Planning for your Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkship

Students are required to complete a longitudinal ambulatory clerkship (LAC) in their last two years of medical school. The LAC must be of six months duration and must consist of one-half day per week at a single outpatient site. For every ten weeks of longitudinal experience (based on one-half day per week), one week of credit will be counted towards the required 80 clinical weeks. Additional months may be taken at the same or other sites.

The LAC has the unique characteristic of running concurrently with other clerkships and electives. Without proper planning, this can be problematic for you and for clerkship directors. This can be avoided by following the simple suggestions that follow.

1. Consider when the best time might be to begin your LAC. The minimum six-month requirement can be fulfilled anytime during your third or fourth year and may be interrupted. However, it may not be condensed.  It must last for six months or 24 weeks to fulfill the requirement.  If you intend to do the six month minimum, you will get the most out of your LAC by taking it after you have completed all or most of the core clerkships. This usually means taking it in the beginning of your last year (July-December).
2. If your LAC will run concurrently with a core clerkship, carefully review that clerkship's "don't miss" times in the clerkship (see below). Working with your LAC supervisor, try to develop a satisfactory schedule. Scheduling of core clerkship requirements takes precedence over LAC activities.  Since one of the goals of the LAC is seeing patients in follow-up, advance planning is critical. LAC scheduling options may include changing the half-day period, starting your half-day at a different time, or scheduling LAC activities for less often than every week.  The responsibility for advance planning rests on your shoulders, so plan ahead!
3. Speak directly to the clerkship director whose clerkship will run concurrently with your LAC at least FIVE WEEKS IN ADVANCE. Let the clerkship director know what your plans are and see if he or she has any other suggestions. If you have planned carefully, the clerkship director should be agreeable with your plan. If the clerkship director offers you an alternative suggestion and you can reasonably accommodate that alternative, then you should adopt that plan instead.
4. With advanced planning and good faith on the part of all concerned, everything should work out fine. However, if you and the clerkship director are unable to reach a mutually acceptable plan, then you should contact the Associate Dean for Education (Philip A. Gruppuso, 863-1618) who will help to identify a solution.

Below is a listing of longitudinal ambulatory clerkships that are formally offered. Please be in touch with the contact person listed for availability and scheduling. If you are interested in doing a longitudinal that is not on this list, it must be proposed as an independent study at least two weeks before it is to begin. Forms for that purpose can be downloaded at the link below.

Please be in touch with Lori Avallone (863-1580 or by email at Lori_Avallone@brown.edu) if you have any questions regarding your LAC requirement. Be sure inform Ms Avalone of the start and anticipated end dates of your LAC prior to the starting date so you can be registered for the rotation. Credit towards your graduation requirements will not be applied retroactively if you are not registered for your LAC. Not fulfilling the requirement can result in your date of graduation being delayed.

Established Longitudinals

If you'd like to propose a longitudinal that isn't on this list, please compete and submit the form below, and be sure it's approved before starting the experience. Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkship Application (120KB)

Please use this guide when scheduling your longitudinal ambulatory clerkship

These are the “don’t miss” times on clerkships for scheduling your longitudinal as well as contact information

If you'd like to propose a longitudinal that isn't on this list, please compete and submit the form below, and be sure it's submitted and approved before starting the experience. Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkship Application (120KB)

• Guide to the Clerkships
• 2009- 2010 Med 3 Clerkship Scheduling Timetable
• 4th Year Lottery
• Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkship Application