Student Courses and Clerkships
Physical Diagnosis Course
The required Physical Diagnosis Course for first year medical student is an introduction to clinical medicine. Students will learn the knowledge and skills essential for performing a medical history and physical examination.
Core Medicine Clerkship
The Internal Medicine Clerkship serves as a focal point of your second-year education. It is the backbone of your training in medicine and the most intensive in-patient experience offered in the department.
Primary Care Medicine
The Primary Care Medicine is an Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE) offered during the Immersion Phase.
Residency Application and Departmental Letters of Recommendation
Applications to internal medicine residency programs are usually made in late summer/early fall (August, September, October). Medicine programs now require applicants to use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Students should obtain information and access to this service through the Dean's office.
Nearly all residency programs will ask students applying in medicine to obtain one letter of recommendation from the department chairman or designee (core medicine clerkship director). At Vanderbilt these letters are provided by the Core Medicine Clerkship Director, Dr. Nanette E. Dendy. Letters are generally prepared in September and early October to meet the anticipated application deadline of early November.
Dr. Dendy is available to discuss opportunities in internal medicine, career development, potential residency programs and application strategy with individual students interested in a career in internal medicine, medicine/pediatrics, or preliminary medicine training. To be most helpful, these should be scheduled sometime after the conclusion of the third year but before October 1. She may be reached at 615/343-6657, fax 615/343-4466, or e-mail: nanette.e.dendy@vumc.org
For a detailed description of the Vanderbilt internal medicine training program please visit Training Program: Prospective Applicants.