The third and fourth years of medical school are the clinical years. This is when medical students are exposed to the job in hospitals and clinics affiliated with the medical school. The transition out of the classroom is always a challenge. There are many steps to take before graduation.

Clinical Rotations in the Third Year

The medical student is exposed to the major clinical fields for weeks at a time. In general, the third year covers fields like internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and psychiatry. Each rotation, or clerkship, has a similar structure plus characteristics unique to it.

The medical student is usually under the supervision of a resident, or doctor in training. There are often two residents to work with: a first-year resident, also known as an intern, and a resident in the second year or beyond. The entire team is managed by an attending physician whose role involves guidance and teaching. More time is spent with the resident than the attending physician for the day-to-day clinical work, but the attending physician is there for difficult clinical situations.