The “fourth year” will be expanded to 14 months. Students will complete 8 months of clinical electives including one month of Senior Medicine, one sub-internship elective, one month in Back to the Classroom and 5 electives of the student’s choice. Students will spend 4 months on a scholarly project they have chosen in one of six areas of academic concentration. Students have the flexibility to decide in which order they want to complete each of these elements of the postclinical curruciulum. Many will likely begin this postclinical period by choosing electives in an area related to their plans for post-graduate study — some at Columbia and some at other institutions.
Areas of Academic Concentration
- Basic research
- Clinical and translational research
- Population research or community service
- International health research or service
- Humanism and professionalism
- Medical education
During the preclinical or major clinical years and during the major clinical year intersessions, students begin to develop the plan for a Scholarly Project, mentored by a faculty member
Senior Medicine
Columbia’s existing curriculum involves a ten-week internal medicine rotation, with students spending five weeks in internal medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and five weeks at one of three affiliated institutions: Stamford Hospital, Harlem Hospital, or St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. In the new curriculum, the internal medicine clerkship will consist of six weeks on-site at NewYork-Presbyterian. The Senior Medicine month allows students to pursue the off-site clerkships at Stamford, Harlem, or St. Luke’s-Roosevelt, and permits them not just to rotate in internal medicine but also in subspecialty areas.
Back to the Classroom
This monthlong course re-emphasizes basic science, underscoring the scientific basis of all the clinical decisions students are now making. This work is coupled with one day of seminars on sociolegal issues, such as end-of-life care, advanced directives, and health care systems, along with a basic course in biomedical informatics.
The Scholarly Project
All P&S students will be required to complete a scholarly project in one of the areas of concentration listed above. Four months of Fourth Year are set aside for this mentored project. Projects may include research, new clinical or educational programs or pilots or other academic projects.
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