Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Office of Student Affairs

1. Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of MedicineOffice of Student Affairs CLASS OF 2010 INTRODUCTION TO FOURTH YEAR SCHEDULING & PLANNING

2. Agenda • Fourth Year & Clerkship Track System • Lottery Process • Required clerkships • Elective requirements, registration & VSAS • USMLE Step 2 requirements & timing • Residency Planning: Future Meetings • Online Resources

3. Table of Contents • Slides 4 – 12: 4th Year Overview • 13 – 19: Required Clerkships (Sub-Is and Neuro) • 20 – 25: Electives • 26 – 30: 4th Year by Season • 31 – 33: Intramural Electives • 34 – 43: Extramural Electives • 45 – 46: Discretionary Time • 47 – 49: Step 2 Exams • 50 – 53: Prep for Residency Application

4. Handout • Clerkship Track System and Its Policies • Lottery Timeline • Lottery Numbers • Fourth Year Calendar • Timeline for Elective Registration Calendar

5. Calendar • Yr 4 starts July 6, 2009 (July = Period “9A”) • Will there be a start of year orientation program this year? TBA • Qtrly break weeks at end of Sept, December, none formally assigned at end of March • Match Day and Graduation dates tentatively posted

6. Fourth Year Overview of Requirements • 12 weeks of core clerkships (Neuro, Sub-I Wards, Sub-I ICU) • 34 weeks of elective clerkships • Bioethics Requirements • Completion of Ethics Case Paper • Completion of Ethics Grand Rounds (min. of 4 sessions) • USMLE Step 2 CK and CS

7. Core Clerkships • One 4-week Wards Subinternship Available periods: all periods 9A (July) through 12A (April), except 10C (December) • One 4-week Critical Care Subinternship Available periods: all periods 9A (July) through 12A (April), except 10C (December) • One 4-week Neurology Clerkship Available periods: all periods 9A (July) through 12A (April)

8. Bioethics Requirement • Ethics case paper due July 10, 2009 • Four Ethics Grand Rounds must be completed cumulatively over 2nd, 3rd and 4th years

9. Elective Curriculum • 34 weeks available in track • 26 weeks minimum graduation requirement • 8 weeks = additional elective time or “discretionary time” (use “DT” for USMLE study, residency interview time, personal, etc.)

10. Fourth Yr Track Features • Flexibility • Opportunity for student choice • One required core clerkship and two electives in each of first three quarters • Availability of at least half of the elective time in first half of the year

11. Fourth Yr Track System • Assigned to track by lottery • Computer generated lottery number • Rank order all tracks • Submit rank form by January 28, 2009 on myLUMEN

12. Picking a track… • Consider what your elective and residency choice needs may be in each quarter • Consider when you might take USMLE Step 2 CK and CS • Consider which core clerkships could prep you best for the key electives you will take

13. Attendance • Limited time off for serious reasons in both subinternships and neurology (3 days including weekend days) • Final exam schedule is NOT changeable • Plan holiday or interview travel after only determining the date & time of day of exams • Labor Day is holiday but not a 3 day weekend if service team is not off

14. Clerkship Requirements • Purpose and Assignment Process

15. Subinternships • 4-weeks: in-pt medicine (“Sub-I Wards”) at LU, VA, MacNeal, or West Sub • 4-weeks: intensive care unit in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, or OB (“Sub-I ICU”) at LU, VA, MacNeal, Resurrection, or West Sub

16. Purpose of subinternships • Focus on skills and attitudes necessary to care for hospitalized and critically ill patients • Emphasis is on patient care in the context of wards or ICU; emphasis not on the specialty • Thus, subinternships are posted on SSOM transcript without specialty noted (transcript reads only “Subintern-Wards” and “Subintern-ICU”)

17. Subinternship assignments • Opportunity will be provided to submit preference rank lists for site/service • Assignments by lottery to services & sites by late winter through Dr. Fitz’s office (separate lottery process, using track rank list in reverse order)

18. Neurology Clerkship • In- and out-patient experiences • LUMC and HVA hospital sites • Site assignment by lottery about a month before the clerkship starts

19. Rescheduling Sub-I or Neuro • Changes may be possible according to track system traffic rules • May trade entire track or individual clerkship • After Subinternship site/service assignments are created, changes must be initiated through Debi Kurcab in the Med Dept.

20. ELECTIVES • Policies & registration process • Purpose of elective curriculum • How to design your program

21. Electives • Course Descriptions online in SSOM Elective Catalog • Usually are 4 weeks in length • Several 2-week electives available • At least 20 weeks of your elective program must consist of full –time electives that are at least 4-weeks in length • 26 weeks of electives = minimum graduation requirement

22. Electives (continued) • 12 weeks of elective time permitted away • 12 weeks permitted in any specialty • Excludes time in core clerkships in the specialty • Includes electives at Loyola and away • Includes clinical and research courses • Other elective policies in catalog preface

23. Purpose of Electives • Broadens & strengthens clinical experience • Tests interest in an area of specialization • Provides research or special opportunities • Permits self determination & responsibility for content of program

24. Building Your Elective Program Content • Use “Specialty Elective Guide” at online Loyola Elective Catalog site • Talk to faculty advisor(s) • Attend department sessions & ask questions • Talk to faculty in your field(s) of interest • See Dean Wronski or Dean Mendez for input • Attend SAS programs

25. Keep Objectives in Mind • Electives should provide a broad-based educational opportunity • They are not intended solely as a residency job search tool • What you take is critical to your preparation for internship/residency and USMLE Step 2 • Don’t get lost in where and when strategy only

26. 4th Year Goals by Season • Focus of each quarter

27. Summer Goals • Solidify specialty interest • May/may not need to take specialty elective at Loyola to earn a recommendation letter (depends on prior exposure) • Summer work may bump up performance level • Courses provides prep for important externships • May need study wks/month for early USMLE Step 2 • Preparation of residency application starts • Externships start

28. Fall Goals • Externships continue • Residency interview season kicks in; will you need time off? Should you take DT? • Should you plan an away elective geographically to place you in proximity to residency interview locales? • Sept/Oct courses could still produce residency recommendation letters

29. Winter Goals • Take courses to round out your education • Prepare for starting a residency (what do you still need to learn?) • Prepare for Step 2 and block study time if still pending • Rank residencies for match (late Jan-Feb)

30. Spring Goals • Complete graduation requirements • Take enrichment courses • Take residency prep electives offered at SSOM • Get tuition’s worth by staying enrolled • Take DT for personal/transitional use

31. Elective Registration Process • How & When to Register • Hopefully, you will be first class to use online elective registration system

32. Loyola (intramural) elective sign up • Through submission of an application • Must adhere to the official “timetable for elective registration” • Sign up starts about 5 months in advance of the each elective month’s start date

33. Elective RegistrationIntramurals (Loyola) • Review course descriptions & policies in elective catalog online • Online elective registration through myLUMEN anticipated to go live this year (currently a work in progress) • Pilot year, so bear with us if any early glitches • More info from ORR closer to first opening registration date (Mar. 5th)

34. Externships (extramural electives) • Up to 12 weeks permitted away usually through another US med school • Loyola sign up Timetable does NOT apply • Reference AAMC Extramural Elective Compendium for timeline, websites, contact person at site (link available at Loyola Elective Catalog website) • Sign up 1 – 5 months in advance of start date; typically April – mid-May for summer courses. • CHECK YOUR EXTRAMURAL SITE’S SIGN UP DATE!

35. Purpose of externships • To get an excellent learning experience • To help narrow specialty interests • To see a program of interest first hand • To work with an outstanding faculty • To show your stuff & perhaps get a recommendation letter • To assess a program’s compatibility with your needs • To do unique non-hospital based experiences

36. Do you need to do 3 externships (12 weeks)? • It depends… • On your interests, profile, specialty field and geographical considerations • Most students should do one or two • Some specialties discourage more than one elective in the field; others promote student enrollment in several. SEEK ADVICE!

37. Externship Course descriptions • Online at other school’s web site • Or provided by school’s contact office (listed in AAMC Extramural Compendium)

38. Extramural Registration • Review policies in SSOM catalog • Review visiting student policies in other school’s catalog • How you apply depends on the school you are applying to – either will use VSAS or will complete a paper application packet and submit to ORR for processing

39. Visiting Student Application Service • Developed by AAMC • 08-09 was its pilot year (10 “host schools” in program) • This year: 2nd year; 63 schools will use VSAS • If the school you are applying to is on the list on the next slides, you will apply to your elective through VSAS • More info about VSAS forthcoming from ORR

40. VSAS Host Schools 09-10 -Northeast Schools-  Albany Medical College Boston University Columbia University Dartmouth Medical School George Washington University Georgetown University Mount Sinai New York Medical College Pennsylvania State University State Univ. of NY at Buffalo State University of NY Upstate Stony Brook University Temple University University of Connecticut University of Massachusetts University of Rochester University of Vermont Weill Cornell* (* VSAS host school status pending)   -Central Schools-  Creighton University Loyola University Chicago Ohio State University Southern Illinois University University of Iowa  University of Kansas University of Michigan University of Minnesota U of Missouri - Columbia U of Missouri - Kansas City Wash. U in St. Louis Wright State University

41. VSAS Host Schools Cont. -Western Schools-   Loma Linda University Oregon Health & Science UniversityUniversity of Arizona University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, San Diego University of California, San FranciscoUniversity of Colorado Denver University of HawaiiUniversity of NevadaUniversity of New MexicoUniversity of Washington -Southern Schools- Brody SOM at East Carolina U Emory University Medical University of South Carolina Mercer University Texas A&M Health Science Center Tulane University University of Alabama University of Arkansas University of Florida University of Kentucky University of Louisville University of Miami Miller University of Mississippi U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of Oklahoma   University of South Florida University of Tennessee University of Texas HSC, San Antonio University of Texas Southwestern University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University

42. Extramural Registrationfor schools not using VSAS • Complete Loyola’s extramural application AND • Complete other institution’s Visiting Student Application • Often possible to list more than one date or several elective preferences • Compile supporting documents; submit to Tess Kazda in ORR • Dean Mendez will review and approve application; application packet will then be mailed by ORR to extramural school

43. Extramural Registrationfor schools not using VSAS Typical Supporting documents • Proof of liability coverage • Current immunization record • Proof of UP/OSHA/HIPAA training • Proof of hospitalization insurance • Possibly SSOM transcript • Possibly faculty/dean’s letter of recommendation • Possibly criminal background check record • Affiliation agreement? Memo of Understanding?

44. Elective Add/Drop Policy • Add: register for electives at least one month prior to start date • Drop (Loyola courses): at least one month prior • Drop (Extramurals): according to other institution’s policy, typically 4 – 6 weeks prior

45. Discretionary Time Use • Time for Additional Elective Opportunities OR • For USMLE Step 2 study time • For Extramural calendar adjustment • For remediation needs • For personal needs

46. Applying for Discretionary Time Off • May be taken in one week or longer increments • Form must be submitted to ORR in advance • Form currently available in ORR or on the ORR website • When online elective registration goes live, you will submit Discretionary Time requests through myLUMEN

47. USMLE STEP 2 CK & CS • Requirement & Timing

48. USMLE Step 2 planning: Residency considerations • Early test = before Sept 30 (scores out before interviews are offered) • Mid-yr test = by end of Nov (scores out before residency rank season) • Late test = after mid-January (scores out after match ranking finished)

49. USMLE Step 2 CK & CS timing • USMLE Step 2 CK & CS must be PASSED to graduate • CK: Take between July – February but no later than April 1, 2010 (National trend is to take Step 2 by January • CS: Take no later than end of February 2010 • Scores are reported according to a block schedule: • Test dates Jan 1 – Feb 23 = scores out Mar 26 – Apr 23 - OK • Test dates Feb 24 – Mar 22 = scores out Apr 23 – May 21 – May be too Late

50. Residency Planning • You may want to know now…