Year 3/4 Student Information

Diversity Expectation

The Medical Education Committee has established an expectation that all Dartmouth medical students complete four weeks or more of a clinical experience at a site that offers patients who differ significantly in cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, or other backgrounds from patients more commonly seen in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Eligible experiences could include some required clerkships, some clinical electives, and some experiences during the summers following Years 1 and 2. Established clerkship sites that meet this expectation include:

• Family Medicine sites in Alaska, Arizona, the Florida Keys, and Rhode Island
• OB-GYN / Women's Health sites in Hartford, Connecticut, Portland, Maine and Nashua, NH
• Pediatrics site in Maine and California
• Neurology site in New Zealand

Dr. Eric Shirley, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Education, can provide advice about whether other elective sites selected by students meet the diversity expectation.

It is recognized that it may be a hardship for a few students in each class to fulfill this expectation. An example might be a single parent with young children who is unable to leave the local area for a prolonged period. Concerns about the costs of travel to distant sites have been raised, and have been addressed by enhancements to the student loan package. If you feel you are unable to meet this diversity expectation before graduation from Dartmouth, you should arrange a discussion with Dr. Shirley.

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