During the clinical terms, promotion depends on passing clerkships, the Family Medicine and Internal Medicine required rotations, a sub-internship, and additional electives. There is no formal break during clinical training, and no special mechanism is required to promote students from one clinical term to the next. After passing one clinical rotation, students proceed to the next scheduled rotation.
Clinical rotations are scheduled year-round. Students who need a few weeks off between rotations may request bridge time. Students must notify their clinical student administrator in the Office of Clinical Education Operations and receive approval before taking bridge time. Available bridge time depends on when the clinical period begins. Students may take up to 20 weeks of bridge time within a rolling 12-month period. Excessive use of bridge time may negatively affect satisfactory academic progress and graduation timing.
Bridge time is used to complete and remediate NBME Clinical Subject Examinations at the end of the third year. Students who use a clinical/medical excuse require 4 weeks of bridge time, and students who fail their NBME Clinical Subject Examination require 4-5 weeks of bridge time per failed examination. Bridge time required for Family Medicine remediation may not be the final scheduled activity of the fourth year.