Loyola University Chicago
Stritch School of Medicine
Office of Student Affairs
CLASS OF 2015
INTRODUCTION TO
FOURTH YEAR
SCHEDULING & PLANNING
Agenda
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Fourth Year & Clerkship Track System
Lottery Process
Required clerkships
Elective requirements, registration & VSAS
USMLE Step 2 requirements & timing
Residency Planning: Future Meetings
Online Resources
Table of Contents
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Slides 4 – 12: Handout, Calendar & 4th Year
Overview
13 – 17: Required Clerkships (Sub-Is and EM)
18 – 22: Electives
23 – 27: 4th Year Goal by Season
28 – 29: Intramural Electives
30 – 37: Extramural Electives
38 – 39: Discretionary Time
40 – 42: Step 2 Exams
43 – 50: Residency Planning
Handout
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Clerkship Track System and its Policies
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Lottery Timeline
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Lottery Numbers
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Fourth Year Calendar
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Timeline for Elective Registration Calendar
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4th Yr Planning Sheet
Calendar
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Yr 4 start date: First clerkship block starts Monday, July
7, 2014 (July = Period “9A”)
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Qtrly break weeks in December (winter break), and at
end of March (spring break), but none in the fall
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Match Day and Graduation dates tentatively posted.
Graduation will take place Saturday, May 16th
Fourth Year
Overview of Requirements
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12 weeks of core clerkships
 Emergency Medicine, Sub-I Wards, Sub-I ICU
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34 weeks of elective time available
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Bioethics Requirements
 Completion of Ethics Case Paper (should be completed during
third year)
 Completion of Ethics Grand Rounds (min. of 4 sessions total by
end of fourth year)
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USMLE Step 2 CK and CS
Core Clerkships
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One 4-week Wards Subinternship
Offered each period 9A (July) through 12A (April)*
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One 4-week Critical Care Subinternship
Offered each period 9A (July) through 12A (April)*
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One 4-week Emergency Medicine Clerkship
Offered each period 9A (July) through 12A (April)*
*No rotations scheduled for December
Bioethics Requirement
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Ethics case paper due in Yr 3: April 18, 2014
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Four Ethics Grand Rounds must be
completed cumulatively over 2nd, 3rd and 4th
years
Fourth Yr Track Features
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Flexibility
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Opportunity for student choice
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One required core clerkship and two electives
in each of first three quarters
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Availability of at least half of the elective time
in first half of the year
Fourth Yr Track System
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Assigned to track by lottery
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Computer generated lottery number
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Rank order all tracks
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Deadline to submit rank form is Wednesday,
February 12, 2014
Picking a track…
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Consider what your elective and residency
choice needs may be in each quarter
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Consider when you might take USMLE Step
2 CK and CS
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Consider which core clerkships could prep
you best for the key electives you will take
Attendance
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Limited time off for excused absences in both subinternships and
emergency medicine (3 days including weekend days)
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Final exam schedule is NOT changeable
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Plan holiday or interview travel only after determining the date
and time of day of exams
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Labor Day is a holiday but not a 3 day weekend if service team
is not off
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Thanksgiving is a four day holiday weekend
Clerkship Requirements
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Purpose and Assignment Process
Subinternships
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4-weeks: in-pt medicine (“Sub-I Wards”)
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Examples of services: Gen med, OB, Cardiology,
Hem/Onc, Surgery, Peds
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Loyola, Gottlieb, Hines, West Sub
4-weeks: intensive care unit (“Sub-I ICU”)
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Examples of services: MICU, SICU, BICU, CCU,
NICU, PICU
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Loyola, Central Dupage, Hines, Resurrection, West
Sub
Purpose of subinternships
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Focus on skills and attitudes necessary to care for
hospitalized and critically ill patients
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SubI is about taking care of patients- minimize time away
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Emphasis is on patient care in the context of wards or
ICU; emphasis is not on the specialty
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Thus, subinternships are posted on SSOM transcript
without specialty noted (transcript reads only “SubinternWards” and “Subintern-ICU”)
Subinternship assignments
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Opportunity will be provided to submit
preference rank lists for site/service
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Assignments by lottery to services and sites
by late winter through Dr. Leischner’s office
(separate lottery process, using track rank list
in reverse order)
Rescheduling Sub-I
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Changes may be possible according to track
system traffic rules
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May trade entire track or individual clerkship
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After Subinternship site/service assignments
are created, changes must be approved by
Debi Kurcab in the Med Dept. and reported to
Registration and Records
ELECTIVES
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Policies & registration process
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Purpose of elective curriculum
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How to design your program
Electives
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Course Descriptions online in SSOM Elective Catalog
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Most electives are 4 weeks in length
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There are several 2-week electives available
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26 weeks of elective time in years 3 and 4 = minimum graduation
requirement
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Of the 22 weeks in your M4 year, your elective program must
include 5 full-time electives that are at least 4-weeks in length,
i.e., 20 weeks of 4-week electives.
Electives (continued)
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12 weeks of elective time permitted away
(“extramurals”)
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12 weeks permitted in any specialty (in M4 year)
 Excludes time in core clerkships in the specialty
 Excludes M3-year elective
 Includes electives at Loyola and away
 Includes clinical but excludes research courses
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Other elective policies in catalog preface
Purpose of Electives
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Broadens & strengthens clinical experience
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Tests interest in an area of specialization
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Provides research or special opportunities
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Permits self determination and responsibility
for content of program
Building Your Elective
Program Content
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Use “Specialty Elective Guide” at online Loyola Elective Catalog
site
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Talk to faculty and specialty advisor(s)
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Attend specialty department sessions and ask questions
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Talk to faculty in your field(s) of interest
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See Dean Mendez and Dean Sonntag for input
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Attend Students Advising Students (SAS) programs
4th Year Goals by Season
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Focus of each quarter
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Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer Goals (July/Aug/Sept)
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Solidify specialty interest
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May/may not need to take specialty elective at Loyola to earn a
recommendation letter (depends on prior exposure)
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Summer work may bump up performance level
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Courses provides prep for important externships
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May need to study weeks/month for USMLE Step 2 prep
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Preparation of residency application starts
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Externships start
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Complete Step 2 study and take CK and CS (more on this later)
Fall Goals (Oct/Nov/Dec)
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Externships continue
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Residency interview season kicks in; will you need time off?
Should you take DT?
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Should you plan an away elective that geographically places you
in proximity to residency interview locales?
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Sept/Oct courses could still produce residency recommendation
letters
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Complete Step 2 study and take CK and CS (more on this later)
Winter Goals (Jan/Feb/Mar)
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Finish interviewing
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Take courses to round out your education
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Prepare for starting a residency (what do you still need
to learn?)
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Rank residencies for match (mid Jan - late Feb)
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International elective?
Spring Goals (Apr/May)
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Take enrichment courses
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International elective? (more details will be given at April
information session)
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Take residency prep electives offered at SSOM
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Get tuition’s worth by staying enrolled
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Take DT for personal/transitional use
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Complete graduation requirements
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Graduate!!!
Elective Registration Process
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How & When to Register
Elective Registration
Intramurals (Loyola)
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Review course descriptions & policies in elective
catalog online
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Online elective registration through myLUMEN
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Sign up starts about 4 months in advance of each
elective month’s start date
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More info from ORR closer to first opening
registration date (1st week of March)
Externships (extramural
electives)
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Up to 12 weeks permitted usually through another US med school
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Loyola sign up Timetable does NOT apply
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Reference AAMC Extramural Elective Compendium for timeline, websites,
contact person at site (link available in Loyola Elective Catalog website)
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Beware that their calendar could be very different from ours. Students are
responsible for keeping track of beginning and start dates of rotations.
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Sign up 1 – 5 months in advance of start date; typically April – mid-May for
summer courses.
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CHECK YOUR EXTRAMURAL SITE’S SIGN UP DATE!
Purpose of externships
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To get an excellent learning experience
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To help narrow specialty interests
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To see a program of interest first hand
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To work with an outstanding faculty
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To show your stuff and perhaps get a recommendation letter
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To assess a program’s compatibility with your needs
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To do unique non-hospital based experiences
Do you need to do 3
externships (12 weeks)?
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It depends…
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On your interests, profile, specialty field and
geographical considerations
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Most students should do one or two
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Some specialties discourage more than one
elective in the field; others promote student
enrollment in several. SEEK ADVICE!
Extramural Registration
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Review policies in SSOM catalog
Review visiting student policies on other
school’s website
Application
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online: Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS)
OR
paper: application packet submitted through SSOM
Reg & Rec
Please don’t do both unless you have verified with
school that they require this (yes, a small handful
are crazy and want both online and paper
applications)
Visiting Student Application
Service
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Developed by AAMC
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Greater than 3/4th of US medical schools use VSAS to process visiting
student applications; the others use their own paper applications.
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See http://www.aamc.org/programs/vsas/students/start.htm for a list of
schools using VSAS (will be updated for ’14-15 year in late January).
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More info about VSAS forthcoming from Registration & Records
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Registration & Records will upload transcripts and certify applications
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Registration & Records will “Release” applications on VSAS
Extramural Registration
for schools not using VSAS
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Complete Loyola’s extramural application AND
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Complete other institution’s Visiting Student Application
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Often possible to list more than one date or several elective
preferences
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Compile supporting documents; submit to Rose Colcagno in
Registration & Records
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Dean Sonntag will review and approve application; application
packet will then be mailed to extramural school
Extramural Registration
additional documentation (submitted via VSAS or by paper)
Typical Supporting documents
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Proof of liability coverage
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Current immunization record
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Proof of UP/OSHA/HIPAA training
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Proof of hospitalization insurance
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Possibly SSOM transcript
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Possibly faculty/dean’s letter of recommendation
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Possibly criminal background check record
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Possibly affiliation agreement? Memo of Understanding?
Elective Add/Drop Policy
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Add: register for electives at least one
month prior to start date
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Drop (Loyola courses): at least one month
prior
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Drop (Extramurals): according to other
institution’s policy, typically 4 – 6 weeks prior.
Discretionary Time Use
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Time for Additional Elective Opportunities OR
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For USMLE Step 2 study time
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Residency Interview time off
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For extramural calendar adjustment (other school’s calendar
doesn’t match Stritch’s)
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For remediation needs
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For personal needs
Applying for Discretionary
Time Off
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May be taken in one week or longer
increments
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Request must be submitted in advance
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Submit Discretionary Time requests through
myLUMEN Elective Registration page
USMLE STEP 2 CK & CS
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First attempt CK & CS exams be taken by the end of
semester 1 of fourth year (by December 31, 2014)
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Residencies programs increasingly want proof of
successful completion of Step 2 during interview process;
majority want proof of passing before ranking candidates
(i.e., score needed by end of January 2015)
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USMLE Step 2 CK & CS must be PASSED to graduate.
If a 2nd attempt is needed, scores must be received at
least two months prior to graduation (mid-March 2015).
USMLE Step 2 CK planning:
Residency considerations

If exam is taken before August 15, scores are
out before interviews are offered
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If exam is taken after August 15 and before end
of November, scores are out during interview
season and before residencies make rank
decisions
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Exams taken in January do not meet school
graduation requirements and will not be
available to residencies prior to their ranking (not
recommended)
USMLE Step 2 CK & CS timing
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CK:
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Scores reported approximately 4 weeks after test date
CS:
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Scores are reported according to a block schedule:
http://www.usmle.org/step-2-cs/#reporting
May 18 – July 12
July 13 – Sept 6
Sept 7 - Nov 1
Nov 2 - Dec 31
Reported Aug 13 – Sept 10, 2014
Reported Oct 8 – Nov 5, 2014
Reported Dec 3 – Dec 31, 2014
Reported Feb 4 - Feb 25, 2015
Residency Planning
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You may want to know now…
Residency Letters of
Recommendation
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Up to 4 letters for ERAS/NRMP programs; often only 3
are requested.
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Up to three for early match programs
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Request letters when opportunities present themselves
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Submitted by writer to Student Affairs with 2014 ERAS
cover letter in June – mid-Sept (cover letter available in
June)
CVs, etc.
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Feedback on CV’s
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Submit updated copy for Dean’s Letter use
(exact due date this spring TBA)
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Personal paragraph needed for dean’s letter
– (exact due date this spring TBA;
instructions will be provided)
Online Resources
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Loyola Elective Catalog: http://stritch.luc.edu/depts/regrec/catalog
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AAMC Extramural Elective Compendium:
http://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/electives/start.htm
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AMA-FREIDA (Residency program info): http://www.ama-assn.org/go/freida
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Match info: http://www.nrmp.org/
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Residency Web Application process: https://www.aamc.org/services/eras/
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USMLE STEP 2 info:
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Visiting Student Application Service:
https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/vsas/
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Careers in Medicine: http://www.aamc.org/cim
http://www.usmle.org/step-2-ck/ and
http://www.usmle.org/step-2-cs/
Future Workshops
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Dean’s Letter Process
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March 12th in the evening
The Match & ERAS (E-residency application
service)
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April 16th following PCM3 sessions
Ask Questions!
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It is acceptable, expected, smart
Where:
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Registration & Records (changing your schedule,
how to sign up for electives, policies)
Student Affairs (what to take, when)
Faculty Advisor (what, where, when)
Specialty Advisor (where, when, how many)
Elective dept. offices (how, which)
Submitting your Track
Preferences
• Go
to myLUMEN>Clerkship Tracking Sys.>
Fourth Year Track Ranking Form
Ranking
Form
submission
deadline is
Wednesday,
February 12,
2014
• If you encounter any problems, contact Julie Steinecker
(jsteinecker@lumc.edu)
Questions?