Clinical medicine is the intensive study of highly technical subjects in medicine and offers a more practical approach in the form of diagnosis, direct observation, and managing real-life patients. The clinical medicine program is an integral part of the Doctor of Medicine or an MD program, which typically takes place in the second half of the degree program. It is a five-semester comprehensive program that comprises insightful clinical rotations. The clinical medicine program emphasizes hands-on practice by allowing the students to deal with patients directly but under the guidance of an expert professional.
Clinical medicine programs are designed to transform the students into medical professionals working in the hospital setting, dealing with real-life patients. An MD program begins with a basic science course that offers a robust foundational knowledge of the medical theories and develops clinical skills that can be put to practice during the clinical medicine program. However, medicine is a practice-based field that requires professionals to be proficient in various clinical practices, including physical examinations using multiple types of equipment. Thus, clinical medicine is an important aspect of studying medicine.
The clinical medicine program provides an excellent foundation for knowledge of the practical approaches to medicine. Studying clinical medicine is important because it encourages students to cover the most important aspect of the academic medical journey: clinical rotations. The clinical medicine program at most Caribbean medical schools lasts 72 weeks, including 42 weeks of core clinical rotations and 30 weeks of elective clinical rotations.
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Core Clinical Rotations
All the medical students take the core clinical rotations during the 3rd year of the medical program. It is offered in the following departments:
- Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Psychiatry
- Internal Medicine
Elective Clinical Rotations
Elective clinical rotations allow 4th-year medical students to focus on their chosen medical specialties to gain more insightful knowledge. Some of the highly recommended electives are:
-
- Neurology
- Pathology
- Plastic Surgery
- Primary Care Medicine
- Radiology
- Urology
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Anesthesiology
-
Intensive Care Medicine
The clinical medicine program plays a vital role in training the future doctors as it is during this time the students are encouraged to dive deeper into their choice of specialties.
Prepares you for USMLE Step 2 Exam
The United States Medical Licencing Examination(USMLE) is a three-step standardized examination that allows medical school graduates to practice medicine in the US or Canada. This exam is primarily important if you are a medical graduate from a medical school outside the US or Canada.
The USMLE Step 2 examination comprises two parts: Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills. Both the parts are covered during the clinical medicine program that facilitates the students to pass the exam on their first attempt. Importantly, students become eligible to take the USMLE Step 2 examination after completing core clinical rotations during the clinical medicine program. Passing the USMLE Step 2 is compulsory for ECFMG certification, which is the process international students must follow in order to participate in the National Resident Matching Program for postgraduate training.
Now that you know the importance of clinical medicine, start your clinical medicine education to hone the clinical skills and knowledge required for a successful career in medicine. Apply Now!
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