Rush Medical College’s M3 and M4 curriculums provide students with training in patient management in a variety of clinical settings while offering students the flexibility to pursue individual interests.
The M3 year begins with the required Clinical Resources and Skills for the Hospital, or CRASH, course. CRASH reinforces the clinical skills you learned during the M1 and M2 years, and introduces new skills that you will use throughout your clerkships. During the course, you gain hands-on experience in skills such as basic life support, blood draws and reading electrocardiography. Survey results show the CRASH course to be very valuable prior to entering the formal M3 year.
Your M3 year is comprised of the following required core clerkships:
The Seven Core Clerkships in the M3 Year (2018-19)
The core clerkships are mainly offered at Rush University Medical Center and the John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital of Cook County, the flagship hospital of the Cook County Health and Hospital System. Stroger is a public hospital with a mission to provide outstanding medical care to those who cannot afford to pay. With the busiest emergency department in Chicago and one of the largest Level I trauma centers in the United States, Stroger cares for patients with a diverse multitude of conditions.
During the M4 year, students complete the following requirements:
Students are also mentored through the Careers in Medicine program, which prepares you to apply for and interview for residency training upon graduation.
Grading for all core and elective clerkships is as follows: honors, high pass, pass or fail.
In order to graduate, M4 students must pass both parts of the United States Medical Licensing Examination, or USMLE, Step 2 exam (clinical knowledge and clinical skills).