Skip to main content

Advanced Clinical Selective | 6 credit hours

During Individualization Phase, students must complete an Advanced Clinical Selectives (ACS) at 6 credit hours. An Advanced Clinical Selective is a four-week clinical experience selected by the student in an area of their interest. Additionally, students will receive formative feedback on their preparation for internship and level of entrustability for professional activities (EPAs). These rotations may occur at any of our campuses.

ACS is designed to further improve students’ clinical skills in various specialties regardless of their career path. Advisors can help students choose an ACS which will both help prepare the student for internship in their specialty of choice but also help the student improve in areas in which he or she struggled during Application Phase.

Selective Course Contact

Selective Course Director: and Selective Course Coordinator: Courtney Garcia

Advanced Clinical Selective course is graded on a scale of Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail.  Assessments include:

  • Mid-course Feedback (formative)
  • Completion of Orientation Module (summative)
  • Oral Exam on Clinical Scenario (formative)
  • Written Assignment on Clinical Question (summative)
  • Common Assessment Form (summative)

Advanced Clinical Selective Enabling Competencies and Learning Objectives

Patient Care and Clinical Skills Enabling Competencies

PC1. Obtain an accurate, age-appropriate medical history

  • Refine skills in obtaining a history in various clinical settings.

PC2. Demonstrate proper technique in performing both a complete and a symptom-focused examination, addressing issues of patient modesty and comfort.

  • Obtain appropriate focused history and physicals appropriate to the specific clinical setting in which one is practicing.

PC4. Justify each diagnostic test ordered and proposed with regard to cost, effectiveness, risks and complications, and the patient’s overall goals and values.

  • Discuss with the care team and patient the rationale for ordering specific tests, the risks and benefits of tests that are proposed, and how these tests will contribute to the care of the patient.
  • Recognize the importance of aligning the diagnostic and treatment approach for each patient with the goals of the patient and family.

PC5. Apply clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills in developing a differential diagnosis

  • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a patient with undifferentiated signs and symptoms to generate an appropriate differential diagnosis and treatment plan for common clinical scenarios.

PC6. Apply the principles of pharmacology, therapeutics, and therapeutic decision-making to develop a management plan

  • Recommend, when applicable, specific medications when necessary to treat patients, taking into account the patients’ co-morbid conditions.

PC7. Identify and incorporate into the care of patient’s appropriate prevention strategies for common conditions.

  • Recommend appropriate preventative care to patients throughout the life span.

PC8. Identify when patients have life-threatening conditions and institute appropriate initial therapy

  • Demonstrate the ability to identify when patients necessitate immediate intervention to preserve life and begin the appropriate initial therapy for patients of various ages with potentially life threatening conditions.

PC9. Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation.

  • Treat every patient with unconditional positive regard.

Medical Knowledge Enabling Competencies

MK5. Demonstrate knowledge of the common medical conditions within each clinical discipline, including its pathophysiology and fundamentals of treatment.

  • Identify the pathogenesis of major conditions related to area(s) of specialty/disciplinary interest.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills Enabling Competencies

IC1. Communicate effectively in oral format with patients and patients’ families.

  • Demonstrate effective oral communication with patients and families in various clinical settings.

IC2. Communicate effectively in oral format with colleagues, and other health care professionals.

  • Demonstrate effective oral communication in SOAP format when presenting new patients to other team members (i.e. resident and faculty physicians).

IC3. Communicate effectively in written format colleagues, and other health care professionals.

  • Demonstrate effective and appropriate written communication in the electronic medical record.

Professionalism Enabling Competencies

PR1. Identify and consistently demonstrate ethical principles and behaviors in the care of patients.

  • Treat everyone including patients, families, team members, faculty, peers, and staff with unconditional positive regard during every interaction and recognize the importance of patient centered delivery of healthcare.

PR2. Demonstrate professional behavior consistent with expectations for the medical profession including punctuality and attire.

  • Arrive on time each day and actively prepare for and participate in patient care and teaching activities.
  • Ask for and incorporate feedback regularly to improve performance.

PR3. Demonstrate respect for and adapt to different patient and medical cultures and expectations.

  • Identify and adjust to the cultural nuances and expectations of different medical specialties.
  • Identify and adapt to patient cultures to maintain patient-centered care.

Life Long Learning Enabling Competencies

LL1. Demonstrate skills in retrieving, critically assessing, and integrating social and biomedical information into clinical decision-making.

  • Demonstrate the ability to utilize information from various resources to help make decisions regarding patient care.

LL2. Reflect upon clinical, service and educational experiences, evaluate positive and negative aspects, and make changes to improve future experiences.

  • Reflect on clinical experience, evaluate positive and negative aspects of the experience, and apply changes to improve future experiences.

LL3.Demonstrate personal accountability by actively seeking feedback, admitting errors openly, and honestly modifying behavior.

  • Ask for and respond appropriately to feedback from faculty and peers with the intention of improving personal behavior.

Social and Health Systems Enabling Competencies

SHS7. Demonstrate collaborative teamwork skills and the ability to work effectively with other members of the health care team.

  • Demonstrate teamwork skills and initiative, working collaboratively with all members of the team.

SHS9. Identify necessary elements for coordinated care of patients with complex and chronic diseases.

  • Work effectively with various members of the care team including care managers, social workers, pharmacist, medical assistants, nurses, and others to coordinate care for all patients and specifically those with complex needs.