Phase 2 is all about building your clinical skills. You’ll join patient care teams in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, OB/GYN, neurology and psychiatry, spending eight weeks in each department learning specialty-specific foundational material. If you’re interested in a career in science, you’ll have the option to complete 8-16 weeks of research in this phase.
Total Phase 2 length: 12 months
Hi! My name is Kevin Garza, and I’m a medical student on my cardiology rotation. I am originally from Dallas but attended Wash U as an undergraduate student, where I studied physics and film. I’ve explored several specialties during clinical rotations over the past year, and I’m excited that I discovered a passion for internal medicine. 
7:00 am: Before seeing my patients in person, I start my day by looking over their most recent labs, vital signs, and any other updates. I’ll be using this information when I present my patients to the team during rounds. 
7:30 am: One of my patients had chest pain overnight. After checking in on the patient, I discussed ECG findings with my attending physician, Thomas Ciesielski, MD. 
7:55 am: On Thursdays, the Department of Medicine holds Grand Rounds, which means free coffee and bagels! 
8:00 am: I’m in Clopton Auditorium, where Grand Rounds are held on a weekly basis. They provide an opportunity for medical students, residents, and attending physicians to come together and continue their medical education. Here I’m talking with Professor of Medicine Carlos Daughaday, MD, about today’s lecture on the history of mental health institutions in Europe and the United States. 
10:00 am: Our team is on hospital rounds to see our patients. As medical students, we present our patients to the team and propose a plan on how we can further evaluate or treat the patient. This allows for collaboration as seen in this picture where my senior resident, Jeremy Louissaint, MD, is weighing in on the care of one of my patients. Also pictured is our team’s intern, Gretchen Evans, MD, MPH, and fellow clinical phase student Yusef Jordan. 
Noon: On every rotation in the clinical clerkships phase, we are paired with a different team. This has let me grow as a clinician by learning from several mentors and led to me making new connections with my classmates. Here, Yusef Jordan and I are discussing the highlights of our day on the way to lunch. 
2:00 pm: With things slowing down in the afternoon, resident physician Jeremy Louissaint, MD, center, took my classmate Yusef Jordan and me down to the cafeteria for an informal teaching session on hepatitis. Residents and attendings choose topics that are relevant to our current patients so we can immediately put the information to use. 
3:30 pm: After rounding, teaching, writing notes, and checking back in with my patients, I hang my white coat up to finish my day in the hospital. 
5:00 pm: At the end of the work day, I take some time to do something fun with my classmates, like going out in Forest Park, grabbing dinner, cooking a meal, or just playing video games. Today I met up with a friend to get a chest workout in at the school’s gym!