Close
Close
Search this website

Clerkships

Step 3 – Clinical Clerkships

Step 3 involves core Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Radiology, and Surgery Clerkships. Neurology may be completed during Step 3 or Step 4. Students rotate clinically under the supervision of our dedicated and highly skilled community-based faculty in all the core specialties and sub-specialties. In our community-based model, students are exposed to diverse patients and clinical settings at multiple hospitals, outpatient clinics, and private offices throughout South Florida.

During this year, students actively participate in patient care, applying the skills and knowledge learned during Steps 1 and 2 of the curriculum. Learning is enhanced with simulation, case-based didactics, virtual cases, and other assignments and experiential learning activities. In addition, during the Internal Medicine and Surgery Clerkships, selective opportunities allow students to explore specific sub-specialty areas.

Students continue participating in NeighborhoodHELP throughout Step 3 and in a longitudinal course emphasizing self-directed learning and the clinical integration of basic and health systems science.

Step 4 – Advanced Clinicals

Step 4 focuses on studying advanced medicine, including scholarship and exploring specialty areas to facilitate a student’s choice of postgraduate study. Students select individualized schedules with rotations that best meet their long-term career goals. Step 4 requirements include:

  • A geriatrics rotation
  • One sub-internship
  • An emergency medicine rotation
  • A capstone course
  • A community medicine practicum
  • Research Scholarship Course
  • Electives

In addition, students continue to participate in the NeighborhoodHELP program.

Core Clerkships

  • Internal Medicine

    The Internal Medicine Clerkship is designed to provide medical students with a foundation for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to approach and care for adult patients in an outpatient and hospital setting. This includes identifying the patient’s medical issues, establishing a differential diagnosis, and planning an appropriate evaluation and treatment plan. The clerkship prepares students for increased independence in management and therapeutics during Step 4.

    Clerkship Director: Amalia Landa-Galindez, MD, FACP
    Associate Clerkship Director: Gloria Coronel-Couto, MD, FACP
    Clerkship Coordinator: Karla Carvajal

  • Neurology

    The Neurology Clerkship provides medical students with a foundation for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for all aspects of the neurological patient. The clerkship includes a mixture of ambulatory, hospital‐based, and didactic experiences. It provides medical students with experience in general and specialty neurology. Students learn to diagnose and treat nonemergent neurological disorders in the outpatient setting and neurological emergencies in the inpatient setting.

    Clerkship Director: Ivan Matos, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Ashley Hunter

  • Family Medicine

    The Family Medicine Clerkship is a practical opportunity for students to demonstrate progressive skill development, integrating their knowledge of basic and social sciences, clinical skills, professional development, and social accountability. Under the supervision of FIU Family Medicine faculty, students conduct and document histories, physical exams, assessments, and management plans while providing patient education. The course aims to prepare students for Step 4 rotations and their future careers as physicians, regardless of the specialty they choose.

    Clerkship Director: TBD
    Associate Clerkship Director: Shweta Akhouri, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Marquita Samuels

  • Pediatrics

    The core Pediatrics Clerkship will provide students with experiences in evaluating, diagnosing, and managing pediatric patients. Through inpatient and outpatient clinical experiences, students will be exposed to pediatric patients with acute illnesses, chronic illnesses, and health maintenance needs. Students will actively participate in clinical cases, simulated cases, simulation laboratory scenarios, interactive learning exercises, and didactic lectures. The clerkship emphasizes the basic assessment and management skills of common pediatric problems.

    Clerkship Director: Jefry Biehler, MD, MPH
    Associate Clerkship Director: Julie Kantor, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Olivia Williamson

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

    The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship provides medical students with a foundation for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for all aspects of women's health care and concerns. The clerkship exposes students to all aspects of OBGYN, including ambulatory clinics, hospital inpatient wards, the operating room, emergency room visits and consults, radiology, and the labor and delivery suite. Students learn to diagnose and treat emergent and nonemergent disorders managed by obstetrician-gynecologists.

    Clerkship Director: Emery Salom, MD
    Associate Clerkship Director: Rebecca Martinez, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Jangerli (Gigi) Hernandez

  • Radiology

    The Radiology Clerkship is a largely self‐directed online study of selected resources and developed PowerPoint presentations and directed reading of required text and articles. This clerkship will provide medical students with a basic understanding of the standard techniques used in medical imaging, the evidence‐based choice of appropriate imaging studies for given clinical symptoms or clinical conditions, the potential complications and side effects of such studies, and the interpretation of medical imaging studies of common clinical conditions. Progress in understanding these concepts will be assessed by several examinations consisting of multiple-choice questions.

    Clerkship Director: Frederico Souza, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Ashley Hunter

  • Surgery

    The Surgery Clerkship provides students with experience in the recognition and management of surgical diseases and in basic surgical techniques. During this clerkship, students will develop an understanding of the anatomic and physiologic basis of surgical diseases and disorders. Students will then learn to perform assessments, develop differential diagnoses, and formulate and implement treatment plans for these conditions. Students will learn through participating in pre-operative care, operative procedures, outpatient surgery clinics, and didactic experiences. Students will also learn how to evaluate and manage expected and complicated post-operative recovery of surgical inpatients and outpatients. Upon completion of the Surgery Clerkship, students will understand and portray norms of professional behavior by working effectively with patients and families as a member of their healthcare team.

    Clerkship Director: Wilmer Mata, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Jennifer Riccardi

  • Psychiatry

    The Psychiatry Clerkship provides medical students with a foundation for the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to care for all aspects of the psychiatric patient. The clerkship introduces students to general and specialty psychiatry. It ensures that students receive exposure to different clinical practice settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and consultation-liaison services.

    Clerkship Director: Leonard Gralnik, MD, PhD
    Associate Clerkship Director: Eugenio Rothe, MD
    Clerkship Coordinator: Tyler Ortiz