Year 1 and 2 Capstones

Description of Capstones Course

First- and second-year medical students take part in clinical experience weeks, which typically occur immediately following each organ/system based block. Capstones' weeks provide students with innovative and clinically focused observational learning experiences in hospital, clinic and laboratory settings, reinforcing content from the preceding organ/system-based block.
The timing of the Capstone clinical experience is supportive of early exploration of possible career paths.
The Capstone course is one of the many unique, learner-centered, innovations that sets the College of Medicine – Phoenix apart from most other medical schools. Students can select from three major categories for each Capstone week based on their own learning goals. For example, a cardiology experience could be outpatient clinic, hospital-based procedural (cath lab, electrophysiology, stress testing), surgery-based (cardiovascular surgery, cardiothoracic surgery), adult- or pediatric-focused — all depending on their interests.
In addition to the organ/system-based blocks, students are engaging in learning related to important Themes.