Ross Med Clinical Education Curriculum

Ross Med students begin clinical training and patient interaction in their first semester, you’ll be well prepared as you begin these clinical rotations

Medical students in hallway

After completing the Medical Sciences curriculum in Barbados, your Ross Med journey continues in years 3 and 4 as you begin your Clinical Education curriculum at teaching hospitals in the United States.

During this time, you will also prepare for and take the United States Medical License Examination® (USMLE®) Step 1 and Step 2.

Because Ross Med students begin clinical training and patient interaction in their first semester, you’ll be well prepared as you begin these clinical rotations and prepare for residency.

Curriculum Timeline

Preparing for Clinical Rotations

To be eligible for clinical core clerkships, you must first:

  • Successfully complete the Medical Sciences curriculum.
  • Pass the USMLE® Step 1 and submit the USMLE® Score Report.
  • Receive approved health clearance and complete a background check.

Securing Your Clinical Placement

During year two of your Medical Sciences curriculum, you will work with the Office of Career Advisement to secure your clinical placement in a teaching hospital.

You will apply to teaching hospitals in a graded preference system. Your options will be based on factors that include academic performance, available space, location, and elective and specialty interests.

Clinical Training Locations

You’ll complete your clinical training at one or more of 27 teaching hospitals in the United States.

Preparation For National Medical Board Exams

Students are automatically enrolled into our “Pathways to Step 1” course, which includes personalized advising and tutoring sessions and group reviews of USMLE® practice questions to help you prepare for the Comprehensive Basic Science Exam and USMLE® Step 1. As you complete your core and elective clerkship rotations, we offer individual advising, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME®) practice exams, webinar sessions, and more. Programming includes preparation for the following exams:

  • Objective Structured Clinical Examination
  • Subject Clerkship Exams
  • USMLE® Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK)
  • Occupational English Test (OET)
  • Comprehensive Clinical Sciences Exam

Core Clerkship Rotations

During your  third year of medical school, you'll complete 48 weeks of core clerkship rotations. These include:

Internal Medicine (12 weeks)

In this rotation, you will be introduced to the foundational behavior, knowledge, and clinical skills required to diagnose and treat common medical problems in adult patients.

Surgery (12 weeks)

In this rotation, you will explore conditions requiring surgical intervention and have opportunities to observe how surgical patients are managed. You will also become familiar with the policies and procedures of the operating room.

Pediatrics (6 weeks)

In this rotation, you will learn skills and knowledge required for the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of infants, children, and adolescents.

Family Medicine (6 weeks)

In this rotation, you will learn principles of family medicine and how they apply in community practice. Emphasis is placed on continuous and comprehensive healthcare for people of all ages and genders within the context of their communities, families, and social groups. Particular attention is paid to the diagnosis and treatment of common medical problems and to ambulatory care, continuity of care, and health maintenance.

Obstetrics/Gynecology (6 weeks)

In this rotation, you will learn about the changes—both normal and pathological—that can take place in a woman during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. You will also learn about the diagnosis and treatment of major gynecological diseases and various methods of family planning.

Psychiatry (6 weeks)

In this rotation, you will learn about the major categories of mental disorders, including diagnosis and some methods of therapy. You will also learn how to take a psychiatric history and evaluate a patient’s mental status.

Taking the USMLE® Step 2

Once you’ve completed your core rotations—including the NBME Clinical Subject Examination for each core clerkship and the NBME Clinical Comprehensive Examination—you will be eligible to take the USMLE® Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK).

Passing the USMLE® Step 2 CK is required for Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certification, which allows you to participate in the National Resident Matching Program®, the same residency match program as U.S. medical students, as an international medical graduate

Year 4: Elective Rotations

In the fourth and final year of medical school, you will continue your clinical training by diving deeper into your specialties of interest through 42 weeks of elective rotations. Each elective is four to eight weeks in length.

All Clinical Rotations

Below, you can view all of the clinical rotation courses available. Required clerkships (48 weeks) are listed alongside subspecialties in each area.

320 MEDICINE 321 Cardiology 329 Nephrology
322 Critical Care Medicine 330 Oncology
323 Emergency Medicine 331 Pulmonary Disease
324 Endocrinology 332 Rheumatology
325 Gastroenterology 333 Rehabilitation Medicine
327 Infectious Disease 336 Sports Medicine
328 Allergy and Immunology 337 Tropical Medicine
338 Medicine Subinternship  
410 OBSTETRICS/ GYNECOLOGY 411 Obstetrics/ Gynecology Subinternship  
490 PEDIATRICS 491 Pediatrics Subinternship  
540 PSYCHOLOGY    
610 SURGERY 611 Colon and Rectal Surgery 623 Ophthalmology
612 Neurological Surgery 626 Hand Surgery
613 Orthopedic Surgery 627 Surgical Subinternship
615 Plastic Surgery 628 Pediatric Surgery
617 Urology 640 Burn Surgery
618 Vascular Surgery 641 Shock Trauma Surgery
619 Otolaryngology 642 Cardiothoracic Surgery
620 Trauma Surgery  
710 FAMILY MEDICINE    

After core training, students participate in 42 weeks of elective clerkships.

ELECTIVES (4-8 weeks each) 820 Neonatology 837 Intensive Care Unit
803 Neurological Pathology 839 Ob/ Gyn Anesthesia
805 Ambulatory Internal Medicine 840 Medical Ethics
806 Neurology 851 Pathology
807 Anesthesiology 853 Pediatric Infectious Disease
808 Emergency Room 854 Pediatric Genetics
812 Clinical Pathology 857 Preventive Medicine
813 Clinical Radiology 858 Primary Care
815 Radiation Oncology 859 Psychiatry Elective
816 Radiology  866 Substance Abuse
817 Dermatology 872 Pediatric Orthopedics
819 Public Health 873 Surgical Elective 
821 Electrocardiography  875 Medicine Elective
822 Family Medicine Elective 877 Podiatry
825 General Surgery Elective 879 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
828 Hyperbaric Medicine/Wound Care 882 Pediatric Elective
830 Gynecological Surgery 892 Ob/ Gyn Elective
833 Perinatology 896 Adolescent Medicine
834 Infertility 897 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
RESEARCH ELECTIVES 860 Pediatrics Research Elective 870 Clinical Research Elective

 

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