interest Group has this to say about clerkship grades. "Because Otolaryngology is a very competitive field, grades and board scores are an important way to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted to a residency program."
• The University of Washington Department of Radiology writes that "in the interview selection process, the most important aspects of the application are grades in the clinical clerkships, especially the core clerkships in medicine and surgery."
• The Stanford University Department of Radiology also emphasizes the importance of clerkship grades. "...Successful candidates will have demonstrated outstanding performance in the core clinical clerkships."
• "As Emergency Medicine is a more competitive specialty, students should know criteria for honors grades before each rotation, and strive for excellence," writes Dr. Shahram Lotfipour, Associate Dean and Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of California - Irvine.
• Dr. Ali Alikhan of the Mayo Clinic Department of Dermatology writes that "clerkship grades from third year are undeniably important - this is the most important year academically...Obtaining as many 'honors' grades as possible should be your goal. This will greatly improve the chances for election into AOA, which provides a significant advantage in the dermatology application process" (Alikhan).
Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success reviews proven strategies for success in patient care, write-ups, rounds, and other vital areas.
This book shows students what they can do now to position themselves for match success. An invaluable resource for medical students - no student should be without it.
Residency Match
Our best-selling book, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, was written with the express intent of helping applicants match with the specialty and program of their choice.
Our efforts extend beyond books to include regularly published columns on www.studentdoctor.net, in which we interview decision-makers in the residency selection process. Archived columns provide evidence-based recommendations on oral communication skills, interview preparation, and the importance of identifying mentors, among other topics.
Our partner website, TheSuccessfulMatch.com has sections dedicated to each specialty. Each section contains a wide range of information and resources. In order to maintain our expertise, we regularly review the literature in the fields of medical education and the residency match. In each section, we've linked to topics and discussions that applicants will find useful. You'll find published information from decision-makers in the specialty, as well as discussions on the future of the specialty and current events impacting the field.
For applicants who seek more in-depth, personalized advice, professional consulting services are available with the book's author, Dr. Samir Desai. We've helped hundreds of residency applicants reach their professional goals. Simply put, no one else can offer the knowledge, insight, expertise, and resources we can. After all, we wrote the book on matching.
Internal Medicine Clerkship
The field of internal medicine has a broad impact on all fields of medicine. "Learning about internal medicine - the specialty providing comprehensive care to adults - in the third year of medical school is an important experience, regardless of what specialty the medical student ultimately pursues," says Dr. Patrick Alguire, the Director of Education and Career Development at the American College of Physicians.
Your IM clerkship grade can impact your career. It's a factor in the residency selection process for all specialties, not just internal medicine. In a survey of over 1,200 residency program directors across 21 medical specialties, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). "Do well in your clerkship," writes the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. "Yes, this is obvious - and easier said than done - but it's also important. Most residency programs look closely at the third-year clerkship grade when selecting applicants." Read more
Surgery Clerkship
The surgery clerkship provides significant exposure to common surgical problems, and allows you to evaluate the specialty as a potential career choice. Although the bulk of your education will take place on the general surgery service, most rotations provide the opportunity to explore several surgical subspecialties. A surgical clerkship education is very valuable whether or not you choose to participate in a surgical field. Primary care physicians must be familiar witht he evaluation and management of patients in the pre-operative and post-operative settings. An understanding of core surgical principles is important across many fields, including ones such as anesthesiology, dermatology, and emergency medicine. From a personal standpoint, you or a family member is likely to undergo surgery in your lifetime, and you'll find that an understanding of the preoperative, operative, and post-operative stages will be valuable.
Regardless of your chosen career, your surgery clerkship grade will be a factor used in the residency selection process, due to an emphasis on core clerkship grades in the residency selection process. In a survey of residency program directors across 21 medical specialties, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). The University of Colorado Department of Surgery writes that "most surgery programs look very favorably on an 'Honors' grade in your MS3 surgey clerkship rotation and may factor in the grades you received in your Medicine and Ob/Gyn rotations." It's not easy to honor the clerkship. In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 27% of students achieve the highest grade in the surgery clerkship. Read more
Pediatrics Clerkship
During the pediatrics clerkship, students will gain experience and skills in the evaluation and management of common medical problems in infants, children, and adolescents. The Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Alabama writes that "there are few areas in medicine where knowledge of pediatrics will not be necessary."
As a core clerkship, your performance in Pediatrics is important to residency programs in other specialties. In a survey of over 1,200 residency program directors, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 29% of students achieve the highest grade in the pediatrics clerkship. Read more
Psychiatry Clerkship
Psychiatric disease is highly prevalent, and physicians in all specialties need to be familiar with a variety of psychiatric diseases. The skills learned in this core clerkship are essential for all students, irrespective of specialty choice. All physicians must ensure that patients with psychiatric disease are recognized, diagnosed, and treated correctly. In fact, most patietns with psychiatric illness initially present to primary care physicians and specialists, not psychiatrists.
While less than 5% of U.S. medical school graduates match into the field, your psychiatry clerkship grade will be used as a factor in the residency selection process for all fields, as all place considerable value on core clerkship grades. In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 35% of students achieve the highest grade in the psychiatry clerkship. Read more
Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship
All medical students benefit from an increased knowledge of women's health. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University writes that "physicians of all specialties will care for female patients who present with reproductive health issues, whether it is a teen seeking contraception, a young athlete with amenorrhea, a pregnant woman with an autoimmune disease, a patient with type II diabetes and abnormal uterine bleeding, or a post-menopausal woman with breast cancer and symptoms of hypoestrogenemia."
Although only 5% of U.S. medical graduates enter the specialty, the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship is a core clerkship, and therefore this grade will be utilized in the residency selection process of any field. According to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California Davis, "USMLE scores and clerkship grades (especially in ob/gyn, surgery, and internal medicine) are considered factual data and ranked high." However, honoring the rotation is challenging. Read more
Family Medicine Clerkship
According to the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the family medicine clerkshp provides "essential patient care knowledge and skills necessary for generic medical school development." The family medicine clerkship teaches students the role of the family physician in the delivery of primary care in the United States. You will learn how to evaluate and manage patients with a wide variety of acute and chronic medical problems.
The experiences in the family medicine clerkship are important to your growth as a physician, regardless of specialty. Read more
Lab Test Interpretation
To build a strong foundation for outstanding patient care, and to match into your chosen field or residency program, you must maximize your clerkship education. In our book, Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success, you'll learn specific strategies for success during the most important year of medical school.
USMLE Step 1 scores and clerkship grades are ranked as the two most important criteria in the residency selection process based on surveys of residency program directors (Green). Program director comments below highlight the importance of clerkship grades:
• "Do well in your clerkship," writes the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. "Yes, this is obvious - and easier said than done - but it's also important. Most residency programs look closely at the third-year clerkship grade when selecting applicants."
• The University of Colorado Department of Surgery writes that "most surgery programs look very favorably on on 'Honors' grade in your MS3 surgery clerkship rotation and may factor in the grades you received in your Medicine and Ob/Gyn rotations."
• According to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California - Davis, "USMLE scores and clerkship grades (especially in Ob/Gyn, surgery, and internal medicine) are considered factual data and ranked high."
• "Most institutions utilize board score and clerkship grade cut points to help narrow the field," writes Dr. Tobias Kohler, residency program director in the Department of Urology at Southern Illinois University.
• "Academic performance, particularly on the core clinical clerkships and the USMLE Step 1, may limit a student's ability to match successfully in ophthalmology," writes Dr. Michael Wu. Dr. Wu is the Director of Medical Student Education in Ophthalmology at the University of Washington.
• In a study examining orthopaedic surgery resident performance, Dirschl found that academic performance in medical school clerkships was most predictive of overall residency performance (Dirschl).
• The Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly Medical College of Georgia) ENT Interest Group has this to say about clerkship grades. "Because Otolaryngology is a very competitive field, grades and board scores are an important way to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted to a residency program."
• The University of Washington Department of Radiology writes that "in the interview selection process, the most important aspects of the application are grades in the clinical clerkships, especially the core clerkships in medicine and surgery."
• The Stanford University Department of Radiology also emphasizes the importance of clerkship grades. "...Successful candidates will have demonstrated outstanding performance in the core clinical clerkships."
• "As Emergency Medicine is a more competitive specialty, students should know criteria for honors grades before each rotation, and strive for excellence," writes Dr. Shahram Lotfipour, Associate Dean and Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of California - Irvine.
• Dr. Ali Alikhan of the Mayo Clinic Department of Dermatology writes that "clerkship grades from third year are undeniably important - this is the most important year academically...Obtaining as many 'honors' grades as possible should be your goal. This will greatly improve the chances for election into AOA, which provides a significant advantage in the dermatology application process" (Alikhan).
Success on the Wards: 250 Rules for Clerkship Success reviews proven strategies for success in patient care, write-ups, rounds, and other vital areas.
This book shows students what they can do now to position themselves for match success. An invaluable resource for medical students - no student should be without it.
Residency Match
Our best-selling book, The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match, was written with the express intent of helping applicants match with the specialty and program of their choice.
Our efforts extend beyond books to include regularly published columns on www.studentdoctor.net, in which we interview decision-makers in the residency selection process. Archived columns provide evidence-based recommendations on oral communication skills, interview preparation, and the importance of identifying mentors, among other topics.
Our partner website, TheSuccessfulMatch.com has sections dedicated to each specialty. Each section contains a wide range of information and resources. In order to maintain our expertise, we regularly review the literature in the fields of medical education and the residency match. In each section, we've linked to topics and discussions that applicants will find useful. You'll find published information from decision-makers in the specialty, as well as discussions on the future of the specialty and current events impacting the field.
For applicants who seek more in-depth, personalized advice, professional consulting services are available with the book's author, Dr. Samir Desai. We've helped hundreds of residency applicants reach their professional goals. Simply put, no one else can offer the knowledge, insight, expertise, and resources we can. After all, we wrote the book on matching.
Internal Medicine Clerkship
The field of internal medicine has a broad impact on all fields of medicine. "Learning about internal medicine - the specialty providing comprehensive care to adults - in the third year of medical school is an important experience, regardless of what specialty the medical student ultimately pursues," says Dr. Patrick Alguire, the Director of Education and Career Development at the American College of Physicians.
Your IM clerkship grade can impact your career. It's a factor in the residency selection process for all specialties, not just internal medicine. In a survey of over 1,200 residency program directors across 21 medical specialties, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). "Do well in your clerkship," writes the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington. "Yes, this is obvious - and easier said than done - but it's also important. Most residency programs look closely at the third-year clerkship grade when selecting applicants." Read more
Surgery Clerkship
The surgery clerkship provides significant exposure to common surgical problems, and allows you to evaluate the specialty as a potential career choice. Although the bulk of your education will take place on the general surgery service, most rotations provide the opportunity to explore several surgical subspecialties. A surgical clerkship education is very valuable whether or not you choose to participate in a surgical field. Primary care physicians must be familiar witht he evaluation and management of patients in the pre-operative and post-operative settings. An understanding of core surgical principles is important across many fields, including ones such as anesthesiology, dermatology, and emergency medicine. From a personal standpoint, you or a family member is likely to undergo surgery in your lifetime, and you'll find that an understanding of the preoperative, operative, and post-operative stages will be valuable.
Regardless of your chosen career, your surgery clerkship grade will be a factor used in the residency selection process, due to an emphasis on core clerkship grades in the residency selection process. In a survey of residency program directors across 21 medical specialties, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). The University of Colorado Department of Surgery writes that "most surgery programs look very favorably on an 'Honors' grade in your MS3 surgey clerkship rotation and may factor in the grades you received in your Medicine and Ob/Gyn rotations." It's not easy to honor the clerkship. In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 27% of students achieve the highest grade in the surgery clerkship. Read more
Pediatrics Clerkship
During the pediatrics clerkship, students will gain experience and skills in the evaluation and management of common medical problems in infants, children, and adolescents. The Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Alabama writes that "there are few areas in medicine where knowledge of pediatrics will not be necessary."
As a core clerkship, your performance in Pediatrics is important to residency programs in other specialties. In a survey of over 1,200 residency program directors, grades in required clerkships were ranked as the # 1 factor used in the selection process (Green). In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 29% of students achieve the highest grade in the pediatrics clerkship. Read more
Psychiatry Clerkship
Psychiatric disease is highly prevalent, and physicians in all specialties need to be familiar with a variety of psychiatric diseases. The skills learned in this core clerkship are essential for all students, irrespective of specialty choice. All physicians must ensure that patients with psychiatric disease are recognized, diagnosed, and treated correctly. In fact, most patietns with psychiatric illness initially present to primary care physicians and specialists, not psychiatrists.
While less than 5% of U.S. medical school graduates match into the field, your psychiatry clerkship grade will be used as a factor in the residency selection process for all fields, as all place considerable value on core clerkship grades. In a survey of medical schools across the country, Takayama found that only 35% of students achieve the highest grade in the psychiatry clerkship. Read more
Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship
All medical students benefit from an increased knowledge of women's health. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University writes that "physicians of all specialties will care for female patients who present with reproductive health issues, whether it is a teen seeking contraception, a young athlete with amenorrhea, a pregnant woman with an autoimmune disease, a patient with type II diabetes and abnormal uterine bleeding, or a post-menopausal woman with breast cancer and symptoms of hypoestrogenemia."
Although only 5% of U.S. medical graduates enter the specialty, the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship is a core clerkship, and therefore this grade will be utilized in the residency selection process of any field. According to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of California Davis, "USMLE scores and clerkship grades (especially in ob/gyn, surgery, and internal medicine) are considered factual data and ranked high." However, honoring the rotation is challenging. Read more
Family Medicine Clerkship
According to the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the family medicine clerkshp provides "essential patient care knowledge and skills necessary for generic medical school development." The family medicine clerkship teaches students the role of the family physician in the delivery of primary care in the United States. You will learn how to evaluate and manage patients with a wide variety of acute and chronic medical problems.
The experiences in the family medicine clerkship are important to your growth as a physician, regardless of specialty. Read more
Lab Test Interpretation