Medical College of Wisconsin Department of Medicine Medical Students

The objective of the Internal Medicine Clerkship is to provide students with intensive exposure to the practice of internal medicine in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. During the Hospital Block component of the clerkship, students complete one 4-week rotation on an inpatient general medicine ward service. During the Ambulatory Block component of the clerkship, students complete 14 weeks of outpatient longitudinal rotations in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Internal Medicine/subspecialty clinics. In both settings, students receive teaching daily within the context of patient care and with emphasis on bedside or patient-facing teaching.

All Phase 3 students complete a one-month medically-based sub-internship in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Family Medicine. The General Medicine Acting Internship allows students to master their history and physical examination skills, refine oral presentation skills, reinforce evaluation and management of common medical disorders, and practice communication skills including coordination of patient care discussions with ancillary staff and discussions with patients and their families regarding diagnoses, evaluation, and treatment options. In addition, students become familiar with triage and assessment of common cross-coverage issues, dictation/typing of discharge summaries, and performing procedures such as ABG, thoracentesis, and paracentesis under supervision.

Students are encouraged to use this month as an opportunity to prepare for internship and residency, especially in the following areas:

• Become more independent in using clinical reasoning skills in diagnostic and therapeutic plan development.
• Improve efficiency without detracting from detail-oriented and compassionate patient care.
• Continue to refine medical communication skills including patient counseling, oral case presentations, and written documentation in the medical record.
• Serve as a guide and role model to help teach junior students and peers on history taking, physical examination, and case assessment skills.

Phase 3 medical students can choose from 44 elective courses offered throughout the Department of Medicine Divisions.

Applications to internal medicine residency programs are usually made in late summer/early fall (August and September). Medicine programs require applicants to use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Nearly all residency programs will ask students applying in medicine to obtain one letter of recommendation from the department chair. At the Medical College of Wisconsin, these letters are provided by the Interim Department Chair, Dr. Kevin Regner and co-authored by members of a select advising team of faculty. Students interested in Internal Medicine will meet with a member of the advising team to discuss residency-related questions, where best to apply, application-related questions, etc.

Any Medical College of Wisconsin student (Milwaukee, Green Bay or Central Wisconsin campus) interested in an Internal Medicine Residency Program can contact domchairletters@mcw.edu to begin the process.

The Department of Internal Medicine offers electives for visiting M4 medical students interested in General Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Nephrology, Infectious Disease, Pulmonary and Endocrinology. The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Office of the Registrar can assist students with the application process for these electives as well as provide information on local housing options.

Learn more about visiting medical student resources