For many medical students, core clerkship rotations shape both their specialty interests and their residency prospects. Typically starting early in the third year, these rotations provide hands-on exposure across multiple disciplines, and, for those eyeing a specific field, a crucial chance to stand out.
Considering those stakes, students may ask whether the timing of when they do a rotation in their preferred specialty matters. A 2025 study offers insight on that question that may comfort anxious students about the timing of their preferred clerkship rotation.
Clerkship timing and Match outcomes
Published in the American Journal of Perinatology, the multi-institutional study examined outcomes who successfully matched into obstetrics & gynecology residencies between 2019 and 2023.
In analyzing results from 204 medical students from five geographically diverse medical schools, the study found no meaningful difference in Match success between students who completed their ob-gyn clerkship early in the year and those who rotated later.
The study divided the academic year into three trimesters and analyzed whether clerkship timing influenced Match outcomes. Among matched students:
- 23.5% completed their ob-gyn clerkship in the first trimester.
- 53% completed their ob-gyn clerkship in the second trimester.
- 23.5% in the third trimester.
After controlling factors such as gender and race, the data indicated the likelihood of Match success was similar to medical students who rotated in any of the three trimesters.
Scheduling for success?
The study’s authors highlighted that medical students are often advised to complete a clerkship rotation in their preferred specialty at a certain point in their clerkship year of medical school, and their findings revealed that convention to be unsupported.
It’s also worth noting that among the study’s sample of medical students, 22% had no control over rotation scheduling.
AMA member Wayne Bond Lau, MD, is dean for student affairs at Thomas Jefferson University's Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. In his roles working with medical students across the entire spectrum of specialty choices, he said that doing a clerkship rotation at any interval on the academic calendar is going to have its own pros and cons. He said that strong residency applicants emerge from many different paths and timelines.
For students rotating early and confronting a steep learning curve as they begin their most significant patient-facing experience yet, Dr. Lau said that faculty members and residents understand that the transition can be a pain point. Because of that, early rotations often offer a different set of expectations than those that take place later in the year.
Doing a rotation in the middle of the year, students often benefit from familiarity with their surroundings.
“You get a couple of months to get to know what the hospital is like and how to function best in the hospital,” he said.
Finally, rotating at year’s end can highlight a student’s growth.
“At that point, you’re a seasoned third-year student. You’re able to really demonstrate everything that you know, and function like a finely tuned machine,” Dr. Lau said.
"You’re potentially missing out on great opportunities if you close your mind to the other rotations. Focusing only on the aspects and highlights of one given rotation is like closing eyes and squinting ears at all the great opportunities offered by other specialties!”
Don’t overthink it
While students might focus on when they rotate, Dr. Lau said that in his experience most students change their specialty choice after clerkship rotations. Because specialty choice is often fluid—and numerous factors influence preference—he encouraged medical students to remain open-minded even if they have strong interests in one area.
“Our data shows that the majority of students actually change their minds about what they think is going to be their ultimate field of choice,” Dr. Lau said. “So, even when students schedule their clinical rotations in a special manner with a preconceived notion, often times, rotation experiences in medical school result in a completely different plan. And that is absolutely okay!”
For students who feel they underperformed on a rotation, Dr. Lau also emphasized that a singular experience doesn’t have to close the specialty off as an option for their residency training.
“I encourage students to never think that it’s over just because your rotation evaluation was not sterling,” he said. “If that happens, you should talk to the specialty adviser. You should talk to your student affairs dean. There are absolutely ways that you can demonstrate your true love and interest in a given specialty, that will make you more competitive in the residency application process.”
In the end, if students keep their minds open, stay curious, and work hard, things tend to work out.
“So, no matter what kind of schedule you get as a third-year student, with the right approach, you can set yourself up for best success ahead as a residency applicant,” Dr. Lau said.
The AMA offers resources to help medical students on the critical step of selecting a specialty The AMA’s Specialty Guide, by FREIDA™, helps you identify specialties that match your career plans and clinical interests. This tool outlines major specialties, training requirements, and connects you to relevant association information.
Jefferson Health, which is the home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, is part of the AMA Health System Member Program that provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
