Twelve tips for a successful clerkship

Abstract

There have been many formal calls for change in medical education during this century, from Flexner's report in 1910 to the Association of American Medical Colleges' 1992 paper entitled “Assessing Change in Medical Education—The Road to Implementation” (Swanson, 1992). Most of these calls have fallen on deaf ears. However, recently many North American medical schools, primarily as a result of external forces, have introduced changes in the way they educate their students. Some of the more common changes have been to: decrease time devoted to lectures while increasing time in small group conferences; teach cognitive skills and self-directed learning skills; present medical education in a more humane environment; and introduce clinical experiences, especially in generalist settings, earlier in the curriculum.The goal of this article is to discuss suggestions for change by outlining 12 tips for a successful clinical clerkship for medical students. These suggestions are primarily intended for clerkship directors, but anyone involved with the administration and organization of a clinical clerkship should find these tips helpful.