Electives vs. Shadowing

[Cottoncandy6827]

Hi Everyone

 

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I am a little new at the terminology. I keep hearing things like electives, pre-electives, shadowing, clerkship, observerships etc...are they all the same thing? or are they all different in the sense of we need to do one before the other during our 4 years of med school? if so, which part do we do in first year, second etc...which part is mandatory and which part is optional that some people choose to do in the summer,

 

I would really appreciate it if someone can shed any light on this!

[ellorie]

Generally, clerkship is your third year of mandatory rotations, where you are caring for patients and spending most of your time at the hospital.

 

Post clerkship/4th year electives are not optional in that you have to do them, but you get to choose where and what (for the most part)

 

Pre clerkship electives can be mandatory or not, depending on the school, but there is usually a connotation that you are spending a more extended period of time with one supervisor and may have some clinical responsibilities.

 

Observerships are kind of the same as shadowing, except that I think shadowing is more what people do before medical school. It's optional here, and you just go and spend some time watching different physicians when you are not in class.

[Cottoncandy6827]

Thanks a lot for clarifying. Generally, what do people usually do after first and second year then? do we just do research or set up some kind of shadowing/preclerkship experience on our own?

 

And for all the clerkship and electives, is it something we have to set up on our own and let the school know, or does a school provides you with a list that you apply for etc...

 

 

Generally, clerkship is your third year of mandatory rotations, where you are caring for patients and spending most of your time at the hospital.

 

Post clerkship/4th year electives are not optional in that you have to do them, but you get to choose where and what (for the most part)

 

Pre clerkship electives can be mandatory or not, depending on the school, but there is usually a connotation that you are spending a more extended period of time with one supervisor and may have some clinical responsibilities.

 

Observerships are kind of the same as shadowing, except that I think shadowing is more what people do before medical school. It's optional here, and you just go and spend some time watching different physicians when you are not in class.

[ellorie]

Your school sorts you out for clerkship. Electives you have to apply for, because generally you do them at other schools across Canada.

 

Summers between first and second year can be anything. Some people do pre-clerkship electives, some people do research, some people do nothing.

[Cottoncandy6827]

cool thanks! what about the summer after 2nd year? Sorry, I am just trying to get a sense of scheduling the next 4 years.

Is that when a lot of people write the part 1 of board exams?

[ellorie]

People writing the USMLE often write step 1 then. The Canadian boards aren't until the end of 4th year.

 

I am in the summer of second year and I am doing combined research/clinical stuff. Mostly just the same as what I did last summer.

[Cottoncandy6827]

ok thanks! wow 4th year, I must have the schedule really confused, for some reason I thought part 1 was 3rd year and part 2 was in 4th year, don't they need to know our scores when we go to interviews for residency during 4th year?

[ellorie]

Nope - that's more a US thing.

 

There is one part that you take at the end of 4th year and another part that you take after your first year of residency.

 

You don't get your scores until after you have matched. Most programs want to see them, but it's not going to cost you your spot. I don't think it even costs you your spot if you fail outright, and almost nobody does.

[Cottoncandy6827]

hey pm'ed you thanks

[Dr.Henderson]

Also important to note that these terms often vary from one school to another- for example at Queen's our "observerships" are sometimes termed "pre-clerkship" or "pre-clinical" electives at other schools. Adding to the confusion- some people call them shadowing and all other sorts of variations on the theme. Easiest thing to do is get the low down from an upper year student at your school . Electives really only mean the same thing across the board when it comes to clerkship electives.