Clinical Education: Fourth Year

The fourth year of medical school is an exciting time that continues to provide students with a strong, well rounded clinical foundation to ensure that all graduating physicians are well trained and well prepared to practice medicine, regardless of their chosen specialty. The fourth-year also provides students a significant amount of flexibility and the opportunity to schedule rotations in their specific areas of interest, whether to serve as audition rotations at specific residency programs or just to improve their overall knowledge and skills. This structure exists to provide students with an experience that enhances their medical education and meets their personal needs and interests.

Students must submit a request for the academic year by March 22 of their third year.

A database of fourth year rotations, searchable by specialty, site location or preceptor is available on the . Upon submission of the Fourth Year Clinical Rotations Calendar, Clinical Affairs will set up the SWAG��Ƶcore site rotations for you.

2024-2025 OMS-4 Academic Calendar (PDF)

2025-2026 OMS-4 Academic Calendar (PDF)

Students should not attempt to schedule SWAG��Ƶcore site rotations through the site coordinator or preceptors directly with the exception of the following sites:

Carilion Clinic-Roanoke (VSAS)
Spartanburg Regional Medical Center (through Medical Education Office)
Riverside Regional Medical Center : Info Sheet (PDF),��Riverside Rotation Request Form (PDF)

The clinical curriculum in the fourth year ensures students continue to develop and refine the core clinical skills and knowledge required of graduating osteopathic physicians as well as preparing them for residency training.

Choose 5 Electives (20 weeks)
Choose 4 Selectives (16 weeks)
- Choose 1 Medical Selective and 1 Intensive Medical Selective (8 weeks)
- Choose 1 Surgical Selective (4 weeks)
- Choose 1 Additional Medical or Surgical Selective (4 weeks)
Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (integrated throughout fourth-year rotations) (PDF)

Fourth-year SWAG��Ƶstudents have a unique educational opportunity to participate in a 4-week international outreach rotation at one of our core international sites in Honduras or the Dominican Republic.

International Outreach

SWAG��Ƶcore hospital training sites are designated community-based hospitals and medical practices that have formal partnerships and educational programs with VCOM.

The majority of required rotations in the fourth year occur in the SWAG��Ƶcore clinical training sites. In keeping with the additional flexibility and opportunity to pursue personal interests during the fourth year, students may choose to do some of their clinical rotations outside of SWAG��Ƶcore clinical training sites. Students may request to participate in elective rotations outside a SWAG��Ƶcore-site.

Scheduling Fourth Year Rotations