2W: CiM Multi-Specialty Elective

School of Medicine

Throughout this two-week elective, students will shadow attending and resident physicians of their choosing in various specialties and subspecialties. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to various fields of medicine in an effort to aid in their specialty selection in the fourth year of medical school. A list of attending physicians in various specialties will be provided by the Student Representatives of Careers in Medicine (CiM). Enrolled students will be responsible for contacting physicians and scheduling their shadowing experiences over the two-week period. Two weeks prior to the beginning of the elective, a meeting with the course director(s) will outline the process for scheduling these experiences and expectations for the elective. Shadowing experiences with faculty members outside the CiM-provided list may be arranged with prior approval from the course director. At the end of the elective, students will participate in a professional development workshop and an individual exit counseling session with the Assoc. Dean for Medical Student Affairs to discuss their clinical experiences and their progress towards choosing a specialty. Students will schedule shadowing experiences for nine days of the elective and attend the professional development workshop and the exit counseling session. Shadowing of one physician is limited to a maximum of three days. Enrolled students will submit their shadowing schedule to the course director(s) prior to the start of the elective for approval. The professional development workshop will address topics such as CV writing and public speaking. At the conclusion of the two-week rotation, students will be familiar with the schedules, daily activities, patient populations, and consultations in several specialties. The shadowing experience and exit counseling session with the Assoc. Dean for Medical Student Affairs will provide students with information that will aid their specialty selection and CV.