
Activities make up the work of your Clinical Distinction Project.
Activities are the resources you use to reach your learning outcomes and sometimes to create your assessment tools.
Types of Activities
There are as many different activities as there are students but they fall into three general categories:



Within each of the three categories there are many many options:
Independent
- Independent study Online modules
- Research*
- Reading
- Literature reviews
- Software or hardware development
- Writing
- Artistic endeavors
- Physical development activities
Clinical
- Clerkship style
- Observing advanced clinical activities
- Research*
- Patient questionnaires or research
- Global Health Program activities
- Patient advocate activities
Relational
- Work outside health field with people
- Questionnaires*
- Community service
- Observation outside of medical settings
- Presentations or teaching the public
- Curriculum or educational projects
These are just some examples of the activities that fall into the three primary categories.
For any specialty project activities from any of these three primary categories can be combined. There is no limit to the types of activities that can be chosen.
* *Research can fall into any of the above categories.
What are the implications of the type of activities?
Selecting your types of activities allows you and your CD Course Director to better assess what paperwork and approvals you need before your project starts.
It also impacts who your faculty sponsor might be.
- Clinical activities require site or preceptor credentialing or accreditation
- Global health activities require Global health program approval


- Research may require an IRB and research proposal approval*
- Clinical activities allow entrustment decisions:
- Entrustable professional activities require that you be in a clinical workplace setting for authentic assessment
- Different activities can be better assessed by different faculty sponsors.
*Does the Project Include Research?
Doing research can be part of a clinical activity, or a non clinical activity. It can include literature searches, or questionnaires outside of healthcare setting. But any time research includes human subjects it is possible you will need IRB approval.
In order to determine if you need IRB approval, you can consult several resources:
- The US department of Health and Human Services has helpful flow charts that can help you understand if you need IRB review and approval.
- Reach out to the Touro research office for information about IRB process.
- And finally you should consult your CD Course Director if you will be gathering information which you will be considering part of a study, research or project.
Need Help Finding Ideas?









In this section you will find lots of “idea pages” which contain, topics, activity resources and even some faculty sponsors to help you design your specialty project. Most of these idea pages are intended to get you started in the creative process – not dictate a course of study or project. Your interests, your learning style and your level of creativity will determine how you will use these pages.
Just Ideas
These ideas have been suggested by faculty (which means they’d probably be happy to work with you if you select them) but no resources are posted here:
- Occupational Medicine – Dr. Alesia Wagner
- Advocacy and Professional Involvement – utilizing legislators, OPSC, AOA, ACOFP national and state – Dr. Alesia Wagner
- Ethics and Professionalism – Dr. Weiss (on sabbatical from February 1- July 1)
- Biodynamic Osteopathy – Dr. Weiss (on sabbatical from February 1- July 1)
Resources
These idea pages have have great resources:
Resources with Excited Faculty Sponsors
These idea pages have strong faculty support:
- PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY TRACK AND PEDIATRIC ADVOCACY
- SOCIAL JUSTICE
- ACADEMIC MEDICINE
- INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
- Primary Care mini Fellowship: if you are interested in doing a mini-fellowship in the primary care department, contact the primary care department chair person