Welcome From the Clerkship Director

Naya Misa, MD, MPH
Clerkship Director, Assistant Program Director

Highland extends a warm welcome to visiting students from across the nation for our highly sought after 4th year sub-internship rotation!  

During this rotation, students will encounter an exceptionally diverse patient population with over 106 languages spoken, and a wide range of clinical needs. As a student rotator, you will have the opportunity to function as interns, caring for patients as their primary provider under close supervision. Students also have the opportunity to gain exposure in our substance use Bridge Clinic, ultrasound-guided nerve block techniques, and a high volume of critically ill traumas and medical codes. To complement the clinical experience, students will participate in weekly resident conferences in addition to a comprehensive med student didactic series and are also invited to a monthly social organized by our residents.

Finally, students who successfully complete our rotation are not required to undergo a formal interview in the fall. We firmly believe that the month spent with us provides invaluable insights into your character and abilities, allowing us to understand you in a way that goes beyond the constraints of a traditional interview. This approach aligns with our commitment to gaining a comprehensive understanding of each individual through practical experiences and meaningful interactions.  We can’t wait to meet you!

*Of note we are a UCSF teaching affiliate site and are listed in VSLO as ‘UCSF course EM140.40.’

Over the course of the month rotating students will:

  1. Work up to 16 total clinical shifts across all dates and times (including weekends and nights—it’s Emergency Medicine!). *1 of these shifts will be a nursing shadow shift & the other will be a shift in our substance use clinic.
  2. Attend weekly residency conference along with Highland EM residents & faculty
  3. Attend 2 separate 3 hour lecture series designed for students
  4. Attend our monthly seminar (“Follow-Up Conference”) describing the longitudinal outcome of unusual cases, paired with journal club over drinks and food – usually at a faculty members’ home
  5. Prepare a short 10 minute clinical presentation on a topic of their choosing during their final week

Interested students must:

  1. Be enrolled in an LCME-accredited medical school and have completed (or have plans to complete the following core clinical clerkships prior to participating in our elective:  internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry and Ob/Gyn.
  2. Be applying to an EM residency program if rotating in the months of May – November

As a rotating student in our department, your performance is evaluated across various criteria to ensure a comprehensive assessment (outlined below). We strongly encourage you to actively seek verbal feedback during shifts, as final evaluations heavily depend on both verbal & written assessments provided by our EM faculty & residents. We utilize a standard grading system ranging from Honors to Fail (including High Pass). We highly value rotating students who demonstrate clinical growth, exhibit patient advocacy, strong teamwork skills and receive generally positive feedback over their 4-week rotation. Additionally, we value the following attributes in our rotating students:

– Patient advocacy

– Broad knowledge of EM medicine

– Effective history-taking & physical/mental status examination skills

– Development of appropriate & prioritized differential diagnoses and care plans

– Coherent, organized, & appropriately detailed patient case presentations

– Sensitivity & responsiveness to a diverse patient population

– Collaborative functioning within interprofessional healthcare teams

– Respectful communication with patients & their families

– Demonstrated work ethic, integrity, & accountability within the healthcare team

– Identification of knowledge and skill deficits, & independent creation of plans for improvement. 

*Please note that while we do not administer a final exam, students are responsible for delivering a 10-minute case presentation on a topic of their choice.

How to Apply

Interested students must complete our SECONDARY APPLICATION in addition to our Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) application (UCSF course EM140.40).

Rotation Dates

2024-2025 Academic Calendar 

Start dates for the 2024-2025 academic year are: 

Due to the highly structured nature of the clerkship, we cannot accommodate alternative start & end dates.

Diversity Scholarship Application

OVERVIEW
We firmly believe that delivering optimal clinical care requires assembling a team of providers that mirrors our diverse patient population. We deliberately seek out residents who not only excel clinically and academically but also represent the rich cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity of those we serve.

Our commitment to cultivating a diverse residency class is exemplified through our 4th-year medical student diversity scholarship program. Our program provides limited $2,000 scholarships to cover travel-related expenses for students underrepresented in medicine who are accepted into our clerkship. Decisions for each academic year are made on a rolling basis, with early applications encouraged.

*If accepted to the clerkship, applicants can complete a separate application upon request to Idella Watts @ iwatts@alamedahealthsystem.org.  

**Applicants may also request a waiver of the clerkship fee, even if not ultimately selected for the scholarship.

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be fourth-year medical students from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds historically underrepresented in medicine, and have shown dedication to addressing issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and social justice. (We adhere to the  UCSF URM definition as in previous years.)
  2. Have completed 
    • Our VSLO
    • HGH secondary applications
    • Received acceptance for the rotation

SELECTION CRITERIA
Scholarships will be granted based on:

  1. Academic performance (clerkship grades, awards)
  2. Leadership experience
  3. A commitment to serving communities in need
Covid-19 Statement

Our response to COVID-19 continues to adapt in line with medical best practices. After a temporary pause, we’re pleased to welcome back visiting students. Currently, students do not evaluate COVID-19 PUIs.  Please contact our clerkship coordinator and director via email if you have further questions.

Leadership Team and Contact Us

Idella Watts (She/Her/Hers); Clerkship Program Coordinator,
iwatts@alamedahealthsystem.org

Naya Misa (She/Her/Hers), MD MPH; Clerkship Director, Assistant Program Director,
namisa@alamedahealthsystem.org