
The clerkship track is identical to doing another elective with a few caveats.
Introduction
The clerkship track is identical to doing another elective with a few caveats.


Requirements
- Documented approval from Clinical Site, research PI, MPH advisor or GH program
- Rotation Request Form
- Clinical Preceptor Evaluation (CPE)
- Site evaluation

Requirements for the Clerkship Track.
- Documented approval from Clinical Site, research PI, MPH advisor or GH program
- Rotation Request Form
- Clinical Preceptor Evaluation (CPE)
- Site evaluation
To-Do list
- As with all other tracks, the first step to the Clerkship track is to get approval from your faculty sponsor and to register for the course on time. For the Clerkship track, your faculty sponsor is your preceptor, principal investigator, MPH advisor, or Global health program director. Contact the appropriate faculty in advance and document their approval. In the case of clinical rotations, the site must approve your rotation time. Be sure to follow the same steps you would for an elective so that credentialing and Letters of Good Standing can be handled in a timely fashion.
- The rotation request form is due 60 days prior to the start date of your course.
- This is especially important for Clerkship style tracks because the preceptor may need to be credentialed and the site may require specific paperwork.
- You must have documented approval to complete this online form.
- Click this link and follow the directions to schedule your track: Rotation Request Form
- The rotation request form is due 60 days prior to the start date of your course.
- Once you’ve registered for the course, make sure you know, from the site, what is expected of you on the first day. It’s a good idea to review the Clinical Rotations Manual before starting Selective rotations.
- At the end of the course, you will be prompted by NI to complete a site evaluation. It’s due on the last day of the rotation.
- At the end of the course, your preceptor will be asked to complete an evaluation of your work in NI (the clinical performance evaluation or CPE)
- It’s a good idea to talk to your preceptor about your performance, both halfway through the rotation and on the last day. This is the best way to get important feedback so that you can be more successful!
As you probably know by now, you can rotate at a clinical site during a specialty track. You can spend a week, a few afternoons, or all four weeks at a clinical site. Students who have decided they want as much clinical experience as possible, often ask, why they would do a second specialty track when they can do a clerkship.
The benefits of turning a Clerkship into a Clinical Specialty track include:
Tips
- For research and MPH completion, additional information is needed and in some cases, you will have to apply for an IRB. This information will be asked for when you fill out the rotation request form.
- For Global health, you must follow the Global Health Program requirements. You’ll be asked for some information when completing the rotation request form, so make sure your program is approved and you can meet all the requirements before registering for the course.
- Choosing a Clerkship is a viable option for students who want to do a clinical activity without as much personal investment. It will be noted in your MSPE only as an elective with comments from the preceptor if they write any on your CPE (evaluation.) The minimum that will appear is the name of the elective specialty and the passing score.
More Information
As always your course director is the best person to guide you through the process of Clinical Distinction. But if you decide to do a clerkship track you should use the CED resources for planning an elective.

Assistant Dean of Faculty Development

Assistant Dean of Curriculum

Director of Enrollment Management and Student Success

Clinical Distinction Course Coordinator
The CED third year coordinator can be contacted through CED connect. They are your resource for finding an elective and making sure your paperwork is completed adequately.