MS3 and MS4 Clerkship Resources: tips, strategies and success. June marks the transitional time period in medical school when rising MS2’s who have just emerged from the step 1 fog transition to becoming MS3’s. For the next two years you’ll find yourself on the wards, in clinic. Applying for away rotations, and asking for letters of recommendation. As an MS4 you’ll embark on those away rotations. Apply/participate in residency interviews and get ready to enjoy last days of freedom before you’re off to residency.
Blissfully exciting and nerve-wracking!
But don’t worry I am here to share what helped me study and get through the clinical years.
Top pieces of advice I can offer:
- Get UWORLD (year long subscription) and start doing questions throughout your third year. If you don’t plan on doing questions right away it’s still perfectly OK to buy UWORLD just don’t ACTIVATE your Q-bank until your ready. Tip: Med schools typically offer discounts on UWORLD take advantage of this and buy during the discount period.
- Pick a resource and stick with it! Example: UWORLD + one clerkship review book =GOLDEN
- Know YOUR patients and their pathologies. DO this by chart reviewing via your hospital EMR and learning their pathology on evidence based resouces such as UpToDate.
- Don’t by shy; talk to other 3rd or 4th years to see what they found that helped them succeed/shine on that rotation
Okay lets get into it I’m going to break down the core clerkships one by one. Go over which specific resources I found to be helpful and things I could have done to be more successful.
Family Medicine
This was my first clerkship so struggled a bit with balancing studying and succeeding in the clinic. For our family medicine rotation there was no NMBE we took a personalized family medicine exam. We did online modules to prepare for that. But overall I ended up using the following resources:
- CaseFiles did a really good job with preparing me for general and intricate pathologies that. I saw throughout my 4 week clerkship. The book is an easy read so I was able to get through most of it. I even would bring it with me to clinic so if I had some down time I would try to read a couple pages while I was there.
USMLEasy questions
- This is a question bank that I used since UWorld didn’t have very many questions under the family med category
Bottom line: Personal med school family med cases + Casefiles + UWorld + USMLEasy questions = Success
Anesthesiology (Applicable for both MS3/4’s)
At my med school we had a required anesthesiology rotation which I know is not the norm at most medical schools. As a future anesthesiologist I would encourage all medical students to do at least a two week rotation in Anesthesia. It’s one of those specialties that you may not know you’re interested in it until your actually in the thick of things.
But I digress let’s get into how to study and do well:
- Personal school anesthesia booklet: My Med school created what we called a “mini anesthesia bible” that everyone used to learn the basics of anesthesia and study to do well on the MS3 exam. While I can’t really share that I encourage you to use any personalized resources that your school provides.
- Standford CA-1 guide: While there is plenty of information that may go over your head during your 2-4 week anesthesia rotation in here as it is meant for new CA-1’s. I thought this was a phenomenal resource as a student it breaks down topics. Into short chapters so you can readily read about almost anything in here. I also think the explanation are appropriate for beginners who are trying to get the hang of understanding the basics of anesthesia.
Pocket Anesthesia - This was also a resource I used for the OR’s I carried it in my backpack and read up on any topics. I had questions about prior to joining the anesthesia team in the OR.
General Surgery
This was my first full 8 week inpatient month so once again. I struggled a bit with my study habits while learning what I needed to know about surgeries for the OR. But I ended up using the following books
- De Virgilio: AKA “the big blue book” – Don’t let the size of the book intimidate you! That is exactly what happened to me and I did not fully utilize this book until right before my shelf. Basically the WHOLE book is high yield for the NBME shelf.
- Pestana’s Surgery Notes: Also helpful for the shelf exam and additionally what is also great is that half of the book is questions
- Emma Holliday YouTube-Surgery review. Emma Holliday at the time was a brilliant 4th year med student.
- who made about 3 review series (peds internal medicine and I possibly OB/GYN) for MS3’s. It’s a great way to test your knowledge and learn some high yield facts for the NBME. It gave me a break from reading and doing questions. Just type her name into YouTube about 1 week prior to the above shelf exams. There also was a PDF file that was an outline for the videos as well that I used. I recommend this to all my MS3’s that I’ved worked with in residency thus far.
Bottom line resources: Uworld, De Virgilio’s Emma Holliday review and Pestana’s.
Internal Medicine (Applicable for both MS3/4’s)
I will be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of medicine rotations but I will say they are the foundation of what you will build your career on. Thus it’s important to learn as much as you can while your inpatient. Resources I used:
- Step-Up to Medicine: This book is nearly impossible to read from cover to cover while trying to do the >1000 UWorld questions there are for medicine. My best advice is to focus on the questions but get through as much of this book as you can. I was able to earn HP on my medicine month and that is what I did.
- Pocket Medicine: I purchased this little tiny orange bound book and I referred to it during my clerkships if I needed help thinking more broadly for differential diagnoses. I also used it as a quick guide to reference things throughout the day on the wards. Of course uptodate is also a great resource for both of these things as well. I actually found it semi helpful for my medicine rotation during my intern year as well!
Bottom line: UWORLD and Step up to Medicine = Successful shelf
OB/GYN
By this point in my MS3 year I felt more confident in my clinical skills and I had a few NBME’s underneath my belt! I managed to do well in OB and received honors.
Here’s what I did:
- ACOG uWise: We were required to do many quizzes from this site hosted by ACOG. The quizzes are overall pretty short but very spefiic and will test your knowledge in a way that will prepare you for the wards and the boards (the shelf) haha I had to do it. We were only required to do a certain number of them and I remember doing extra which I found helpful.
- Case Files OB/GYN: I used this a supplementary resource between ACOG uWise and Uworld for the shelf and I found it helpful to work through some of these cases.MS3 and MS4 tips strategies and success.
Bottom line: UWorld, Uwise and CaseFiles
Psychiatry
I remember thinking how obscure psychiatry was prior to entering the rotation but while on the rotation I became fond of the obscureness of it all. But let’s get right into it. The only two resources I used for this rotation were:
First Aid Psychiatry: This was super high yield and I was able to get through this book cover to cover. I even went over a few concepts that I need a little more clarity on twice prior to the shelf exam and I did well.
Emma Holliday Youtube Psych review: If you don’t feel like reading my surgery blurb about her just do yourself a favor Copy paste her name into youtube you WONT regret this high yield NBME review.
Bottom line: UWorld Emma holliday, and Psych first aid
Pediatrics: This is a busy rotation and challenging NBME exam, so you will want to be prepared from the beginning. The only two resources that I used were :MS3 and MS4 tips strategies and success.
- BRS Pediatrics: I thought this was a good review for the wards but of course the dreaded shelf exam as well. I was able to finish most of this book.
- Emma Holliday Youtube Peds review: If you don’t feel like reading my surgery blurb about her just do yourself. A favor and copy paste her name into youtube you WONT regret this high yield NBME review.
Bottom line: Peds BRS UWorld and Emma Holliday YouTube freview
Neurology
This rotation FLEW by for me because although it’s listed as a typical 4 week rotation you really have about 3 ½ weeks until it’s time to take the NMBE. This was also my last rotation of MS3 year so I was a little burnt out at this point. Overall throughout this rotation you will gain plenty of physical exam skills neuro specific but are good to know as a medical professional. Here’s what I did:
- Case Files Neurology: I really like this book because it breaks down everything case by case I guess hence. Name but I felt like it was manageable to read, study and comprehend enough to do well on the exam. MS3 and MS4 tips strategies and success.
Bottom line: CaseFiles, UWORLD, and start studying EARLY
Overall, all of the same principles can be applied to MS4 year for required rotations. The only two that personally overlapped for me were another month of Medicine with a required shelf and my Anesthesia Sub-I. So on that note I will leave you with the information above.
Comment below if this was helpful for you
Janelle