Fourth Year Clinical Track Options

Kansas City Class of 2014

There are 11 months in the fourth year to complete 8 months of requirements. You should plan on taking 1 month off to prepare for and take Step 2 CK (must be taken by end of September, 2013) and CS (must be taken by end of October, 2013) and 1 or 2 months off to interview (October, November, December and/or January). For those students doing an International Health elective in February you may wish to take the first two weeks of the March module off to travel. All students must be in Kansas City Match week (March 17-21, 2014).

Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Step 2 Clinical Skills examinations

Register no later than January 31 for the Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge) = $560 and the Step 2 (CS) Clinical Skills = $1,200 examinations. You must take CK no later than September 30, 2013 and CS no later than October 31, 2013.

2013 USMLE Practice and Orientation Materials

Step 2 Clinical Skills and CSA Tips - Dr. Shaw's presentation January 10, 2013 (PowerPoint)

Upcoming Events

• ICM 900 Session: Year Four Overview (attendance required) - Thursday, January 10, 2013 - 3:30 p.m. - Rieke Auditorium (podcast will be available)
• Senior Pictures - Mark your calendars now for Senior Picture days Monday, May 6 and Tuesday, May 7, 2013.  Scheduling information will be sent at a later date.
• CSA exams will be held in the Skills Lab on May 29 and 31, June 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 18 and 25. Watch for a scheduling announcement from Julie Mack in the Skills Lab. Participation required.
• Orientation to the 4th Year (ICM session) - Thursday, June 8, 2013 - 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. - Rieke Auditorium
• You may begin working on your ERAS application July 1, 2013. Students should have their ERAS application completed and ready to be sent to residency programs on or shortly after September 1, 2013.
• MSPE (Dean's Letters) are released nationally on October 1, 2013 (no exceptions).  Each fourth year student is required to meet with Dean Zeiger (30 minutes) to review your personal statement, curriculum vitae and a draft of your MSPE will be available for you to read.  Dean's letter appointments will be made via WebSP (watch for an announcement).  Appointments will only be available between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning on June 18 and ending on August 29 with a few dates excluded due to other commitments.

Course requirements for the M.D. Degree - (Fourth Year = 32 weeks/8 months)

• Health of the Public– PMED 960 - (4 wks) - only offered in October, February and April - Contact person: Lesley Sullivan, X8-2791
• Rural Preceptorship - FAPR 900 - (4 wks) - Contact person: Debra Lea, X8-8221
• Subinternship (4 wks) - Choose from: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob-Gyn, Otolaryngology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Urology or Neurosurgery
• Critical Care Selective (4 wks) - Choose from: Anesthesia, ICU Medicine, CCU Medicine, Neonatology, Pediatrics, Burn Center, Neurosurgery or ICU Surgery
• Electives (16 wks): No more than 4 credits of non-clinical/patient care electives can be counted toward graduation credits. A minimum of 12 credits of electives, completed during the fourth year, must be clinical/patient care electives.

Selecting Your Fourth Year Track and Fourth Year Requirements

Listed below are 10 tracks that Kansas City students may choose from to complete their required and elective fourth year clinical rotations. Rank each track which includes both Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 courses. Rank your choices from 1-10 with 1 being your first choice and 10 your last choice. Every track must be ranked or your form will not be accepted.

Use the M4 Track Explanation form to explain why you need to be assigned to a particular track. Please use the form to indicate any third year clerkships that still need to be completed at the beginning of the fourth year, time off for pregnancy, weddings, Philmont in June, July or August, or participation in the early match for Ophthalmology, etc. Consideration may be given if one or more boxes on the form is completed. Please rank all tracks that are acceptable to meet your special needs. Note that all required courses are to be taken during the dates specified. No alterations in schedules can be requested until you are notified of your track assignment. Changes will only be considered on a space available basis due to limitations placed by individual departments/courses. Students planning on participating in an International Health elective (does not count as an externship) must choose a track that has Elective/Free Time in the second (February) Spring 2014 module.

The Sub I requirement can be completed at another institution, but only with prior approval and completion of the Sub I away form.

The Critical Care requirement must be completed on the KC campus.

Only two "special programs" (externships/electives) can be taken at another institution (excluded are Wichita and Greater Kansas City area programs) and credit will only be received if a Special Program/Externship form is completed 4-6 weeks in advance of the rotation start date. The Special Program/Externship and Sub I away forms are also available in the Office of Student Affairs, 3040 Murphy. Want to know what electives are offered? The School of Medicine catalog is online. Elective (externship) and Subinternship (Sub-I) offerings at non-KU schools may be applied for by accessing (Visiting Student Application Service) or searching the AAMC electives compendium. VSAS application instructions and participating hospitals/schools can be found by following the links. Please do not attempt to apply for any external rotations until you have received your track assignment so that you know what dates you will available to participate in an external rotation. If you are interested in doing at elective in Wichita you should e-mail Melanie Runge. Housing options at externship locations are available through a new service called Rotating Room. 

Final 4th year track choices, Critical Care lottery form and Sub I lottery form are due by Noon on Friday, February 1, 2013. The results of those lotteries will be available on or before February 21.  Elective lottery form for the Fall semester is due no later than Noon on Friday, March 1. The Spring 2014 Elective lottery form is due no later than Friday, October 3.  You will be sent your schedule by email when they are completed. If you need to make changes to your schedule, you can schedule an appointment to meet with Laura Zeiger.

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Clinical Obligations and Holidays

The beginning and ending dates of each fourth year module is listed above. Each module begins on Monday at 8:00 a.m. and ends on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Holidays are at the discretion of each attending physician for all clinical students. The rationale is that students are members of the health care team. They must act and be treated as professionals. Patient care responsibilities are their priority. Departments may choose to give their enrolled students “free days” on other state observed holidays, i.e. Martin Luther King, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following Thanksgiving. Students are already on break over the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays in both the third and fourth year.

School of Medicine Hooding and Awards Ceremony and University Commencement

Hooding Ceremony - Saturday, May 17, 2014 - University Commencement - Sunday, May 18, 2014

If you have any questions contact me via:

• E-mail: Laura Zeiger
• Phone: (913) 588-5290