80
Clinical weeks
A focused clinical experience built with intention. With 10 fewer weeks, you'll get to your next step sooner.
10 weeks
Focused Specialty Immersion
Gain additional specialty-focused experience within ACGME accredited residency programs before you graduate.
100+
Elective & 18 core sites
Build hands-on clinical experience across a broad network of U.S. hospitals and elective sites.
YEARS 3 & 4
Clinical Rotations
Less time isn't the point.
More intentional time is.
After completing the Medical Sciences curriculum in Barbados, your Ross Med journey continues in years three and four with a Clinical Education curriculum built around 80 weeks at teaching hospitals across the United States, 48 weeks of core clerkships and 32 weeks of electives, with 10 or more of those elective weeks within ACGME-accredited residency programs before you graduate.
During this time, you will also prepare for and take the United States Medical License Examination® (USMLE®) Step 1 and Step 2.
*Students who matriculated into Semester 1 before September 2023 will retain their existing graduation requirements. Students who started Semester 1 in September 2023 or later, or who transferred into the clinical program in January 2026 or later, are subject to the updated 80 weeks.
Overview
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?
Clinical rotations give you supervised experience with patients while helping you identify the medical specialty that's the best fit for you. During each rotation, you'll be part of a medical team led by an attending physician, alongside residents (doctors-in-training) and interns (first-year residents).
Clinical training is both exciting and challenging and as you gain firsthand experience in hospitals, you'll continue to benefit from the support of your dedicated Ross Med advising team.
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, letting you concentrate fully on your training, without the hassle and expense of moving.
Clinical Return Home Offer
Start in Barbados. Train closer to home.
Ross Med is guaranteeing qualifying students a limited number of Year 3 core clerkships at five of our regional affiliate hospitals in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Pontiac, MI.* This is an opportunity for aspiring students who would like to eventually practice in their home community.
Return to Home
Spend your first two years in Barbados, then return to your hometown for clinical training through the Clinical Return Home Offer.
*There is a limited number of guaranteed spots available at each site per term, and Ross Med cannot guarantee that all eligible students will be placed at the designated sites in their home area. In addition to applying to Ross Med, being accepted, and paying the seat deposit before guaranteed clerkship seats are filled, students must meet all eligibility requirements listed below. Ross Med offers three start dates per year in January, May, and September. New seats will become available for each start. An applicant may have the option to choose a later start if spots have been filled.
Start broad. Build the clinical knowledge and hands-on experience you need across the major specialties. Below is the full list of clinical rotation courses available. Required core clerkships (48 weeks) are listed alongside subspecialties in each area.
12 weeks
Learn the foundational behavior, knowledge, and clinical skills required to diagnose and treat common medical problems in adult patients.
| 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 |
12 weeks
Explore conditions requiring surgical intervention, observe how surgical patients are managed, and learn the policies and procedures of the operating room.
| 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 |
6 weeks
Learn skills and knowledge required for the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of infants, children, and adolescents.
- 491 Pediatrics Subinternship
6 weeks
Learn the principles of family medicine, with an emphasis on continuous and comprehensive healthcare for people of all ages and genders within social contexts. You’ll learn to diagnose and treat common medical problems and about ambulatory care, continuity of care, and health maintenance.
- 710 Family Medicine
6 weeks
Explore the changes—both normal and pathological—that can take place in a woman during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period. Learn to diagnose and treat major gynecological diseases and the various methods of family planning.
- 411 Obstetrics/ Gynecology Subinternship
6 weeks
Dive into the major categories of mental disorders, including diagnosis and some methods of therapy. Learn how to take a psychiatric history and evaluate a patient’s mental status.
- 540 Psychology
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'll be eligible to take the USMLE® Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK).
Passing 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 used by U.S. medical students, as an international medical graduate.
With 32 weeks of elective rotations, you can shape your clinical experience around your interests and goals. Go deeper in a specialty you’re drawn to, explore adjacent fields, and build focused experience that can complement your residency application—including a minimum of 10 weeks in ACGME-accredited residency programs.
| 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 |
| 860 Pediatrics Research Elective | 870 Clinical Research Elective |
What Happens After Clinical Rotations?
Once you've successfully completed years three and four of clinical rotations, you'll prepare to take USMLE® Step 3 and move on to medical residency.
The MATCH process officially begins at the start of your fourth year. Throughout the process, you'll 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.
Your clinical education is just one step closer to residency.
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