Intensive Curriculum Prepares Graduating Students for Residency

As is tradition, the graduating students from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University participate in capstone, an intensive curriculum experience aimed at helping them prepare for their first year of residency. During the two weeks of capstone, the students have the chance to further enhance their professionalism and clinical skills. After having spent the last five years together in medical school, the students relish this time together before their residencies begin. Below are some highlights from this year’s capstone activities.

Professionalism and success during residency

• Students participated in two sessions on professionalism, one called “Looking Back/Looking Ahead: On Becoming a Doctor” and the other on “How to Be an Effective Intern.”
• The session on “Staying Up to Date in Your Specialty” demonstrates the importance of continuing medical education.

Clinical skill building

The students spent several days in the Simulation & Advanced Skills Center getting trained and certified in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) as well as building clinical skills such as:

• Airway and crisis management
• Radiology and ultrasound
• Basic and laparoscopic suturing
• Cardiac auscultation
• Patient hand offs

Clinical education

The students participated in several full days of educational sessions at the Health Education Campus on topics such as:

• Diabetes management in the hospital
• Controlled substances
• Principles of IV fluid management
• ECG interpretation for interns
• Managing pain
• Optimizing laboratory testing
• Prescription writing

On March 14, students and faculty gathered for the 15^th Annual Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Research Day, featuring keynote speaker Sumit Sharma, MD (‘09), a Cleveland Clinic vitreoretinal surgeon and uveitis specialist. The event was followed by a reception. See “Class of 2025 Shares Investigative Results at Research Day.”

On March 21, the students gathered at the Health Education Campus for Match Day, the day that medical students across the country find out where they’ll be going for residency. See “Lerner College Students Celebrate Residency Matches,” and view the 2025 Match results.

Fun Facts

Capstone 2025 involved:

• 32 students
• 46 courses
• 66 sessions
• 66 instructors

Capstone never should be all work and no play. The organizers planned two social events for the students. If they wished, the students could play whirly ball one evening and then participate in duckpin bowling, pool and arcade games another evening.

Planning, coordinating and delivering the capstone experience requires significant time from our faculty, staff and residents. We extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to all who participated in this vital educational experience. Our students rely on the capstone experience to give them that extra measure of confidence as they begin the next stage of their journey to become physician investigators.

Photo credit: David Braun