Students must have successfully completed all pre-clinical courses prior to beginning clerkships. The required clerkship curriculum consists of a total of 93 clinical units (15.5 months). For more information about the clerkship curriculum, clerkship-related policies and procedures, and other requirements during the clinical years, please refer to information at the links below.
For information about clerkships for visiting students, please visit the Visiting Clerkships website.
Clinical Graduation Requirements for students beginning clerkships 2004-05 and later:
| CLERKSHIP# | DEPARTMENT | TITLE | UNITS |
| To be completed within the student's first 12 months: | |||
| *MED 300A | Medicine | General Medicine Core | 12 (2 months) |
| *SURG 300A | Surgery | General Surgery | 12 (2 months) |
| Two of the clerkships below (assigned by draw process) must also be completed within student's first 12 months: | |||
| ANES 306A or P | Anesthesia | Critical Care Clerkship | 6 (1 month) |
| INDE 301A | Family and Community Med | Family Medicine Core | 6 (1 month) |
| MED 313A | Medicine | Ambulatory Medicine | 6 (1 month) |
| *NENS 301A | Neurology | Neurology Core Clerkship | 6 (1 month) |
| *OBGYN 300A | Obstetrics & Gynecology | Basic Gynecology & Obstetrics | 9 (1.5 months) |
| *PEDS 300A | Pediatrics | Child Health | 12 (2 months) |
| *PSYC 300A | Psychiatry | Basic Core Psychiatry | 6 (1 month) |
| These clerkships may be completed any time prior to graduation: | |||
| Selective I: Fundamentals of Clinical Care (chosen from approved list) | 6 (1 month) | ||
| Selective II: Subinternship (chosen from approved list) | 6 (1 month) | ||
| ELECTIVE | 6 (1 month) | ||
| Total clinical units required for graduation | 93 (15.5 months) | ||
* Because passing of the NBME subject examination is a requirement in these clerkships, students must enroll in (i.e., begin) these clerkships at the latest by Period 7 of the final clinical year to allow time for remediation of failing scores prior to graduation.
MD Program Handbook - Essential Policies, Procedures, and Information
(Academic Year 2008-2009)
Authoritative document on policies and procedures related to completion of the Stanford MD degree. Clerkship-specific sections include, but are not limited to:
Section |
Title |
Page |
2.1 |
Specification of Requirements for Graduation with the MD Degree |
13 |
2.3 |
Data Security and Privacy (HIPAA) Training |
17 |
2.4 |
Safety Training |
17 |
2.7 |
School of Medicine Statement on Professionalism |
26 |
4.1 |
Clerkship Periods |
53 |
4.2 |
Required Clerkships (Table) |
54 |
4.3 |
Required Clerkship Descriptions |
55 |
4.4 |
Selective Clerkship Requirement
|
58-62 59 |
4.5 |
Translating Discoveries – INDE 297 |
63 |
4.6 |
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) – MED 295 |
65 |
4.7 |
Subject Examinations in Required Clerkships |
65 |
4.8 |
Clinical Performance Examination (CPX) |
66 |
4.9 |
How to Take Elective Clerkships at Other Institutions |
67 |
4.10 |
Requests to Complete Core or Selective Clerkships at Other Institutions |
68 |
4.11 |
Absences During Clerkships |
69 |
4.12 |
Policy on Dropping Clerkships Less than Two Weeks Before the Start of the Period |
69 |
4.13 |
Definition of Medical Student Practice Role |
70 |
4.14 |
Student Duty Hours and the Work Environment |
70 |
4.15 |
Malpractice Liability for Medical Students |
71 |
4.16 |
Student Participation in Clinical Activities Involving Personal Risk |
72 |
4.17 |
Universal Precautions |
72 |
6.2 |
Evaluation of Performance in Clinical Clerkships
|
91-96 91 |
Introduction to Clerkship Scheduling: Preparing for the Draw
The Clerkship Draw Handout illustrates the following information:
- clerkship periods and timing
- instructions for the “Draw” and the Fishbowl clerkship scheduling system
- clerkship types and descriptions
- important risk and safety information
- the student practice role
- professionalism
For a searchable database of all Stanford School of Medicine courses and clerkships, please refer to the School of Medicine Course Catalog.