Curriculum Years 3-4

Third- and fourth-year students in the MD Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison experience education in multiple clinical settings and sites across the state of Wisconsin.

Medical students are exposed to outpatient, inpatient, community-based, rural and inner-city settings.

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health is a Statewide Campus, providing the opportunity to experience diverse clinical training sites. On average, medical students spend about 16 weeks at rotations outside the medical school in Madison. Some of the other teaching sites include:

• Milwaukee's Aurora Sinai Medical Center
• Marshfield Clinic 
• Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse
• Many preceptorship locations

"The best part about the Statewide Clinical Campus is that you get exposed to a much more diverse patient population. Serving patients in Milwaukee and then rotating at the Augusta clinic through the Eau Claire PCC site provided me with both an urban and rural experience. Also, I felt that the staff and patients appreciated that I was there and helping out. I enjoyed the opportunity to see both of these unique practice settings."

— Medical student, class of 2009

Medical students experience six core clerkships that must be completed by the end of third year, three required clerkships that may be completed in the third or fourth year and three more required rotations in the fourth year. The remainder of time is spent in elective clerkships.

During the third year, medical students are also required to attend Core Curriculum and Advising Days, which will be delivered in Madison at the Health Sciences Learning Center. The first Core Day is the Transitional Clerkship, which orients students to their clinical years. Each Core Day consists of active learning and professional development.

MD Program Third-Year Core Clerkships

• Internal Medicine (8 credits)
• Surgery (8 credits)
• Primary Care (8 credits)
• Pediatrics (6 credits)
• Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 credits)
• Psychiatry (4 credits)

MD Program Third- and Fourth-Year Required Clerkships

• Neuroscience (6 credits)
• Anesthesiology (2 credits)
• Radiology (2 credits)

MD Program Fourth-Year Required Courses

• Medicine Sub-Internship (4 credits)
• Surgery Rotation (4 credits)
• Preceptorship (6 credits)
• Electives (4 credits of direct patient care in the UW Clinical Campus; 12 credits of UW, extramural, international, individualized clerkship, research)