The Clerkship Years: Third- and Fourth-Year Curriculum

Third Year Curriculum

Year 3 is comprised of 50 weeks and a total of 50 required credits as outlined below. Clerkships provide opportunities for students to further develop their critical thinking and diagnostic skills by providing direct patient care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The third year curriculum commences with a week-long Clinical Foundations course and concludes with the Clinical Performance Examinations (CPX) week.

Fourth Year Curriculum

Year 4 is comprised of 41 weeks, in which students are required to obtain a minimum of 33 credit hours. Students have the opportunity to obtain a maximum of 41 credit hours throughout the year if desired. Curricular requirements in year 4 include two 4-week sub-internships, 4-weeks of Emergency Medicine, a minimum of 16-weeks of electives, and the Readiness for Residency course. Electives may be taken in any specialty area at UTRGV SOM. The Readiness for Residency course is the capstone course to the fourth-year curriculum. It is designed to further prepare students to successfully transition to residency training.

Sub-internships

Students may complete two sub-internships in any specialty of interest. Students must complete one sub-internship at their UTRGV home institution. Students may complete a second sub-internship either at home or in an away institution. The two sub-internships give students the opportunity to expand their outpatient or inpatient knowledge and clinical skills. They will be performing at an intern level within the clinical team in preparation for residency training. Sub-internships are available in a variety of disciplines such as Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, OB/GYN, and Surgery.