4th Year Requirements for 2008-09

Requirements:

All MD degree students are required to complete 32 weeks of instruction or eight academic units during the 4th year.

Required Courses:

Four required units include Primary Care, Emergency Medicine, Capstone, and one additional course selected from the approved list of medicine and surgery courses below. All required courses must be taken at Vanderbilt except for Primary Care which may be done at Vanderbilt or with approval, at another clinical site within the US.

VMS IV Required Medical and Surgical Clerkships

Elective Courses:

1. Four additional elective units must be chosen to total 8 units for the completion of the degree program. Ten units are possible, and students may elect to have course work in all ten units.
2. Students must keep in mind the following elective limits and recommendations.
• Students may not enroll in the same clerkship twice.
• It is recommended that students do no more than three clinical rotations in the same specialty.
• Students are limited to two rotations away from Vanderbilt which require approval and use of a "blue petition" available from the Office of Student Records (7100 - Special Study Clinical and 7150 - Special Study Research)
• Students are limited to two research rotations. (6150 - Special Study Research, VU or 7150 - Special Study Research)
• Research rotations may last through two units. A blue petition is needed for each unit.
• MSTP students may receive credit for two 4th year units of research if they begin their 3rd year in October rather than July.
• Dual Degree students are also allotted two units toward their final fourth year requirements.

Requests for exceptions to these requirements must be made to the Registrar in writing for administrative approval.