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The transition from the relative safety and security of the classroom to the unstructured settings of clinical medicine is not an easy one. Students often report several challenging aspects of this transition, including the difficulties they encounter in applying clinical knowledge, adjusting to different clinical settings, and understanding new roles and responsibilities. In an effort to address some of these challenges, several course directors and rising Individualization Phase students created the Transition Clerkship. The Transition Clerkship is a required course for all rising Application Phase medical students. Students complete the clerkship during the week prior to starting Application Phase.

Course Leadership

Co-Director
Co-Director
Course Coordinator

Locations of Course Delivery

The Transition Course is required for all students.

  • Central Campus Program Students: All Transition Course activities will take place in Chapel Hill in various locations within the School of Medicine and UNC Hospitals.
  • Wilmington Campus Program Students: Wilmington Campus students will complete Transition Course in Chapel Hill with Central Program students.
  • Charlotte Campus Program: Course takes place in Charlotte. Charlotte Campus students must complete Basic Life Support Training (BLS) before the conclusion of the final semester of the Foundation Phase. .
  • Asheville Campus Program: Course takes place in Asheville. Asheville Campus Students must complete Basic Life Support Training (BLS) before the conclusion of the final semester of the Foundation Phase.

Requirements and Grading

The Transition Clerkship will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. To pass the clerkship, students must attend and actively participate in all sessions. Students must also complete the clerkship evaluation form at the end of the clerkship. Students are expected to wear clean white coats and their UNC ID at all times during the clerkship. Men must wear shirt and tie; women should be comparably attired.

Learning Objectives and Educational Materials

The objectives of the clerkship will be met by having students actively participate in a variety of educational activities that include a mixture of large group lectures, small group interactive sessions and several hands-on training sessions. Transition Course Learning Objectives

All educational materials can be accessed in the school’s internal learning management system available to students and faculty. Access Sakai learning management system