The final year of the medical school curriculum begins in May of the fourth year to give our students additional time to pursue specialty interests before the deadlines for the residency application process.

Students are required to take:

2 weeks of Emergency Medicine
4 weeks of an ICU selective (Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology)
4 weeks of a sub-internship (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics)
2 weeks of Clinical Foundations (includes ACLS training)
24-26 weeks of electives (24 weeks must be clinical, a minimum of 2 weeks and no more than 4 weeks must be during the MS3 year)

View the fourth-year course directors

Course Descriptions

Clinical Foundations IV

This is a two-week required course that all fourth-year students take during the final quarter in medical school in preparation for residency training. Intersessions are also planned during the fourth year to help prepare students further for residency. The course includes a resuscitation boot camp and provides an opportunity to obtain an ACLS certification.

Emergency Medicine

This two-week clinical clerkship introduces students to principles of acute care medicine while caring for acutely ill and injured patients. Students have the opportunity to evaluate patients, expand their directed history and physical making skills, create a broad differential diagnosis, and formulate effective testing and treatment strategies. Active participation in patient care through refinement of procedural skills is largely emphasized and encouraged.

Intensive Care Unit

This is a four-week clinical clerkship offered at one of several UC Irvine affiliated sites. ICU is offered in medicine, surgery,neurology, and pediatrics. Students function as subinterns, becoming integral members of the ICU team, and serve as primary caregivers under supervision.

Senior Sub-Internship

Students spend four weeks as sub-interns during which time they carry the full ward responsibility of an intern on one-half the number of patients usually carried by an intern. The sub-internship is designed to improve clinical competence and to prepare the students for the challenges and demands of the internship. Students may choose between sub-internships in family medicine, medicine, pediatrics or surgery.

Electives

Depending upon their particular interests, needs, and goals, students may take a variety of elective courses during the third and fourth years at UC Irvine Health facilities, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Children's Hospital of Orange County, Long Beach Miller Children's Hospital, or Long Beach Memorial. Students may also take their fourth-year elective course work at other approved institutions. A listing of elective courses and descriptions can be found online at http://www.meded.uci.edu/curricular-affairs/course-catalog.asp

Rev. 2/1/19