What exactly is clerkship?

[shehpar786]

Hi Guys,

I am still a pre-med. I just wanted to find out what med students exactly do during their clerkship years. From what I understand so far, clerkship=observership and involves working with physicians to explore the specialty you are interested in. What about text-book studying? Is it mostly done in the pre-clerkship years? Any other info?

Thanks in advance:)

[crackers]

Clerkship is not just observership -- you are a functioning part of the clinical teams, interviewing and helping to treat patients, going to the OR on surgery and obstetrics rotations, etc... it is a standardized set of rotations (medicine, surgery, OB, paediatrics, family medicine, psychiatry and electives) that gives you the basic general exposure you need to graduate... and to help you decide on a career path.

 

That's a one paragraph summary... believe me, there's a lot more to it than that...

[Kirsteen]

I am still a pre-med. I just wanted to find out what med students exactly do during their clerkship years. From what I understand so far, clerkship=observership and involves working with physicians to explore the specialty you are interested in. What about text-book studying? Is it mostly done in the pre-clerkship years? Any other info?

Thanks in advance:)

Hi there,

 

Clerkship = the big introduction to little sleep. Also, in terms of textbook studying, not only are you working your bum off during each clerkship rotation, but you also have to intersperse that work time with studying so that you can pass the end-of-rotation exam(s). It can be a taxing time, hence the relief (and joy of an upcoming voyage) when you're done.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[doctorbetty]

I need to start thinking seriously (lol, like I haven't already) about the financial burden of medical school............ Are you paid a small salary while in clerkship or does that not start until residency?

[bay]

Clerkship stipends vary from province to province. In Ontario you get $500/month for your last 12 months of medical school.

[agregson]

Clerkship is part of medical school (at UofA years 3 and 4 are your clerkship years). Our stipend is like $300/month for the last 12 months of clerkship also.

 

DoctorBetty...you don't start getting a salary until first year residency. Medical school is expensive and the clerkship years do add some cost because it is difficult to manage without a car. A lot of people make due without vehicles during the first two years, but at the UofA at least it would be very difficult to manage without a vehicle during 3rd year.

 

I'd imagine that the average debt load of a new grad is about $100 000 (depending in any prior student loans from undergrad etc.)

[doc.in.training]

You also have to factor in travel costs and additional rent, since a lot of students do away electives at other schools during clerkship.

[Kirsteen]

Hey,

 

Another substantial cost is CaRMS: flights, hotels, the application fee, a new suit...

 

Cheers

Kirsteen

[doctorbetty]

Kirsteen, What is CaRMS exactly? Also, do your loans cover all these costs?

 

Thanks for all your help :)

[doctorbetty]

You also have to factor in travel costs and additional rent, since a lot of students do away electives at other schools during clerkship.

 

Why would one want to study electives at another school during clerkship? That sounds very complicated...........................

[Kirsteen]

Kirsteen, What is CaRMS exactly? Also, do your loans cover all these costs?

 

Thanks for all your help :)

Hi,

 

CaRMS stands for Canadian Residency Match Service. It's a service that's provided to facilitate the residency selection process. You receive your interview invitations after submitting an application to CaRMS.

 

As for the student loans and CaRMS-associated costs, it all depends on how well you budget with your line of credit, given that CaRMS occurs late in your medical school career.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Kirsteen]

Why would one want to study electives at another school during clerkship? That sounds very complicated...........................

Hi again,

 

Generally, you take electives at another school to gain exposure to the folks at that school and also, to see if you like the atmosphere there. (There are, of course, other reasons that might prompt someone to head to another city for an elective.) Some schools won't offer a residency interview to a candidate unless they know them and an elective is a good way to gain that exposure.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[hippie]

Do you get to do sutures in your surgical rotation?

[GABA]

Do you get to do sutures in your surgical rotation?

 

That would depend on the preceptor. I'm sure you'd get a chance if you made it known that that was one of your goals for that rotation. Another rotation that offers this possibility is ER.

[Kirsteen]

Do you get to do sutures in your surgical rotation?

Hi,

 

If you practice your knot-tying and demonstrate proficiency in handling the instruments then, yes, often you will be doing quite a bit of suturing during the surgical rotation.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[JewelLeigh]

Do you get to do sutures in your surgical rotation?

During my surgical rotation, I would retract for hours just for the opportunity to close the wound at the end, lol. It paid off though...I learned and put into practice several different suturing techniques.

[riffraff]

Hi again,

 

Generally, you take electives at another school to gain exposure to the folks at that school and also, to see if you like the atmosphere there. (There are, of course, other reasons that might prompt someone to head to another city for an elective.) Some schools won't offer a residency interview to a candidate unless they know them and an elective is a good way to gain that exposure.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

 

Are you able to do all (or nearly all) of your rotations at a different school from the one you're attending?

 

ie. You're going to UofC/UofA for med school, but you choose to do your rotations at the other city in Alberta instead for whatever reason (your home city/ you want to match there/ like it better, etc..). Is that possible?

[Kirsteen]

Are you able to do all (or nearly all) of your rotations at a different school from the one you're attending?

 

ie. You're going to UofC/UofA for med school, but you choose to do your rotations at the other city in Alberta instead for whatever reason (your home city/ you want to match there/ like it better, etc..). Is that possible?

Hi there,

 

Generally, you can choose to do your electives at another school, but unless you have some sort of extenuating circumstance, it's difficult to schedule your mandatory rotations at another school. (I don't say impossible as I know one person who did just that last year, but I don't know what their circumstances were.)

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen