Visiting Student Rotation

Since 2005, Indiana University students have recognized our emergency medicine clerkship as the Most Outstanding Senior Clerkship at Indiana University five times. We are proud of this recognition, as it reflects our commitment to undergraduate emergency medicine education. The Indiana University Department of Emergency Medicine (IUEM) offers a fourth-year elective in rotation emergency medicine that provides an unsurpassed experience in emergency medicine for visiting senior medical students.

Clinical venues

Visiting students will rotate at either Wishard Memorial Hospital or Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital. Both of these institutions are level 1 trauma centers, each seeing over 100,000 patients per year. They are the training sites for the IUEM residency.

Students will work approximately 15 nine-hour shifts where they will be supervised by board-certified academic emergency medicine faculty and senior emergency medicine residents. We believe that autonomy and responsibility are essential for the student to learn the fundamental approach to the patient with undifferentiated urgent or emergent conditions. At our institution, students function as the primary caregiver for their patients, working closely with supervising faculty to develop and implement management plans. There is ample opportunity for the performance of procedures.

Didactics

We believe that each student learns in his or her own unique way.  To complement the clinical experience, we offer a wide array of didactic and self-directed learning opportunities. Each month begins with one full day and two half days of lectures, workshops, and clinical orientation. Our lecture series focuses on critical emergency medicine topics and features lectures by the IUEM residency co-directors, Dr. Chisholm and Dr. Rodgers as well as by the clerkship director Dr. Turner and assistant director Dr. Besinger. Students are also encouraged (but not required) to attend IUEM residency conferences each Wednesday and Thursday morning.

Halfway through the rotation, students will have a half-day session in IU’s state-of-the-art sim lab, where they will have an opportunity to independently manage critically ill simulation patients. Students have found this to be a fun and very valuable experience.

We also offer a rich variety of online modules for independent study. Click here for a sample of some of these materials.

Course availability

Students are accepted for rotations in August, September, October, and November.  There is a limited number of available spots. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept international medical students from universities that do not have a pre-existing agreement with Indiana University.

Living Arrangements

Housing is the student’s responsibility. We are happy to help students locate housing.  Please email Jim Graber (jamgrabe@iupui.edu).

Grading

Shift evaluations are completed after each shift by faculty members. These will account for 80% of the student’s final grade.  The remainder of the grade will be determined by the end of rotation quiz and participation in the activities of the clerkship.

Residency Interviews

Students that complete an away rotation are encouraged to submit an application to our emergency medicine residency (or EM/Peds combined).  Completion of the elective rotation does not guarantee that a student will receive a residency interview invitation.  

Rotation Applications

Applications will be accepted starting in January of the year a rotation is requested.  Email the clerkship coordinator Jim Graber (jamgrabe@iupui.edu) for further instructions regarding the application process.

Contact

Clerkship Director: Joseph Turner, MD

Associate Clerkship Director: Bart Besinger, MD

Clerkship Coordinator: Jim Graber

***International Medical Students: Unfortunately, unless your university has a PRE-EXISTING written agreement with IUSM we are not allowed to accept international students for patient care rotations.