Clerkships

In all core clinical rotations, students experience both the breadth and depth of health and disease, with opportunities to reinforce, build upon, and transfer knowledge and skills. Clinical learning is integrated across disciplines whenever possible, and the roles of basic science, civic professionalism, scholarship, and population health in clinical care are addressed. Students have patient care responsibilities that are progressive in complexity and increase as their level of clinical skill and knowledge increases. Learning objectives and assessment methods are the same for a given rotation, regardless of the clinical site.

University Program students have the option of participating in either the traditional core clinical rotation schedule, or in the Cleveland Clinical Longitudinal Clerkship (CCLC).

Objectives and Requirements for Clerkships and Required Clinical Experiences (2024-2025) 

Traditional Core Clinical Rotations

Beginning in their third year, most students will complete their core clerkship rotations through this traditional block schedule. These rotations are organized in blocks of varying lengths that group complimentary core specialties at one or more sites. Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Aging forms a 12 week block, Pediatrics (6 weeks) and OB/Gyn (6 weeks) are grouped together. Neuroscience (4 weeks) and Psychiatry (4 weeks) are also grouped together. Finally, Surgery and Emergency Medicine forms an 8 week rotation. Each of these clinical rotations is offered at all of the School of Medicine's hospital affiliates including University Hospitals of Cleveland, MetroHealth Medical Center and the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center (except no Pediatrics or OB/Gyn).

Cleveland Clinic Longitudinal Clerkship (CCLC)

Students will have the option of completing their core clerkship rotations as part of a 12-month longitudinal clerkship experience at the Cleveland Clinic. The educational learning objectives remain the same for all Case Western Reserve University students on their clerkship rotations, however, the structure of this experience will offer some unique features aimed at increased longitudinal ambulatory experiences with faculty.  Students will complete all 40 weeks of their clerkship rotations within the Cleveland Clinic Health System and have 8 weeks of electives that can be taken at other hospitals in Cleveland or as a visiting student at another institution. The rotation structure will be:

• Longitudinal Ambulatory Block (LAB) –12 weeks

• Team-Based Care 1 – Inpatient Internal Medicine/Surgery – 12 weeks

• Team-Based Care 2 – OB, Inpatient Gynecology, Inpatient Pediatrics – 8 weeks and Elective (any site) – 4 weeks

• Team-Based Care 3 – Neurology/Psychiatry – 8 weeks, and Electives (any site) – 4 weeks.

The Longitudinal Ambulatory Block (LAB) will include outpatient components of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Palliative Medicine, and Geriatrics.  LAB will also provide opportunities for students to explore other disciplines and possible areas of career interest and establish longitudinal experiences by working a half day a week with the same preceptor over 12 weeks. The longitudinal clerkship will also allow students to create a community of learning by participating in Longitudinal Learning Groups over the year.  Topics such as quality/safety, high-value care, and palliative medicine will be covered as part of a year-long curriculum.

12-week Longitudinal Ambulatory Block (LAB) Rotation

Sample weekly student schedule in LAB. Will be developed individually for each student.

MetroHealth-CWRU Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (MetroLIC)

Students will have the option of completing their core clerkship rotations as part of a 12-month longitudinal integrated clerkship experience in the MetroHealth System.  The educational learning objectives remain the same for all Case Western Reserve University students on their clerkship rotations, however, the structure of this experience will emphasize longitudinal and integrated experiences with faculty and patients in the diverse MetroHealth community.  Students will complete all 40 weeks of their clerkship rotations within the MetroHealth System and have 8 weeks of electives that can be taken at other hospitals in Cleveland or as a visiting student at another institution. 

The structure of the MetroLIC is rooted in a year-long, half-day/week, outpatient schedule with a family physician, internist, pediatrician, and obstetrician/gynecologist. Students also complete outpatient experiences in Surgery and the Emergency Department through the year.  Students will work with the same attending physician in each core specialty for the entire year and become an integral member of the clinic team. They will develop longitudinal relationships with patients of all age groups who they can help care for in the inpatient and outpatient settings and across specialties. 

Spread across the academic year at approximately four-week intervals, the MetroLIC students will engage in their inpatient core rotations. Each inpatient burst lasts 14-21 days and the student will be a member of the inpatient teams on the internal medicine, pediatric, obstetrics and gynecology, surgical, neurology, and psychiatry services. During their inpatient bursts, they will be full members of the inpatient team caring for the hospitalized and diverse, urban, and underserved community served by the MetroHealth Medical Center.