Educational Philosophy

"The third-year internal medicine clerkship's role in the education of medical students is to teach fundamental knowledge and develop skills and behaviors necessary to care for adult patients, regardless of the students' final career paths. In the context of caring for patients, medical students learn a logical approach to diagnosis of significant symptoms and signs, basic therapeutic approaches to common diseases ranging from emergent to chronic, and an understanding of the role of the internist in caring for people across the spectrum from healthy to critically ill." (Woolliscroft, JO. The Internal Medicine Clerkship and the National Debate on Primary Care Education. Am J Med. 1994;96:IV-VII.)

We believe that this mission is best achieved by providing students hands-on experience combined with in-depth reading and discussion. Recently, a national consortium of experts published a core curriculum for the internal medicine clerkship. This curriculum identifies the national consensus view on course priorities. Interaction with patients remains the cornerstone of the curriculum. Students, under supervision, are assigned patients for evaluation. Faculty will help students to develop basic clinical competencies in the context of encounters with patients. Core clinical competencies and priorities are defined later in this syllabus. Teaching conferences and other instructional activities supplement, but in no way replace bedside interaction with patients.

Organization of the Clerkship: Bismarck

The clerkship is divided into one, eight- week rotation during the third year and a four-week acting internship sometime during the fourth year. During the third year, each student will be assigned to four weeks on the Internal Medicine teaching service and two, two-week sessions with an internist or subspecialist.

Organization of the Clerkship: Fargo

The clerkship is divided into two rotations of four weeks each.  Each student will be assigned one rotation on a hospital teaching service. Hospital teaching services are located at the VA Medical Center and MeritCare Medical Center. Students will be assigned to one rotation with a preceptor at an ambulatory site in the local community or surrounding region, subject to availability.  A senior four-week acting internship is required.

Organization of the Clerkship: Grand Forks

The clerkship is divided into two rotations of four weeks each.  Each student will be assigned one rotation on a hospital teaching service. Hospital teaching services are located at Altru. Students will be assigned to one rotation with a preceptor at an ambulatory site.  A senior four-week acting internship is required.

People

If you need accommodations in this course because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with one of the above as soon as possible.