The effect of first clinical clerkship on medical students' specialty choices

Few studies of the effects of clinical clerkship sequence on specialty choice have been performed, and results of such studies have been conflicting. The effect of the first clinical rotation on specialty choice has not been examined. Transcripts of 569 graduates of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine were reviewed to determine the sequence of required clerkships and ultimate specialty choices. Actual residency choices for the five required specialties were compared to the predicted numbers of specialists for the cohorts of students taking each clerkship as a first rotation. No significant differences from the predicted values were found. Our data support the contention that the sequence of medical school clerkships has no effect on ultimate specialty choice.