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Neurology Clerkship

The Neurology/Neurosurgery Clerkship is a required four-week clerkship for third-year medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine. Students have the option of rotating among three categories of clinical exposure: adult neurology, child neurology or neurosurgery.

Training Objectives

Upon completion of the Neurology Clerkship, medical students are able to complete the following tasks. These training objectives align with the IU School of Medicine MD Curriculum Competencies and Institutional Learning Objectives. This alignment enables faculty and students to understand how current student learning prepares them for the next stage in training and for their ongoing practice and maintenance of certification.

  • Patient Care 1
    Perform and interpret a relevant, problem-focused history and physical examination in a neurology patient.
  • Patient Care 2
    Formulate and justify a prioritized problem list and differential diagnosis in a neurology patient.
  • Patient Care 3
    Formulate and justify a plausible plan of care for a neurology patient.
  • Patient Care 4
    Identify a patient’s risk factors for neurologic disease and strategies for primary or secondary prevention of neurologic disease.
  • Medical Knowledge 1
    Differentiate normal and abnormal structure, function, growth and/or development of the nervous system in a neurology patient.
  • Medical Knowledge 2
    Explain the etiology, progression and/or prognosis of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in patients with neurologic symptoms.
  • Medical Knowledge 3
    Recognize clinical presentations (history and neurologic exam findings) and explain the underlying pathology and pathophysiology of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in neurology patients.
  • Medical Knowledge 4
    Describe the diagnosis, prevention, treatment or management of common of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in neurology patients.
  • Medical Knowledge 5
    Analyze and evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic options using principles of evidence-based medicine.
  • Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 1
    Respond to clinical questions by independently seeking, analyzing and synthesizing evidence-based answers to advance clinical decision-making.
  • Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 2
    Seek, accept and apply feedback to clinical practice.
  • Systems-Based Practice 1
    Identify the role and contributions of and establish respectful, effective relationships with the various members of the multi-professional health care team.
  • Systems-Based Practice 2
    Identify a patient’s social context and analyze how it relates to their current state of health.
  • Professionalism 1
    Demonstrate responsiveness to the whole patient by advocating for the patients’ and teams’ needs over their own and treating patients in a fair, unbiased, nonjudgmental manner.
  • Professionalism 2
    Demonstrate responsibility for one’s own learning through daily preparation, full participation in learning activities, initiative in patient care, and timely completion of clerkship requirements.

    Act in a professional manner by demonstrating compassion, respect, honesty, integrity and punctuality.

  • Professionalism 3
    Adhere to ethical and legal principles in all interactions.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 1
    Communicate effectively with members of the health care team by clearly presenting clinical questions and data from the patient encounter.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 2
    Communicate effectively with patients and their families by listening attentively, allowing opportunities for questions, and maintaining appropriate eye contact.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 3
    Modify communication style based upon patients’ reactions and ability to understand.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 5
    Construct oral presentations or written documents representing an organized, focused account of the student-patient interaction.