Clinical Apprenticeship Experience (APEX)

The Clinical Apprenticeship Experience (APEX) program at the Icahn School of Medicine is designed to integrate early clinical experiences for medical students, emphasizing the importance of the patient-physician relationship as a core component of professional identity formation. These early encounters aim to ensure students observe interactions between patients and clinicians, which will inform their development as future physicians.

Clinician-Student Matching and Interaction: The program aims to introduce medical students to potential clinicians in their chosen fields. Students will rank-order three preferred clinical fields, guiding the recruitment of suitable clinicians. Once matched, formal introductions will provide students with the clinician’s contact information, location, and assistant details if applicable. The primary focus will be on ambulatory or outpatient-based experiences, allowing students to closely observe clinician-patient interactions. Regular check-ins will be conducted to ensure the first observership is successfully initiated.

Scheduling and Reflective Reporting: Independent learning blocks and outside curriculum hours are recommended for these meetings, strongly discouraging the use of mandatory curriculum sessions for these activities. Students are responsible for any missed curriculum content if they choose to meet during non-curricular hours. Students are expected to submit a reflective report about their experience in the student portfolio system, guided by specific prompts from the program. Additional interactions and meetings will depend on mutual agreement between the clinician and the student. If students decide to change their preferences, the program will make efforts to reassign them to new clinicians.

Emergency Medicine Component: The Emergency Medicine (EM) component of the APEX program involves four-hour shifts within the Sinai Health System, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai-West, Mount Sinai-Queens, Mount Sinai-Morningside, and New York Eye and Ear Hospital facilities. Students are required to wear dark blue scrubs and utilize all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Emergency Room (ER) to ensure safety and professionalism. This hands-on experience in a high-intensity environment is integral to their training.

By encompassing early clinical experiences, robust communication strategies, and structured interactions with clinicians, the APEX program provides a comprehensive and immersive medical education experience, equipping students with the skills and professional identity necessary for their future careers.

Dr. Nisha Chadha

Nisha Chadha, MD Director, APEX Program, Office of Curricular Affairs Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Medical Education Director, Medical Student Education in Ophthalmology Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai