University at Buffalo (UB)
During Phase 2 of training, we’ll challenge you to use your strong foundation of knowledge well beyond the classroom as you embark on core clinical clerkships.
Gain Clinical Experience
Activate your understanding of content through people-centered practices in the second phase of our program. You’ll benefit from a curricular experience that integrates content mastery and compassionate care practices early and often, shaping who you become as a physician.
Phase 2 is the energizing time when you’ll embark on core clinical clerkships! It launches with a clinical orientation packed with key clerkship information, plus a review of essential skills for Phase 2 success.
Next, our Clinical Reasoning and Synthesis course helps you capitalize on the clinical reasoning skills you built in Phase 1. It will furnish you with tools and approaches to improve your accuracy in diagnosis and treatment choices. Invigorating problem-solving sessions will prepare you to apply your knowledge to patient care.
Core clerkships consist of four 12-week blocks, with two disciplines integrating their content within a single block. Integrated clerkship blocks are:
- internal medicine + family medicine
- neurology + psychiatry
- obstetrics and gynecology + surgery
- pediatrics with a four-week elective
Each 12-week block incorporates an onboarding week that focuses on specialty-specific content and skills, revisits core foundational science content related to the specialty, and provides opportunities to integrate all five curriculum pillars.
Take Valuable Opportunities to Assess Your Clinical Skills
Each block has an off-boarding week known as “I-CARE week” that gives you time and educational activities for integration, coaching, assessment, reflection and exploration.
Why is the I-CARE week advantageous for you? In short: You have opportunities to assess your clinical skills. Assessment modalities, such as Observed Structured Clinical Encounters, allow you to practice and demonstrate clinical skills in a standardized medical scenario.
Additionally, during the I-CARE week, you will continue to meet with your learning community and engage in self-reflection with your community’s faculty coach.