Medical Student Rotations

We offer inpatient/outpatient family medicine rotations to current medical students. For Information about medical student rotations, please email: 

Layla Franks, UME Program Administrator - [email protected]

Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz Family Medicine Clerkship
Morehouse School of Medicine
2023-2024

Our fourth year clerkship provides a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the practice of family medicine at our new Morehouse School of Medicine Dominican Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program located in Santa Cruz, California. 

The residency is sponsored by the Morehouse School of Medicine, in partnership with CommonSpirit Health, dedicated to diversity, inclusion and health equity.  The clerkship is recommended for students who would like to explore family medicine for the underserved in a community setting. It is not a prerequisite for acceptance into the residency program.

The fourth year subinternship elective is designed to prepare medical students for upcoming residency. Each rotation consists of a 4-week block (alternatively, if best for the student, a shorter 2-3 week rotation can be arranged) in which the student will work with experienced, enthused physicians in ambulatory and inpatient settings to provide hands-on experience to support the student’s development en route to residency. 

Each student may design their rotation to meet their individual interests and learning goals in the following clinical learning environments provided by the Residency Program:. 

• Inpatient: Typically the student will spend 1-2 weeks on inpatient medicine at Dominican Hospital, working 5-day shifts with an attending hospitalist on the Family Medicine Faculty. 
• Ambulatory Community Medicine: The student will also work with Family Medicine Faculty at our two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) Residency Clinics, Santa Cruz Community Health Center and Watsonville Salud Para La Gente. The student will also work with our faculty in their own office practice, working in a Patient-Centered Medical Home with Dr. Gary Zane, a ‘direct patient care’ micro-practice providing home care and functional and integrative medicine with Dr. Dawn Motyka. 
• Maternal Care: For those with an interest in maternal care, there is an inpatient obstetrics option to work with our Family Medicine and OB Faculty on Labor and Delivery. 
• Community Medicine: Students may elect to spend time at our Homeless Clinic, Medical Assisted Therapy (Substance Use) Clinic or other community-oriented programs.

Spanish: encouraged but not required

Scholarship Opportunities

We are pleased to be able to offer Subintern applicants Scholarships for their four-week rotation. 

Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Scholarships:

Given the mission of our program, we offer an Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM) Scholarship. To qualify you must self-identify as being part of one of the following underrepresented groups in medicine: racial or ethnic minority, LGBTQ+, disability, low socioeconomic status or first-generation to college. Please write a 1-page essay that describes your experiences in community medicine and health equity, how they relate to your long term-career goals, and how you plan to use your experience to improve the health of your patients and community. URiM scholars will be invited to DEIB committee meetings while they are here.

Our Residency Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging Executive Committee will review and if selected, award the URiM Scholarship of $2,000 to support your rotation with us. 

We are developing other scholarships that may be available in Academic Year 2024-2025 in Community Medicine and Quality Improvement. Each accepted applicant has a virtual session with the Residency Director prior to the clerkship, at which time we will advise and provide updates on the Scholarship program and other available support.

Application Procedure and Requirements

The subinternship program is open to 4th year medical students.

To apply, interested students must provide the program with a completed application, curriculum vitae, transcript and letter of academic good standing from your medical school’s Dean. We currently accept only students with a U.S. passport or green card.

Upon acceptance, the Dominican Family Medicine GME office will email all required registration forms that must be returned to the GME coordinator no less than 3 weeks prior to the start of the rotation.

• Medical Student Registration Form
• GME Statement of Health (including proof of immunization/titer records)
• Verification of Completion of HIPAA Training at Your Medical School
• Confidentiality Record
• Abuse Reporting Agreement
• Elder and Dependent Abuse Agreement
• Guidelines for Standard/Universal Precautions Against Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens

Sample Rotation Schedule

3 Weeks Ambulatory Care & 1 Week Inpatient Medicine

Med: Inpatient Medicine (8 - 5 pm) with Hospitalist at Dominican Hospital 

Salud (Salud Para La Gente): FQHC Family Medicine (primary care ambulatory experience including integrated behavioral health; community medicine; other areas of student interest)

SCCH (Santa Cruz Community Health):  FQHC Family Medicine (primary care ambulatory experience including integrated behavioral health; community medicine; other areas of student interest)

Dr. Motyka: Direct Patient Care Model, Functional Medicine, Home Care

Dr. Zane: Patient-Centered Medical Home Santa Cruz Medical Group