Core Sub-Internship Rotations Policy

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (COM – P) that students are required to take at least one four-week core sub-internship during Year 4 to meet graduation requirements. This rotation must be taken with a COM – P faculty preceptor. Any exception must be approved by the Director, Core Sub-Internship Selective. In accordance with the Duty Hours Policy, students must log their duty hours during their sub-internship, as these rotations involve on-call or after-hours experiences.

Background and Definitions

Core sub-internships, or sub-Is, are four-week clinical rotations taken during Year 4 in a core clinical discipline (see below). A sub-I serves as an experience which helps prepare students for residency by allowing them to function with increased responsibility compared to Year 3 clerkship rotations. A student on a sub-I rotation should function much like a traditional intern or PGY-1 would function.

The following are general criteria by which a rotation will qualify as a core sub-I. These criteria serve to distinguish a sub-I from a Year 3 or 4 clerkship rotation or a general Year 4 elective rotation.

• Core sub-internship disciplines include internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery or a qualifying surgical subspecialty.
• A clinical site with a residency program and/or where the student can have a level of responsibility similar to an intern (PGY-1).
• Responsible for an increased patient load.
• Typically caring for patients of higher acuity.
• Ability to manage patients at a higher level (time management, increased independence [within supervision], complexity).
• Must involve on-call or after-hours experience, initial patient assessments and management plans. See Duty Hours Policy.