Phase 3: UME-GME Transition and Electives
Phase 3 is the bridge from medical school to residency, focused on advanced clinical performance, intentional career development, and preparation for the responsibilities of internship. Students consolidate their identities as emerging physicians while shaping individualized paths toward their chosen specialties.
More than 150 electives to choose from
The VTCSOM Course Catalog contains a full list of 150+ electives, including subspecialty, research, international, and advanced clinical offerings.
Students may complete away electives to explore programs or specialties at other institutions, with up to three such rotations permitted.
Global health electives are also available for students seeking cross-cultural clinical experiences or global health training.
What Students Learn in Phase 3
Phase 3 refines the advanced competencies students need as near-independent clinicians: complex patient management, interprofessional collaboration, leadership, and the confident application of scientific and systems thinking to patient care.
Advanced Clinical Management
Students take on more complex patient care—managing undifferentiated presentations, functioning with greater autonomy, and applying evidence, systems thinking, and patient values to real-time clinical decisions in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and advanced rotations.
Professional Identity & Leadership
Phase 3 refines students’ ability to lead clinical teams, communicate efficiently, navigate uncertainty, and uphold the professional values and reflective practices expected of interns. Students continue shaping their identities as lifelong learners, scientists, and system citizens.
Career Exploration & Intentional Planning
With support from faculty mentors, students design tailored schedules combining electives, subspecialty experiences, research blocks, and independent study time. They receive structured guidance on specialty selection, application strategy, and professional development.
Intersession 5: Transition to Residency Preparation
This intersession prepares students for the expectations, responsibilities, and workflows of internship. This intersession integrates:
- Advanced procedural and clinical skills
- High-efficiency communication and patient handoffs
- Clinical prioritization, time management, and “day one” readiness
- Ethical decision-making, documentation standards, and interprofessional collaboration
- Reinforcement of VTCSOM’s professional identities as students enter practice