title: Clerkship sharing on inpatient internal medicine rotations: an emerging clerkship model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  "Clerkship sharing" is the coexistence of students from 2 or more medical schools rotating on the same specialty at a single clerkship site.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Clerkship sharing was characterized by answering three related questions regarding the prevalence of clerkship sharing on internal medicine inpatient rotations, stakeholders views of the advantages and disadvantages of clerkship sharing, and the ways that clerkship sharing affects medical student outcomes at an institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2001, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) surveyed its members; 1 section addressed clerkship sharing on inpatient rotations. In addition, the authors surveyed a convenience sample of teachers and learners at 41% of schools with clerkship sharing. Finally, using a 10-year database from one institution, we searched for differences in clerkship outcomes among students who rotated at clerkship sites with or without clerkship sharing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall clerkship director (CD) survey response rate was 78% (96/123); 22 of 96 (23%) of CDs reported having clerkship sharing on inpatient rotations. Advantages reported included a greater diversity of clinical exposure for students (77%) and a fostering of collegial relationships (73%). We also collected 79 teacher and 77 medical student surveys from 9 (41%) medical schools identified as having clerkship sharing. The majority of these teachers and learners believed that sharing improves teaching and the overall rotation quality. All surveyed groups were concerned that clerkship sharing affected the clarity of clerkship goals, objectives, and grading. However, clerkship outcomes from 1 institution demonstrated no effect of clerkship sharing on faculty ratings of students or student examination performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clerkship sharing appears to be an emerging clerkship model, and, although it may have inherent advantages that benefit student education, CDs should address challenges such as common goals and expectations for students and teachers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Sdurning@usuhs.mil
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Durning
authors.forename: Louis N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Pangaro
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: Ray Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Mary Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sealey
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardino
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hemmer
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D007297:Inpatients; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D008396:Maryland; D017145:Models, Educational