The core learning objectives education model: an approach to the teaching of core concepts in the clinical clerkship

The classical approach to the undergraduate medical clerkship has several limitations, including variability of clinical exposure and method of examination. As a result, the clerkship experience does not ensure exposure to and reinforcement of the fundamental concepts of a given specialty.

This article reviews the classic approach to clerkship education within the undergraduate medical education. Specific attention is placed on clinical exposure and clerkship examination.

We describe the introduction of the Core Learning Objective (CLO) educational model at the University of Chicago Section of Urology. This model is designed to provide an efficient exposure to and evaluation of core clerkship learning objectives.

The CLO model has been successfully initiated, focusing on both technical and clinical skill sets. The proposed model has been introduced with positive initial results and should allow for an efficient approach to the teaching and evaluation of core objectives in clerkship education.