Medical Student Programs

Emory University School of Medicine’s core student programming consists of a third year clerkship for all medical students and a 4^th year sub-internship for students interested in an immersive experience in inpatient pediatrics.

In each of our student programs, we strive to create an experience that students rave about and to nurture a culture of teaching and learning in the Department of Pediatrics. Our mission is to provide EUSOM students a comprehensive experience in pediatrics and a comprehensive education in pediatric fundamentals.  Clinical and didactic experiences focus on patient care and problem-solving strategies to teach students the fundamentals of Pediatrics, to inspire some students to pursue training in Pediatrics, and to provide a solid foundation of knowledge tailored to each academic level.

The third year clerkship is 6 weeks long.  Students rotate through outpatient primary care pediatrics with community preceptors, inpatient hospital medicine at Egleston or Hughes Spalding, inpatient subspecialty pediatrics at Egleston, the newborn nursery at Grady, and the emergency room at Egleston and Hughes Spalding.

All Emory medical students are required to complete a Sub-Internship in Surgery, Internal Medicine, or Pediatrics. The pediatric sub-internship is four weeks long and takes place at Egleston Hospital or Hughes Spalding Hospital.  Fourth year students function as an “acting intern” on their teams, working within the hospitals’ interdisciplinary care teams in preparation for their upcoming roles as interns.

Students who attend other medical schools are welcome to submit a visiting student application for up to two four-week clinical rotations at Emory School of Medicine.  Please see the School of Medicine Visiting Medical Students site for more information.

Clerkship Director

Dr. Philipsborn is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Emory and a general pediatrician at Hughes Spalding Primary Care Center.  She hopes the clerkship provides students with a glimpse of the inspiration of children, the power of advocacy for our patients, and the joy and responsibility of a career in pediatrics.  In addition to directing the Clerkship, she directs the Climate Change and Environmental Health “thread” for medical students.  Her teaching recognitions include an Innovations in Curricular Development Award from the Department of Pediatrics, a Dean’s Teaching Award from the School of Medicine, and a Mentor of the Year SOAR (Student Organization Achievement and Recognition) Award from Emory University.  Her scholarship focuses on understanding the influence of climate change on child health and educating our learners on climate change and environmental health. 

Sub-Internship Director

Dr. Maya Eady McCarthy is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory and a Pediatric Hospitalist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Egleston, where she is responsible for direct patient management and for coordination of hospital care for patients from the emergency department, the inpatient admission floor, transfer to and from the intensive care unit, and discharge.

Dr. McCarthy is a proud alumna of Spelman College and the Medical College of Georgia.  Her postgraduate training in pediatrics was completed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, and she recently completed the Master of Medical Education degree at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati.  In addition to serving as the Director of the 4th year Clerkship/Sub-internship program for the Department of Pediatrics, she also serves as the Co-Course Director for Integrations for the School of Medicine.

Clerkship Coordinator

Cris Connelly started working as the Pediatric Clerkship Coordinator in 2010.  She has a degree in Interior Design and an MBA in marketing, both from UGA. Her prior careers include interior design and home builder.  Cris and her husband raised their twins within walking distance of the Emory campus and still live nearby.  In addition to her steadfast support of our students, she is a beekeeper, a dog breeder, and a Master Gardener, all of which use up her spare time.