Anthologies

To prepare incoming students, many graduating medical students write letters imparting advice and wisdom to help ease the transition into the clerkship role. We publish them here.

Confused, frustrated, terrified, overworked and under-appreciated are some of the ways medical students remember their clinical year of school in their letters of advice to incoming clerkship students. Honored, grateful, surprised, shocked and amazed are some others.

After spending a year primarily in a classroom setting, students plunge into the clinical realm, working with patients under the supervision of residents and attending physicians. They cover all the medical blocks and often decide their specialty area this year.

To prepare incoming students, many graduating medical students take a moment to write a letter imparting advice and wisdom to help ease the transition. 

2025 Letters From a Clerkship Student

Highlights from this year's letters: 

1. Don't sweat the small stuff.
2. Don't worry about your evaluations because you have no control over them and it will drive you crazy.
3. Catch yourself when you get negative.
4. Don't be afraid to take charge.
5. Assume you know nothing about everything.
6. Do this (the whole medicine thing) because you love to help people.
7. Be aware that this is a roller coaster.

Pick up a printed version at the Fulginiti Pavilion-Room 201

Past Editions

2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011
Note: In 2022, Letters to a Third-Year Student was renamed to Letters to a Clerkship Student.

Video: Introducing the 2024 edition by medical student Melody Jan (5 minutes) 

Video: Introduction to the 2023 edition by 4th-year medical student Linh K. Nguyen (3 minutes)