Clinical Refresher Course

Before returning to the third year of medical school, MSTP students participate in a two-week course to review and practice their history-taking and physical exam skills. The clinical refresher course has recently been redesigned and, beginning in June 2010, will be taught by Dr. Chris Cooper from the UCLA Department of Medicine. Entitled “Essential Diagnostic Skills,” the course is designed to reintroduce diagnostic thought processes through clinical slides, physical exam demonstrations and real patient encounters.

Following the clinical refresher course, MSTP students join the rest of the third year medical school class in a two-week Clinical Foundations course. This course provides a more in-depth introduction to the clinical clerkships, focusing on the basics of clinical care, including a review of the physical exam, BCLS, basic radiology, write-ups and presentations, with an emphasis on professionalism and ethical standards.