Internal Medicine LIC Everett WA

Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship

At the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, we’re seeking experienced physicians to help educate and mold the next generation of doctors.

We’re taking a different approach to equipping our medical students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to be successful residents and practicing physicians. Our Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) is the third-year curriculum in which our medical students participate in the comprehensive clinical care of patients.

Unlike traditional block clerkships in which students may focus on certain disciplines or experiences for a set time, the LIC integrates students with faculty and patients over an 10-month span and across disciplines simultaneously. This enables them to form relationships with patients and clinicians, gain clinical competency over time and across specialties, and experience continuity of care that more closely mirrors their experiences as residents and practicing physicians.

How It Works

Third-year medical students are assigned to one of four WSU clinical campuses (Everett, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver) to serve as their home base during their third and fourth years of training. Students are paired with clinical faculty in their communities whom they will work alongside to gain direct experience with patients. Students forge relationships with patients much like the physician; actively participating in care through patient encounters in ambulatory and acute settings, and longitudinally caring for a panel of patients to gain competency over time.

How It Impacts Care

Student-led care interactions will take longer due to the learning process of information synthesis, communication between the student and preceptor, and communication between the student and patient. However, care teams and patients often report higher quality care and positive outcomes. The combined aptitude of a seasoned provider and a learning student uncovers new thinking, broadens the diagnoses considered, and improves satisfaction for all.

Why It’s Valuable

The LIC lengthens the time clinicians spend with students, deepening the relationships they form with the health care team and helping students build the relationships and experience critical for successfully practicing medicine. Patients and community members similarly build rapport with the students over that time, often improving the patient experience, creating recruitment opportunities for hospitals and clinics, and improving clinical outcomes. Furthermore, it enables a wide range of individuals and experiences to educate and shape medical students into the practicing physicians we will seek in the future.