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.
What are Clinical Rotations?
During years three and four of the MD program, you will complete clinical rotations at hospitals in the U.S. During these rotations, you will receive basic instruction in the major medical specialties and get hands-on experience with patients.
Clinical rotations in medical school provide you with supervised experience working with patients. They also provide you with the opportunity to identify the medical specialty that most appeals to you.
During your rotations, you will be a part of a medical team led by an attending physician that also includes residents (doctors-in-training) and interns (first-year residents).
Clinical training is both exciting and challenging. And as you gain firsthand experience working in hospitals, you’ll continue to benefit from the support of your dedicated team of Ross Med advisers.
Dive Deep in One Location
While many medical students move from city to city to complete clinical training at different hospitals, Ross Med students have the option to remain in one location throughout the core Clinical Education curriculum. This can allow you to concentrate fully on your medical school training—without the hassles and expenses of moving.
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.
Student Success and Support
As a Clinical Education student, you’ll continue to have access to the support of your Ross Med advising team throughout your rotations. Faculty supervise patient care and, along with Clinical chairs and Deans, serve as career advisors to prepare for residency attainment.
Your advising team includes:
- Care/counseling team
- Student Affairs
- Clinical advisor(s)
- Student finance advisors (including financial aid)
- Registrar advisor
- Career advisors
- Professional residency application writer
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:
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.
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.
In this rotation, you will learn skills and knowledge required for the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of infants, children, and adolescents.
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.
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.
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 |
Preparing for Residency
Once you have successfully completed years three and four of your clinical rotations, you will prepare to take the USMLE® Step 3 and move on to medical school residency.
The MATCH® Process
The MATCH process officially begins at the beginning of your fourth year. Throughout the process, you will have the support and guidance of your Ross Med advising team as you:
- Submit applications to residency programs.
- Interview with program teams.
- Create a Rank Order List (ROL) of preferred programs.
- Wait while the National Resident Matching Program calculates results and releases them on Match Day in mid-March.
Upon graduation, you will be ready to begin your residency and embark on the next phase of your medical career.