Year Four: Syracuse and Binghamton
 In the fourth year, students complete the required clerkships (Geriatrics in Binghamton and Genitourinary in Syracuse as well as the final phase of the Medical Literature Curriculum: Current Biomedical Research) and pursue electives.
The new, required Basic Science Selective reinforces the basic science underlying the practice of medicine. For the Basic Science selective, students choose a basic science topic to study in-depth for four weeks. The course usually relates to the student’s chosen specialty (e.g., clinical pharmacology for internists, physiology of the heart for cardiologists).
Students select from more than 200 Clinical Electives. Some students explore career options or broaden their experiences. Others focus on preparing for their chosen specialties. Electives in medical humanities, computers and health care systems are offered along with acting internships, subspecialty rotations and preceptorships. Research electives in both clinical and basic science departments are open to all students. Faculty advisors help students select their electives.
With approval, electives may be taken outside Upstate and its clinical affiliates. For example, in March 2001, a professor, two fourth-year students and a pediatrics resident traveled to southeastern Bolivia to spend two weeks in clinics run by the Andean Rural Health Service and two weeks working at a local hospital.
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