Ideally, the educational goals of the SI should complement and expand upon those outlined in the third-year clerkship and ought to uniquely emphasize the knowledge and skills needed to independently treat and manage acutely ill inpatients.
To facilitate these goals, it has been recommended that SI programs place fourth-year students in a role that completely replaces the intern, albeit under the supervision of senior house staff.
In particular, it has been recommended that subinterns should Despite the valuable and distinctive experience of the SI, it has been neglected by medical educators and researchers as an area needing development and standardization.
At an organizational level, the SI currently lacks the clearly defined curricular goals and rigorous evaluation methodologies found in the third-year clerkship.
In an attempt to clarify the structure and requirements of internal medicine SI programs throughout the United States, a survey study was undertaken.