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Academics

Phase 2 Clerkships

Our core clerkships expose students to the wide range of clinical activities associated with each specialty. In the Pritzker Phoenix, Phase 2 students will participate in a robust clerkship orientation program, earlier and longer core clinical rotations, and increased elective time for more specialty exploration. Additionally, students will have more ambulatory education during the new Ambulatory Clerkship, a 4-week adult ambulatory clerkship that integrates outpatient Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. 

Clerkships will continue to utilize knowledge and clinical competency-based assessments that will allow students the opportunity to distinguish themselves. Students master core competencies unique to each clerkship as well as general communication and professionalism competencies that are observed across the board. The majority of inpatient experiences take place at University of Chicago Medicine or NorthShore University HealthSystem's Evanston Hospital Campus. Outpatient experiences take place at a variety of clinics around the Chicagoland area, but tend to be concentrated at the University of Chicago outpatient clinics. 

Internal Medicine (8 weeks)

Description:

The Medicine clerkship is an 8-week rotation that includes inpatient experiences. The goal of the rotation is to provide students with a foundation of knowledge in general internal medicine necessary to practice in any medical or surgical specialty. 

During the eight-week clerkship, students rotate on services at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Evanston Hospital, part of the NorthShore University HealthSystem. Students will spend 4-6 weeks on inpatient general medicine services and 2-4 weeks on hematology/oncology and/or cardiology services. 

During each of the core rotations, students function as active members of the ward team and assume a prominent role in the management of the patients. Students also meet four times in small groups with a faculty preceptor.  

Available teaching conferences include Resident Morning report and Medical Grand Rounds. Teaching conferences provided specifically for students include 4 days set aside for case-based discussion sessions and didactic lectures.

Objectives: 

The primary objective of the medicine clerkship is to gain insight into clinical principles and practice of internal medicine. Expectations regarding oral and written case presentations, number of cases to be seen and preceptor group participation are all explicitly stated during the orientation at the start of the rotation.

Surgery and Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management (12 weeks)

Description:

This clerkship is divided into four phases: four weeks of a General surgery service or Trauma, two weeks on two specialty services, and two weeks of anesthesiology.  At the UCH, there are four General surgery services. Trauma Service, and a large number of surgery subspecialty services. Each handles patients with diseases classically associated with General surgery, Trauma, or the surgical subspecialty area.  However, there are various emphases from service to service, and the student should familiarize him/herself with these subspecialty emphases if the student has a particular interest in such areas as breast surgery, transplantation surgery, endocrine surgery, etc. Students may also choose to do general surgery at NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Evanston Hospital Campus, Evanston, IL where the service is more general and students have an opportunity to see a more diverse spectrum of cases. 

Students are considered a part of the team and are encouraged to participate actively in ward rounds, inpatient care, outpatient clinics, and the surgery of patients on his/her service. All students will participate in a Surgical Simulation Curriculum within the first few weeks of the clerkship. Students are encouraged to do outside reading and to attend the various weekly surgical conferences. A lecture series will be held at the U of C for all students, with students in Evanston participating via video conferencing. The lectures will run from 4:00 pm-6:15 pm on Tuesdays. Students also participate in case presentations at both sites.

Clinical Evaluation:

A student’s clinical performance is evaluated and graded by the faculty and residents at U of C and Evanston who work with the student on each rotation. They are asked to evaluate the student in several areas, including clinical acumen, interpersonal skills, professionalism and general knowledge. A written consensus evaluation is submitted to the departmental office by the designated faculty coordinator for that service.

Objectives:

To expose students to the medical management of surgical patients and basic surgical techniques. To provide students an opportunity to participate in peri-operative care as well as operative procedures. Provide a didactic experience centered around management of surgical diseases and to give students an opportunity for evaluation of surgical inpatients and outpatients.

Pediatrics (6 weeks)

Description: 

The Pediatrics clerkship is a six-week rotation. One week is spent on our nursery, and the remaining weeks are split between inpatient and outpatient pediatric sites in order to give breadth and depth to your learning. Our inpatient sites include Comer Children's Hospital, NorthShore University HealthSystem, and La Rabida Children's Hospital. And our outpatient sites include a mixture of primary care at Comer, Friend Health, Flossmoor, NorthShore and LaRabida as well as outpatient subspecialties such as endocrinology and gastroeneterology. Our clerkship coordinator will contact you prior to you starting with us in order to get your preferences for the above learning experiences, and will try our best to accommodate at least one of your top inpatient/outpatient choices. Didactics will contain a mixture of 1) in-person lectures including a full day at NorthShore which includes simulation practice, 2) live remote (via Zoom) lectures and small group sessions, and 3) asynchronous pre-recorded sessions in order to maximize your clinical time providing direct patient care. Depending on the site you are assigned to, students are also invited and expected to take part in our resident morning and noon conferences.

Objectives:

  • To perform a pediatric-specific history and physical in both inpatient and outpatient settings for all ages: newborn, toddler, school-age and adolescent.
  • To apply knowledge about growth and development to the care plan for children from birth through adolescence.
  • To demonstrate advanced communication skills while collaborating with all members of the patient care team, including family members and the interprofessional team. 
  • To accurately diagnose and provide evidence-based treatment for common childhood illnesses, both in inpatient and outpatient settings, employing a multidisciplinary approach that is up-to-date with the latest advancements in pediatric healthcare.

Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks)

  • Clerkship Director:
  • Associate Clerkship Directors:
    • Julie Chor, MD
    • Lindsey Eastman, MD
  • NorthShore Site Director: Cherrell Triplett, MD
  • Associate NorthShore Site Director: Melissa Keene, MD
  • Clerkship Coordinator:
  • Website:

Description:

The Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship is a six-week combined inpatient and outpatient experience, performed at either the University of Chicago or NorthShore University Health System. Students at both hospitals split their time between the Obstetrics service and a Gynecologic Surgery service. Students at NorthShore will have a primarily low-risk OB and general gynecology experience, whereas students at U of C see primarily high-risk obstetrics and rotate on either the benign gynecology or gyn-oncology surgical service. Students who rotate at NorthShore will remain at NorthShore for their entire clerkship, except the morning of orientation day and exam day, the final day of the clerkship. Students who rotate at U of C complete all of their clinical work at U of C but may be asked to go to NorthShore one to two times for simulation and/or OSCEs.

During their obstetric rotation, students will care for patients who are hospitalized for complications of pregnancy, who are labor and delivering, and for postpartum care. It is a fast-paced experience and consists of approximately 12-hour shifts. Students may be assigned to a mix of both day and night shifts over the course of the clerkship.

During their inpatient gynecologic surgery rotation, students will scrub on surgical cases, care for post-operative patients, see ER and inpatient consultations with their team and attend rounds. Students at the U of C will be assigned to either the benign gynecology service or the gyn-oncology service. At NorthShore, gynecology is a combined benign and oncologic service and students may be assigned to benign or oncology cases depending on case load.

Each student at both sites will also be assigned an individual faculty preceptor. This preceptor will mentor the student in the outpatient setting. Students will attend at least four half-days of outpatient clinic with their preceptor over the course of the clerkship. In addition, students will spend 1-2 half-days in the high risk obstetrics clinic at both locations. Other opportunities for outpatient exposure will vary by site.

Didactic sessions will be held throughout the week, primarily on Fridays but with some additional sessions. They are currently all completed virtually due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Most didactics are interactive including case presentations, patient counseling sessions, case-based learning sessions, and simulation sessions.

Clinical Evaluation:

Clinical performance is evaluated by the residents and faculty who work with the students on each rotation, as well as the student’s faculty preceptor. 

Objectives:

At the end of the OB/GYN rotation, students should:

  • Understand the basic concepts surrounding reproduction, the physiologic changes of pregnancy, common obstetric complications, the process of labor and delivery and the immediate post-partum period
  • Demonstrate physical exam skills necessary to perform a pelvic exam, an exam of a pregnant woman in prenatal care and in labor, and have participated in at least one vaginal and one cesarean delivery
  • Understand the fundamentals of common gynecologic issues, including generation of a gynecologic differential diagnosis and understanding of basic treatment options both surgical and non-surgical
  • Understand the epidemiology, anatomy, screening and diagnosis of common gynecologic cancers

Ambulatory Medicine (4 weeks)

  • Ambulatory Clerkship Directors:
    • TBD
  • Ambulatory Clerkship Administrator:
    • TBD

Description:

The Ambulatory clerkship is a 4-week rotation that includes outpatient experiences in adult general internal medicine, family medicine, and geriatrics. The goal of the rotation is to provide students with a foundation of knowledge in adult primary care necessary to practice in any medical or surgical specialty. 

During the four-week clerkship, students rotate in clinics at the University of Chicago Medical Center and at community family medicine clinics. 

During the rotation, students function as active members of the clinic and assume a prominent role in the management of the patients. 

Available teaching conferences include Resident Morning report and Medical Grand Rounds. Teaching conferences provided specifically for students include 2 days set aside for case-based discussion sessions and didactic lectures.

Objectives: 

The primary objective of the ambulatory clerkship is to gain insight into clinical principles and practice of adult primary care. Expectations regarding oral and written case presentations, number of cases to be seen are all explicitly stated during the orientation at the start of the rotation.

Psychiatry (4 weeks)

Description:

The psychiatry clerkship is a four-week experience that combines hospital-based work with outpatient experiences. Three primary site assignments are available including the consultation-liaison service at University of Chicago or the Child consultation-liaison service at the University of Chicago, the community inpatient service at Northshore, and the academic inpatient service at Ingalls Hospital (owned by UCM). Each site includes University of Chicago faculty and residents. Each site features one or two half days of clinic experiences each week. Students also have call responsibilities a few times during the rotation that allow them to experience emergency psychiatry.

Objectives:

The goal of the clerkship is to impart basic psychiatric skills and a fund of knowledge that will provide students with the tools necessary to detect and manage common mental disorders as future physicians. Broad areas of skills include interviewing techniques, including history-taking and mental status examination of psychiatric symptoms and signs; development of psychiatric differential diagnoses and a formulation of patients’ psychiatric illness; and formulation of psychiatric treatment options, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The fund of knowledge students must acquire includes the epidemiology, phenomenology, pathophysiology, treatment, and course of psychiatric disorders. At the end of the rotation, mastery of these skills and areas of knowledge is assessed through written evaluations by faculty and residents of the student’s clinical performance during the clerkship, by a NBME “shelf” subject examination, and by a standardized patient exam. More information can be obtained at our Psychiatry Clerkship website.

 

Neurology (4 weeks)

Description: 

Students in the Neurology clerkship will be assigned to either the University of Chicago Medical Center site, or the NorthShore Medical University site in Evanston. Clinical training at the two sites is similar in breadth and depth of patient exposure and educational content, with some differences in the structure and specific focus of the clinical rotations. Students are assigned on the basis of a lottery but can communicate site preferences to be accommodated when possible. Students at both sites will be provided a joint orientation session on the first day of the clerkship and receive parallel didactic training. Students from both sites will re-convene at UCMC for testing on the last day of the clerkship.

Objectives:

  • Learn to obtain a neurological history and perform a competent neurological examination:
    • Students will be provided a framework for neurological history taking and examination that they will utilize when examining patients on the floor.
    • They will also observe attendings and residents perform the neurological examination on the floor and in the clinics.
  • Learn the basics of localization in neurology:
    • Students will learn about localization during an orientation session with the clerkship director.
    • They will also learn the importance of localization in diagnosis.
  • Obtain exposure to a variety of neurological disorders:
    • On the inpatient floor, stroke and consult services, students will have exposure to acute presentations of stroke, seizures, multiple sclerosis, and neuromuscular disorders.
    • During the outpatient week students will have the opportunity to work with attendings in various specialty clinics.
  • Understand the role of diagnostic tests in neurology:
    • Students will have the opportunity to see patients undergoing EMG and EEG tests.
    • They will also have the opportunity to understand the role of multiple diagnostic modalities including CT and MRI as well as lumbar puncture and other lab investigations relevant to patients seen on the floors and in the clinics.
  • Understand the role of medical and surgical treatment and rehabilitation of neurological disorders:
    • Students will have exposure to various acute and chronic modalities of medical and surgical treatment as applied to patients seen on the floor and in the clinic.
    • Students will learn the role of rehabilitation services in the acute and chronic management of neurologic conditions. 
  • Obtain feedback on neurological history taking and examination:
    • Students will obtain ad-hoc feedback on history /examination skills on the floors and in the clinic.
    • Students on the inpatient service will present their history and physical examination to the residents, fellows and attendings, and they will be given feedback on their history taking and localization skills during presentations.

Family Medicine (2-week elective)

Description:

This 2-week elective is conducted at various clinical sites within and around the Chicagoland area. The clinical sites include community health centers, private practices and all Northshore Medical Group Locations including the Northshore Family Medicine Residency Program. Most students are assigned to two (2) different preceptors sites, working at each two days a week. When rotating at the NorthShore Family Medicine Residency Program, students work with both faculty and residents.

Students are engaged in clinical activities Tuesdays through Fridays throughout the rotation. On Mondays, students have clerkship didactics and small group discussions. Traditionally, the last Thursday of the rotation is an assigned reading day to prepare for the final exam. For more information, please visit Family Medicine Clerkship. 

Objectives:

  • Obtain a focused history and physical examination appropriate to the patient's presenting complaint while considering common outpatient clinical problems confronted by family physicians.
  • Generate differential diagnoses for patient's problems, with special consideration of the common and complex disorders that present in a family medicine setting.
  • Present diagnoses and treatment plans using best evidence and understanding of pathophysiology while taking psychosocial factors into consideration.
  • Write an accurate and concise note conveying only the most relevant points of the patient's medical history, presenting complaint, physical exam, assessment and plan.
  • Recognize and apply health promotion and prevention counseling services at every possible clinical opportunity.
  • Communicate appropriately with and listen to patients with compassion and empathy while applying the concepts of motivational interviewing and shared decision making when appropriate and confirming patient understanding.
  • Triage acute care visits in the family medicine ambulatory care setting to outpatient follow up vs. emergency/urgent care or 911 while taking into consideration health care system resources.
  • Professionalism: Conduct professional relationships with patients, staff and colleague with the highest moral and ethical standards and understand the role of each member of the healthcare team.
  • Professionalism: Actively seek feedback about your clinical performance and practice while taking into account any professional limitations.
  • FM Role in Health Care System: Describe and experience the roles of family physicians in the office and community. Describe the central role of primary care in the health of the public.
  • FM Role in Health Care System: Recognize the value of self-care, resilience and the joy in medicine.