Elective Selection

Throughout medical school, you have opportunities to enhance your career and specialty exploration through non-clinical and clinical elective selection.

MS1s

If you are taking courses in the Foundations curriculum:

MS2s

If you are taking courses in the Foundations curriculum:
If you are planning for your elective/off-block in the Patient Care Phase:

Your Patient Care elective block is for personal time, and some students may also engage in research, leadership & service, networking, and career exploration.

  • Watch this short video for guidance on options for your Elective Block.
  • Please check in with your career advisor if you have questions.

Students may be interested in taking a 2-week pass/fail elective during the elective block.  You are not required to take an elective. Career Advising recommends that you consider only 2-week pass/fail clinical electives selected from the Explore & Focus Clerkship Catalog.

    • 2-week pass/fail electives can be helpful for students interested in specialties beyond the core clerkships, such as anesthesiology, radiology, ophthalmology, urology, etc.
    • The elective block is generally not the time to register for a 4-week graded elective, because early in your clinical training you want to avoid the possibility of getting an average grade in an elective that may end up being your primary specialty for residency application.
    • Due to prerequisite requirements, students are not able to register for electives in FM, IM, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, OB/GYN, or Surgery until they have completed the required clerkship in that department.
      • 700-level clerkships were designed to be taken prior to the required clerkships are exempt from this rule
  • Read more on the Curriculum webpage

MS3s

If you are planning for your elective/off-block in the Patient Care Phase:

Your Patient Care elective block is for personal time, and some students may also engage in research, leadership & service, networking, and career exploration.

  • Watch this short video for guidance on options for your Elective Block.
  • Please check in with your career advisor if you have questions.

Students may be interested in taking a 2-week pass/fail elective during the elective block.  You are not required to take an elective. Career Advising recommends that you consider only 2-week pass/fail clinical electives selected from the Explore & Focus Clerkship Catalog.

    • 2-week pass/fail electives can be helpful for students interested in specialties beyond the core clerkships, such as anesthesiology, radiology, ophthalmology, urology, etc.
    • The elective block is generally not the time to register for a 4-week graded elective, because early in your clinical training you want to avoid the possibility of getting an average grade in an elective that may end up being your primary specialty for residency application.
    • Due to prerequisite requirements, students are not able to register for electives in FM, IM, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, OB/GYN, or Surgery until they have completed the required clerkship in that department.
      • 700-level clerkships were designed to be taken prior to the required clerkships are exempt from this rule
  • Read more on the Curriculum webpage
As you plan for your elective credits in the Explore & Focus Phase:
  • Select electives recommended by Specialty Career Advisor/s in the Specialty Guides
  • Read more on the Curriculum webpage
  • A helpful way to think about elective selection is to think about electives that will help you:
    • Gain exposure to various specialties for career and specialty exploration and decision-making
    • Develop skills in your intended specialty and prepare you for residency 
    • Develop your understanding of medicine that is related to your work
      • e.g. what skills will help you understand the perspective of consulting physicians you will collaborate with to support patients? 
    • Try something new! Take the interesting rotation you’ve heard great things about, live in a new WWAMI location, or try parts of medicine you may never have the option to rotate through again

MS4s

As you plan for your elective credits in the Explore & Focus Phase:
  • Select electives recommended by Specialty Career Advisor/s in the Specialty Guides
  • Read more on the Curriculum webpage
  • A helpful way to think about elective selection is to think about electives that will help you:
    • Gain exposure to various specialties for career and specialty exploration and decision-making
    • Develop skills in your intended specialty and prepare you for residency 
    • Develop your understanding of medicine that is related to your work
      • e.g. what skills will help you understand the perspective of consulting physicians you will collaborate with to support patients? 
    • Try something new! Take the interesting rotation you’ve heard great things about, live in a new WWAMI location, or try parts of medicine you may never have the option to rotate through again