Purpose
The medical school curriculum prepares future physicians with essential medical knowledge, clinical skills, and an aptitude for team collaboration. Many schools have implemented Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in small groups, as a method to acquire and apply an integrated foundational science knowledge base during clinical reasoning skill tasks. Incorporating PBL in this way during the pre-clerkship phase of the curriculum can, therefore, prepare students for the expected responsibilities during the clerkship phase.

Method
This project, conducted at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, involved third-year medical students who participated in PBL during their pre-clerkship training phase. A written survey was administered to quantify students' perception of their preparedness after their first specialty-specific clerkship rotation.

Results
Overall, the students surveyed agreed that the implemented PBL program prepared them for the expected skills performance during their clerkship rotations. Students who completed Internal Medicine and Pediatrics for their first clerkship rotation felt the most prepared, while those in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry felt the least prepared. Skills that students felt most prepared to perform included formulating a broad and relevant differential, being a productive team member, and seeking/applying feedback.

Conclusion
Our medical school uses PBL to prepare students for the clinical reasoning, problem-solving, and independent critical thinking skills expected during clerkship rotations. This can ease the transition from classroom to clinical practice. However, while we observed that our PBL program benefits certain rotations, future adaptations should aim to prepare students for all clerkships equally. By broadening PBL case content and activities to address the diverse challenges across specialties, targeted curricular planning can ensure students are well-equipped for a wide range of clinical settings.