Away/International Rotations

[italiana02]

I am interested in doing an away rotation in Europe. The best thing I could find was a rotation in Malta. Has anyone participated in this program? Any suggestions as to which rotations are good there? Where is the best place to live? Any good day trips when I am not working? Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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[Benzo4every1]

Hey guys, I have a question. Or two. So Im looking through Freida to look for hospitals to schedule my away rotations. well, it takes me to the stats page and then I click on the residency webpage and also looked at the school's website. Question is: How do I go about getting an application to apply for an away rotation? Just email? Or is there a specific tab on the website that will point me in the right direction? Im lost! And I want to do it early to have a chance to go where I want to go. Can you please help?
Thanks!

 

[double elle]

Oh boy...
It's a good thing you are starting this early! When you go to the website - there will be some sort of contact listed, and most likely there will be an email. I would email the contact person...wait about a day and a half...and then I would follow up with a call. Sounds a little persistant....but, sometimes it takes WEEKS for them to send you stuff....and then it takes WEEKS to get into the right hands to be processed.

If an online app is available - go ahead and download it, have it ready, but still make the calls.

Be prepared to pay an APPLICATION FEE to some places.

So, you get the stuff, you fill out all the paperwork....now, you usually have to go fishing for immunization verification, malpractice verification, and sometimes a letter or signature from your dean (Hope you are on site and not at a distant rotation site, like some DO students) - which may take a while.

Also - before you even waste your time applying, you need to ask a few questions. 1)what shot do you have of actually getting the rotation...many institutions schedule their own students first - so you won't know until maybe June if you are even able to rotate there. 2)make sure, if you are interested in the rotation site because you are thinking of doing residency there, that they take your board scores....this will only apply if you are a DO student, because many places still won't take COMLEX scores 3)ask about housing
4)Ask about their scheduling, or blocks, or whatever they call it. I never found one single place that had the same scheduling increments as we did. Every rotation was always off by a week or two...and it simply wouldn't fit.
So, you need to have a back up...and a flexible person helping you with your schedule for when you get the last minute notice that you did or didn't get the rotation...then you have to change around a bunch of things you already had scheduled.

Seriously - I can't stress enough that getting started on this early is best.
Good luck...

 

[Blade28]

This website is your friend...

http://services.aamc.org/eec/student.cfm

(I did two away rotations, and used this site. Apply for them early!)

 

[BOOYAH]

bump...
Does anyone have any info about this?
I had no luck getting a spot at Big Sky or Jackson.
Anyone know of other opportunities? Maybe Vail area or Tahoe?

 

[Benzo4every1]

thanks both for the link and advice!!!!!
makes this so much easier!

 

[Blade28]

I think most programs will let you apply 6 months in advance, or starting from a certain date...I'd do that, especially for the more competitive programs.

 

[mudd99]

I did a two and a half month rotation at Shiprock between my first and second year of medical school. It is a requirement for students at UNM. I thought that it was one of the best experience's that I had in medical school. The hospital if new and there are dorms to stay in next to the hospital. The attendings were very interested in teaching and you get to see a wide variety of illnesses. A good experience is to go to one of the outlying clenics in a trailer in the middle of nowhere to see what reral medicine really is. I would recommend it to anyonw who wants ot go into rural medicine or just wants a unique experience.

 

[carrigallen]

it seems like it would be expensive..food, lodging, transportation, etc. are surprisingly costly in mountain resort areas, even out of season. =/

 

[drdrtoledo]

Anyone else run into this? I want to do an elective at NJMS-University Hospital.
They want me to have a 2 step mantoux within 3 months of beginning, a full quantitative hepatitis panel. A complete physical, varicella titer, and have my 2nd MMR shot after 1980. WTF? I had my 2nd MMR shot in 1979 when I was a baby. Dude, I'm a US MSIII, I'm not coming from the amazon! Apparently my school's requirements aren't as stringent. Our school's health insurance sucks, so these labs are going to cost me a crap load beside the $125 application fee. Am I getting hosed or has anyone else had similar experiences when going to schools out of state? The Cleveland Clinic just wanted me to have a pulse when I set one up there. This reminds me of the screening I went through when I made my attempt to enter the porn industry a few years back. Unfortunately, that didn't work out.

 

[DRealDrZ]

I did some away rotations at some "nice" places...and all they wanted was immunization record...I didn't even NEED a pulse as long as I had that.

 

[mellow yellow]

USC is just as ridiculous... maybe worse... They require titers (COPIES OF ALL LAB REPORTS!!!!) of MMR, Varicella, and Hep B. They also want a PPD placed less than 6 months prior to the start of your rotation! The only easy requirement is a simple date of your last tet/dip booster!!!!

 

[Blade28]

Yup, I also did a rotation at USC...some crazy requirements there!

 

[AF_PedsBoy]

All they wanted was a varicella titer? Our school's system made us get the whole panel just to start school,and you had to have all the hep vaccinations and a current TB test (within the year) to rotate. Good thing I'd gotten all my immunizations (except hep B - that was at school) during COT. And I mean ALL of them. Every officer careless enough not to have complete documentation of immunizations gets in a line - and it was a LONG line - and then when it's your turn you step up, there are two techs, one on either side of you, and they proceed to give you every immunization within about 30 seconds, as they jab you in both arms as fast as they can. I think they race to see who can give the most injections. I tell you, as we stumbled off feeling like crap, I remarked to a fellow recruit - I don't think they meant for all the immunizations to be given simultaneously - I feel like crap!!!

 

[asdash]

Yeah, setting up an away at Northwestern right now...they want the actual Hep B lab report instead of just immunization records...everything has to be signed by a doctor (so I wasted a copay). They also want a letter of recommendation, which isn't a health requirement but is kinda ridiculous anyway. I hear it's all worth it though.

 

[kaos]

Dude, I'm applying to go to Bristol, and they want full hepatitis B antigen serology and having had full immunization records isn't enough, but they also want varicella and rubella serological tests for immunity!

 

[drdrtoledo]

I drew my blood on Monday and I'm still waiting for the results. They took a total 9 tubes. My GP decided he might as well order a CBC, CMP, and lipids while he was at it. Damnit... This is going to cost me a lot of $$$. At least I know now my total cholesterol is 136. I still have a lot of burgers in fries to go!

I got MMR titers, varicella, Hep panel and quantitative HBSAb.

 

[dignan]

I know there are some practicing issues. Are there just a few more hoops to jump through? Does anybody have any experience with this? Thanks.

 

[vietcongs]

this thread has jumped all sorts of places. back to the topic of international rotations.

I recently did a 2 week international rotation - a medical mission trip to Dominican Republic. I went with a group called medical ministry international (MMI). Lots of information on their site www.mmint.org
You pay your airfare and project fees, they are well established group and can always use medical students on mission trips. They go to many different countries - africa, asia, south america, caribbean, ect.

I HIGHLY recommend doing a medical mission in a third world country if your school will allow it. I know some med schools are holding back on allowing international rotations due to safety and liability issues. My trip to Dominican Republic was an incredible learning experience, there was a group of about 70 people including about 12 doctors/surgeons, 2 residents, 3 students, and numerous med/and non-med people. We performed over 200 surgeries in a 2 week span. We had long lines of people to see each day, we could have used more students to see patients in clinic. I was able to work with several of the surgeons and see pathology that you would never see in the states. It was the most worthwhile rotation that I've had.

I know of 2 other organizations that do medical mission projects including Doctors without borders and DOcare. The MMI project in Dominican republic is well established. The medical director has been going for the past 13 years, it was very well organized and coordinated. I would suggest going with a program that is well established, that way it will be a more organized learning experience and there will be less chaos and confusion.
Students from DMU and UHS have been on this mission trip to Dominican Republic. I give it

 

[E'02]

Check out the guy's, king's thomas elective program (GKT) - one of the largest London abroad programs. I applied for it in december and will find out in June. Also heading to Japan's Keio University - anyone been out there?

 

[littlesushi]

So I'm just starting the search for elective rotations, especially international. I've checked out a few websites, like medical travel electives but I'm not exactly sure what to look for and how to find it... They give you a list of hospitals but i'm not sure what each place offers and what their strengths are, etc....

I'm interested in doing a PEDS or Infectious disease elective abroad, hopefully in the pacific. Anyone have experience or advice in finding appropriate rotation sites abroad?

 

[Swiffles]

i am at several different hospitals, depending on the rotation. most specialties have an entire building devoted to them, and there are seperate hospitals for many specialties (ob/gyn, urology, endocrine/metabolism, peds, etc...)

i will be happy to tell you who is in charge of the english program in whichever rotation you are looking to do. i will still be here in a year, don't worry about that!

good luck

I would like to know where one lives if they are constantly moving around on rotations. Obviously cannot lease an apt. for 6 weeks or so. I intend on doing a few international rotations, if possible. Where could I plan on living?

 

[Cholinergic]

Has anyone done a rotation in France?

 

[ManuNastai]

Good Day!

I am a Medical Student from Romania. I would like to appply for an elective rotation (a clerkship) in a US University. Among the eligibility conditions, they require us to be insured for malpractice (1mil/3 mil). I'd like to purchase an insurance for a period of 2-3 months. Please tell me what should I do in order to get this insurance. Thank you for your time!

Manuel

 

[FowlersGap]

i'm planning on doing an international rotation at the end of 4th year; are there any scholarships out there that will help me pay for my trip

 

[Cholinergic]

If you do an away rotation at a hospital you're interested in, do you ask them for a LOR or simply express your interest to them?

 

[BetaAlpha89]

I don't remember what forum the original question was in, and I can't find it, so I'll just start a new thread here.

To whoever originally asked the question, if there are any opportunities to do a rotation outside the US, here's 3 of which I am aware.

1) DOcare at KCUMB (formerly known as UHS): I'm not a member of this organization, so I don't know the specifics (I don't even know if it's a national organization, or only located at KCUMB). However, for the 4th year required rural or underserved population rotations, students can complete a mission trip to Guatamala (or, it might be the Dominican Republic, I'm not certain). There are several prereqs. To find out more, try starting a "DOcare" thread under the Osteopathic forum, I'm sure somebody there can provide more information.

2) Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl Germany: Army or Air Force HPSP students can arrange a rotation here. However, HPSP will not pay for it, and students must do most of the foot-work themselves to set up the rotation. Even though the hospital is in Germany (about an hour southwest of Frankfurt), it is run by the US Army, and therefore falls under US medical regulations, not German. The only real way to set up a rotation here is to personally visit the hospital, make contacts and work from there.

3) Poland, through LECOM: I am not a student at LECOM, so I know of no specifics, or if the program is even still offered. I heard about it when I interviewed at LECOM a few years ago. Can any current LECOM students provide more information?

Does anyone out there in SDN-land know of anything else?

I know this is a super bump since this post is outdated, but can anyone speak to the clinical rotations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center? I'm an AF HPSP student interested in doing a 4th yr rotation there.