One essential part of medical education is a clerkship (the years normally two of clinical rotation). After the first two years of medical school, students must complete clinical rounds before they go on to complete a three or four-year residency training program. The residency program normally expands upon the clinical training obtained during the clerkship. Clerkships are also useful because they give medical students exposure to different specialties within a hospital, and give them an idea of what a residency program in that area might be like. Along with all of the medical details they must learn, students also need to handle the social and personal demands of working with various attending physicians, residents, patients, nurses, etc.

There are some ways to mitigate the stress and confusion of being a new physician on clinical rounds. The first among these is to be as organized as possible. New students in this position should do everything possible to document any and all information in an organized manner. As new patients are seen, it is helpful note down their major symptoms and any diagnoses that have been made thus far so it can be reviewed later if needed. Medical students on clerkships should strive to be honest (this is true about life in general). For instance if something is difficult to understand, it is wise to be truthful. Most importantly, something that is not accurate should never be documented if you did not verify fetal heart rate for instance, then don't say that you did. To mitigate any confusion due to a large patient load or long hours, it can be helpful to keep each patient's data on hand so that it is easily accessible should the need to verify something arise. A notebook, clipboard, or even notecards can be useful for this task.

Handling the stress and pressure of being on rotation is another challenge all to itself. For one, treating everyone you interact with as pleasantly and as professionally as possible will go a long way towards easing your relationships. Patients should come first meaning it is never acceptable to treat them in a rude or condescending way. Despite the stress and discomfort that patients may be under (and the possibility that they may be rude to you), you should strive to maintain a professional demeanor at all times. This will go a long way towards improving your evaluation by residents or your attending physician. Patients should be addressed using Sir, Madam, Mr., Mrs., or Miss, rather than by their first names or other terms. Respecting patients rights to refuse treatment is also vital. Keep in mind that even life-saving treatments can be refused by a patient as long as they are of sound mind and are capable of making the decision on their own. Patients do have the right to refuse treatment from a resident or student of any kind so dont be offended should this occur.

Finally, treating the residents, nurses, and staff with courtesy should be a given. You can be helpful to other students by sharing information you have learned, by helping them with their tasks should the need arise, and by making them look good in front of patients and the attending physician. Humiliating another team member is never a good policy and its even less of a good idea when your objective is to finish clinical rounds with reviews. Any nurses you work with should also be treated with respect they can certainly either make your job easier or make it more difficult and the difference may lie with how you interact with them. Dont treat them like personal servants, and dont bully them. Instead, think of them as partners that have a shared goal.