The academic curriculum of medical schools involves the study of basic and clinical medicine. While basic medicine is taken up during the formative years of your curriculum, clinical medicine prepares you for real-world challenges before your residency program. Theory and practice are what the two parts of medical academics are all about, respectively.
Under the USA clinical affiliations, medical school students are required to practice in any facility as the university decides. This part of the curriculum is termed clinical medicine which lasts for 4 to 5 semesters.
The clinical medicine period gives you practical knowledge of the aspects you covered during basic medicine. Let’s analyze how important this part of your studies is and its duration.
Time duration of clinical medicine
Clinical medicine begins in the second half of your medical studies i.e., before entering your residency program. So, we can call clinical medicine a preparation for the residency period gaining as much practical experience as possible. Semesters 6 to 10 are the period during which clinical education is conducted in medical schools. Most medical schools have 72 weeks of clinical medicine programs to better equip the students with essential knowledge and experience.
Clinical medicine is divided into two segments- core rotation and elective rotation. Core rotation lasts longer than the elective rotation as it involves preparing the students for mandatory medical practices such as surgery, pediatrics, emergency, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, and psychiatry. The elective rotations can be chosen by the student according to the projected area of specialization.
Mode of study during clinical medicine
Clinical medicine or rotation requires the students to do mandatory shifts in affiliated hospitals to gain first-hand experience in different medical areas. You will work under the supervision and guidance of the heads of various medical departments based on the theoretical knowledge you acquired during your basic science period.
During your clinical rotations at hospitals you will be allowed to examine the patients and diagnose their diseases as well as be a part of complex medical procedures. The clinical rotations demand active participation from the part of students to absorb maximum practical knowledge.
Importance of clinical medicine
Clinical medicine is a crucial part of the medical curriculum as it brings out the professionalism in students. Direct contact with patients and facing complicated situations prepares you to meet the emergencies in your career. Learning theory is only the first step and clinical medicine completes the learning process of a medical student by providing essential practical knowledge.
Becoming a physician is not just about treating patients or prescribing medicines. It is also about the ethical standards and professionalism of the person. Clinical medicine, with all its trials and tribulations, brings into display the standards of the student as a human being.
Besides these, working in different areas and under expert professionals, gives the student an idea about what to specialise in future. The pros and cons of every medical field becomes clear making the decision-making process easier.
Clinical medicine helps bring out the best in students preparing them to meet any hurdles in their career as a physician.
