Course Catalog

This catalog contains course offerings for the Fundamentals of Clinical Practice and Transition to Advanced Clinical Practice phases of the GW SMHS curriculum (i.e., the 3rd and 4th year). Courses are searchable by department, course number, and keyword. To see details of any course, including course director, contact information, and a brief description, click the course title.

For additional information, please see:

Anatomy
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
ANAT 501 Anatomy Review for Residency

2

All year

Career path identified - see details
Anesthesiology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
ANES 302 Introduction to Anesthesia

2

All year except weeks 2-5

None
ANES 380 Anesthesia Sub Internship

4

Reservation required weeks 49-13

All core clerkships
ANES 384 Intensive Care Unit Acting Internship

4

All year

All core clerkships
ANES 387 Pain Medicine

2, 4

All year

Reservation required (recommend NEUR 397 or other ANES course)
ANES 388 Interventional Pain Medicine

2, 4

All year

Reservation required (3 months advanced notice)
ANES 390-393 Extramural Anesthesiology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
Dermatology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
DERM 380 Dermatology Clinic

2, 4 (VSLO students must take 4 week option)

All year except week 44

MED 305; reservation required
DERM 390-393 Extramural Dermatology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
PED 411 * Pediatric Dermatology *

See PED 411 under Pediatrics department

See PED 411 under Pediatrics department

See PED 411 under Pediatrics department
Emergency Medicine
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
EMED 302 Emergency Medicine

4

All year except weeks 36-39; approval is required when registering within 6 weeks of the rotation from the course director/coordinator

All core clerkships
EMED 390-393 Extramural Emergency Medicine Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
EMED 504 Emergency Medicine Research

2, 4

All year; 3 month minimum advance notice required for registration

None
EMED 516 Wilderness Medicine

2

Weeks 44-45

None
EMED 517 Point-of-care Ultrasound

2

All year except weeks 2-5, 22-23, 26-27, 36-39

MED 305, SURG 303
Family Medicine (extramural)
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
IDIS 390 Extramural Family Medicine Acting Internship

4

All year

All core clerkships
IDIS 391-393 Extramural Family Medicine Rotation

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
Interdisciplinary Medicine
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
IDIS 208 Evidence-based Clinical Relevance of Biochem and Molecular Bio

2, 4

Weeks 28-45; contact course director

None
IDIS 209 The Molecular and Biochemical Basis of Aging

2

Weeks 32-33 & 40-41

None
IDIS 240-241 Transition to Residency

4

Weeks 36-39 (required)

Required 4th year course
IDIS 303 Introduction to Systematic Reviews

2

Weeks 8-9 and 24-25

None
IDIS 304 Humanities for Third Years

2

Weeks 24-25

None
IDIS 305 Hospital Administration

2

With course director's permission

None
IDIS 306 Using Media to Share Health Information: An Introduction

2

Weeks 40-41

None
IDIS 307 Culinary Medicine

2

Weeks 16-17, 24-25 and 32-33 (2024-2025)

None
IDIS 308* Background Principles of Integrative Medicine*

2

*Not offered as of July 2024

None
IDIS 349 International Medical, Surgical, and Community Health Missions

2, 4

All year except weeks 36-39. This course requires approval from the course director. 

All core clerkships; ANES 302 or 380
IDIS 350 International Medical Experience in Third World Service

4-12

No longer available for AY24-25

All core clerkships
IDIS 351 Teaching and Learning Knowledge and Skills (TALKS): The Clinician as a Medical Educator -- teaching students to be educators

Year long

All year

All core clerkships
IDIS 352 International Medical Systems

2-8

All year except weeks 36-39. This course requires pre-approval from the course director. 

All core clerkships
IDIS 353 Integrative Medicine and Health

2

All year except August, December

See note: essay & course director approval
IDIS 354 Community Health Care

Year long

All year; reservation required

All core clerkships
IDIS 360 Health Policy Track Elective

4

Request course director approval prior to registration

All core clerkships; Health Policy track
IDIS 361 Disaster Medicine

2, 4

All year

Disaster Medicine Scholarly Concentration (SC) MS4 students only; others with SC coordinator permission
IDIS 363 Research Track Elective

4

All year

Research track
IDIS 364 Child Health Advocacy

2, 4

All year; 3 month minimum advance notice required for registration

None
IDIS 365* Environmental Health Elective*

2, 4

*No longer offered as of 2024

None
IDIS 366 Clinical Practice Innovation & Entrepreneurship

4

All year

See below
IDIS 367 Experiential Learning in Community Health

4

All year (up to 20 students total)

All core clerkships
IDIS 369 Non-Track Research

2, 4

All year

None
IDIS 370 International Translational Research

4-8

All year except weeks 36-39. Pre-approval is required for this course from the course director.

All core clerkships
IDIS 401 Exploring Implicit Bias in Medicine

2

Available weeks 14-33 except for weeks 22-23 (not available). This course requires pre-approval from the course director.

All core clerkships
IDIS 407 Advanced Culinary Medicine Elective

4

weeks 10-43 (AY 2024-2025) 

None
IDIS 522 Narratives in and of Medicine

2

All year; coursework is completed during Transitions to Residency (weeks 36-39)

All core clerkships; course director approval required
IDIS 999 Independent Study
Medicine
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
MED 102 Introduction to Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

2

All year

None
MED 104 Medical Spanish

2

All year

None
MED 301 3rd Year Ambulatory Primary Care Clerkship

4

Per cohort

None
MED 302 3rd Year Longitudinal Primary Care Clerkship

Half year (longitudinal)

During the clerkship year

None
MED 305 3rd Year Internal Medicine Clerkship

8

Per cohort

None
MED 320 (formerly IDIS 320)* Topics in Clinical Public Health: COVID-19 in the US*

2

*No longer offered

None
MED 332 Acting Internship in Medicine - GWUH

4

All year; course director/coordinator approval with 3-month minimum advance notice required

All core clerkships
MED 334 Acting Internship in Medicine - VAMC

4

All year; Course Director and Registration Coordinator approval required with 6-week minimum advance notice required.

All core clerkships
MED 340 Electrocardiography

2

Weeks 40-41 & 44-45

None
MED 341 Primary Care and Health Services Research

4

All year (needs approval)

Course director approval
MED 342 Palliative Medicine/Geriatric Medicine

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

None
MED 343 Advanced Clinical Experience in Primary Care

2, 4

All year (needs approval)

MED 301; course director approval
MED 346 Introduction to Correctional Medicine

4

Pre-approval required for this course from the course director. 

All core clerkships; also see below
MED 348 Communication and Symptom Management in Death, Dying & Serious Illness

2

Weeks 10-11

Core clerkships; see notes below
MED 350 Infectious Disease - VAMC

2, 4

All year except weeks 36-39; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

MED 305
MED 351 Infectious Diseases

2, 4

All year

All core clerkships
MED 352 Clinical Cardiology

4

All year

All core clerkships
MED 353 Case-Based Elective in Criminal Justice Health

2

Pre-approval required for this course from the course director. 

All core clerkships
MED 360 Clinical Cardiology - VAMC

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

None
MED 363 Medical Intensive Care Unit/Coronary Care Unit - VAMC

4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

All core clerkships
MED 372 Endocrinology and Diabetes

2, 4

All year

MED 301 and/or MED 305
MED 373 Endocrinology and Metabolism - VAMC

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

MED 301 or MED 305
MED 374 Podiatry, Diabetes and Wound Healing

2

All year

None
MED 390-393 Extramural Internal Medicine Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
MED 412 Clinical and Research Gastroenterology/Hepatology Elective - GW

4

All year

All core clerkships
MED 413 Clinical Gastroenterology/Hepatology - GW

4

All year

MED 305
MED 414 Gastroenterology/Hepatology - VAMC

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

2 core clerkships
MED 430 Hematology and Oncology - VAMC

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration

None
MED 431 Clinical Hematology and Oncology - GW

2, 4

All year

None
MED 447 Pulmonary Medicine - GW

2, 4

All year

None
MED 451 Rheumatology

2, 4

All year

None
MED 459 Clinical Nephrology

2, 4

All year

MED 305
MED 461 Clinical Renal Disease

2, 4

All year

MED 305
MED 520 Supportive and Palliative Care and Spirituality

2

Weeks 24-25

None
MED 521 Clinical Ethics

2

Weeks 34-35

None
Neurology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
NEUR 380 Clinical Neuroscience Clerkship

4

All year

None
NEUR 381 Special Topics in Neurology

2, 4

All year (needs approval)

None
NEUR 390-393 Extramural Neurology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
NEUR 397 Introduction to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

2, 4

All year

MED 305 (new pre-requisite as of fall 2023)
Neurosurgery
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
NSUR 380 Clinical Neurosurgery

4

All year; reservation required

All core clerkships
NSUR 390-393 Extramural Neurosurgery Elective

4

All year

All core clerkships
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
OB&G 303 3rd Year Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

6

Per cohort

None
OB&G 375 Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

4

All year

OB&G 303
OB&G 378 Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

2

only offered weeks 49-50, 51-52, 8-9, and 10-11 

All core clerkships
OB&G 381 Perinatal (Maternal-Fetal) Medicine

4

All year

OB&G 303
OB&G 385 Gynecologic Oncology

4

All year

OB&G 303
OB&G 386 Minimally Invasive Gynecology Surgery

4

All year except weeks 49-52, 18-21

OB&G 303
OB&G 388 Sexual Health

2

Weeks 40-41; 42-43

OB&G 303
OB&G 390-393 Extramural Obstetrics & Gynecology Elective

4

All year

All core clerkships
Ophthalmology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
OPHT 381 Clinical Ophthalmology

2, 4

See notes

See notes
OPHT 390-393 Extramural Ophthalmology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships, OPHT 381
PED 413* Introduction to Pediatric Ophthalmology*

See PED 413 under Pediatrics department

See PED 413 under Pediatrics department

See PED 413 under Pediatrics department
Orthopaedics
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
ORTH 302 Orthopaedic Surgery Clinical Elective for 3rd Year Medical Students

2, 4

Nov 1 through April 30

None; see notes
ORTH 303 Ambulatory Orthopaedics

4

November-June

All core clerkships
ORTH 380 Orthopaedic Sub-Internship

4

All year; reservation required for weeks 45-18

All core clerkships
ORTH 385 Sports Medicine

2

Nov 1 through April 30

see notes
ORTH 390-393 Extramural Orthopaedic Sub-Internship

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 410 Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery

2, 4

All year

None
Pathology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PATH 296 Surgical Pathology

2, 4

All year

None
PATH 298 Autopsy Pathology

4

All year

None
PATH 321 Clinical Pathology / Laboratory Medicine

2, 4

All year except weeks 36-39

None
PATH 390-393 Extramural Pathology Elective

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 400* Pediatric Laboratory Medicine*

See PED 400 under Pediatrics department

See PED 400 under Pediatrics department

See PED 400 under Pediatrics department
Pediatrics
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PED 303 3rd Year Pediatrics Clerkship

8

Per cohort

None
PED 350 Delivery of High Value Medical Care

2

All year

All core clerkships
PED 361* Clinical Pediatrics Acting Internship - General Pediatrics - Orange Team*

4

*Not currently available; see other Peds AIs instead

All core clerkships
PED 362 Clinical Pediatrics Acting Internship - General Pediatrics - Red Team

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 364 Clinical Pediatrics Acting Internship - General Pediatrics - Purple Team

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 366 Clinical Pediatrics Acting Internship - General Pediatrics - PHAST Team

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 367 Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

2, 4

Student must request permission from course director/coordinator to rotate

None
PED 368 Pediatric HIV Infection

2, 4

All year

PED 303 and MED 305
PED 369 Infectious Disease Consult

2, 4

All year except weeks 36-39 and 16-17

PED 303 (preferred) or MED 305
PED 370 Pediatric Diabetes Care

4

Contact course director for availability

None
PED 371 Building Health Equity

2

Weeks 12-13

All core clerkships
PED 372 Child Abuse Pediatrics

4

All year

PED 303
PED 373 Pediatric Urology

2, 4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 375 Pediatric Surgery

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 377 Pediatric Rheumatology

2, 4

All year except July, August, and December holiday period. Pre-approval from the course director is required for this course.

PED 303
PED 378 Medical Genetics

2, 4

All year

None
PED 379 Pediatric Critical Care Acting Internship

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 380 Pediatric Gastroenterology

2, 4

All year

None
PED 381 Pediatric Allergy and Immunology

4

All year

None
PED 382 Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology

4

All year

None
PED 383 Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine

4

All year except July and August

PED 303
PED 384 Pediatric Interventional Radiology

4

All year

PED 303 or MED 305 or SURG 303
PED 386 Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

4

All year

PED 303
PED 388 Neonatal Intensive Care

4

All year except July-Aug and Nov-Dec

All core clerkships
PED 389 Pediatric Cardiology

4

All year

PED 303
PED 390-393 Extramural Pediatrics Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
PED 397 Pediatric Nephrology

2, 4

All year

None
PED 398 Pediatric Sports Medicine

2, 4

All year except Thanksgiving-New Year’s Day and mid-April to mid-June

None
PED 399 Ambulatory Adolescent Medicine

4

All year

MED 301 or PED 303
PED 400 Pediatric Laboratory Medicine

2, 4

All year

None
PED 401 Pediatric Otolaryngology

2, 4

All year

SURG 303
PED 403 Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

4

All year

PED 303
PED 405 Pediatric Emergency Medicine

4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 406 Pediatric Acute Care

2

All year starting January 2024

PED 303
PED 407 Pediatric Healthy Generations – Teen Parent Program

2, 4

All year

All core clerkships
PED 408 Breastfeeding Medicine

2

All year

PED 303
PED 409 Pediatric Complex Care Experience

2, 4

All year (permission required)

All core clerkships
PED 410* Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery*

See PED 410 under Orthopaedics department

See PED 410 under Orthopaedics department

None
PED 411 Pediatric Dermatology

2, 4

All year

PED 303
PED 412 Pediatric Preventive Cardiology

2, 4

All year

None
PED 413 Introduction to Pediatric Ophthalmology

2

All year

OPHT 381 (may be waived at discretion of course director)
Pharmacology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PHAR 501 Readings in Pharmacology

2, 4

Available upon request; course director approval required

Course director approval
PHAR 504 Medication Prescribing: Making Benefit/Risk Calculations

2

Weeks 16-17; 42-43

At least one core clerkship
Psychiatry
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PCHI 302 3rd Year Psychiatry Clerkship

6

Per cohort

None
PCHI 379 Inpatient Psychiatry Acting Internship - NVMHI

4

Weeks 28, 32, 37, 41, 45, 50, 2, 6, 11, 15, 22 (dept approval required)

PCHI 302, MED 305
PCHI 381 Inpatient Psychiatry Acting Internship - GWUH

4

All year (dept approval required)

PCHI 302, MED 305
PCHI 382 Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service Acting Internship - GWUH

4

All year (dept approval required)

PCHI 302, MED 305, OB&G 303
PCHI 383 Forensic Psychiatry Elective

4

Currently Unavailable

PCHI 302, MED 305
PCHI 386 Forensic Psychiatry Elective - NVMHI

4

Weeks 28, 32, 37, 41, 45, 50, 2, 6, 11, 15, 22

PCHI 302, MED 305
PCHI 388 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

4

All year

PCHI 302
PCHI 390-393 Extramural Psychiatry Elective

2-6

All year (department approval required)

All core clerkships
PCHI 409 Psychiatry Independent Studies

2, 4

All year; 1 month minimum advance notice required for registration (department approval required)

PCHI 302, MED 305
Radiology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
RAD 381 Vascular Interventional Radiology

2, 4

None
RAD 383 Clinical Radiology

4

All year except weeks 14-43; Reservation required weeks 2-13 and weeks 45-52

None
RAD 386 Radiation Oncology

2, 4

All year

None
RAD 390-393 Extramural Radiology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
RAD 404 GI/GU Radiology

4

Weeks 14-25; 28-43

None
RAD 405 Acute/ER Radiology

4

Weeks 14-25; 28-43

None
RAD 406 Trauma/Bone Radiology

4

Weeks 14-25; 28-43

None
RAD 407 Women’s Imaging

4

Weeks 14-25; 28-43

None
Surgery
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PED 375* Pediatric Surgery*

See PED 375 under Pediatrics department

See PED 375 under Pediatrics department

See PED 375 under Pediatrics department
PED 401* Pediatric Otolaryngology*

See PED 401 under Pediatrics department

See PED 401 under Pediatrics department

See PED 401 under Pediatrics department
SURG 303 3rd Year Surgery Clerkship

8

Per cohort

None
SURG 353 Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

2, 4

Weeks 44-13 (reservation required); open enrollment weeks 14-43.

Departmental approval required for 2-week course.

SURG 303
SURG 355 Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery - Suburban & Holy Cross Hospital

2, 4

All year

SURG 303
SURG 356 Otolaryngology for 3rd Year Medical Students

2

All year; registration requires prior departmental approval for weeks 44-13

None; see notes
SURG 358 Tropical Otolaryngology

2, 4

All year (prior approval REQUIRED from course director prior to registration)
SURG 380 General Surgery and Surgical Oncology Acting Internship - Adkins

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 382 Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery Acting Internship - DePalma

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 383 Thoracic, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Foregut Acting Internship - Blades

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 385 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

2, 4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 386 Cardiothoracic Surgery and Interventional Cardiology - VAMC

4

All year

None
SURG 388 Vascular Surgery Acting Internship - Giordano

2, 4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 390-393 Extramural Surgery Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships
SURG 400 Trauma and Acute Care Surgery Acting Internship - CTACC

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
SURG 402 Colorectal and Breast Surgery Acting Internship

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45 through 13

All core clerkships
Urology
Course Number Title Length (Weeks) When Offered Prerequisites
PED 373* Pediatric Urology*

See PED 373 under Pediatrics department

See PED 373 under Pediatrics department

See PED 373 under Pediatrics department
UROL 302 Clinical Urology

4

All year; reservation required in weeks 45-13

All core clerkships
UROL 303 Urology for 3rd Year Medical Students

2

All year

None; see notes
UROL 390-393 Extramural Urology Elective

2-6

All year

All core clerkships