The role of the student ward in the medical clerkships

The authors describe the structure and the development of an internal medicine clerkship designed to promote proficiency in the process of clinical reasoning. The clerkship is centered around a "student ward" in which the student assumes the role of primary physician. The environment provides not only close supervision and counsel but also allows a great deal of autonomy as students embark on their first clinical medicine rotation. The student ward offers a structured environment where the emphasis is on in-depth clinical exposure and the acquisition of clinical knowledge in a manner consistent with the principles of problem-based learning. Breadth of clinical exposure is accomplished through a variety of educational approaches.