Away Rotations and Affiliation Agreements

[meliora27]

Has anyone run into the situation where you're approved for an away rotation at an institution but either there is no affiliation agreement in place between your COM and the place you want to rotate at, or the place you want to rotate at has a policy of not signing any affiliation agreements whatsoever?

Apparently, COCA has come down hard on COM's that don't have affiliation agreements in place for their students doing away rotations.

Even is a program with a national reputation approves you, and you would potentially have the opportunity to get a LOR from a nationally recognized leader in a respective field, if there's no agreement, then there goes your chances of improving your odds...

Has anyone dealt with this issue? I'm hoping that having affiliation agreements signed by other programs isn't a big deal, but I'm just preparing for the worst.

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[DocEspana]

No.

 

[MalachiConstant]

I actually have some experience with this, though it wasn't really a COCA issue as much as institutional policy. It was also kind of an ugly and complex situation, so I hate to post too much in the way of details publicly, but I can answer questions via PM. COCA's requirements are pretty easy to satisfy and generally there aren't any issues.

But to get at the heart of what I think you're asking, yes, it is possible that one might not be able to do a for credit rotation at someplace where you want to audition due to institutional or faculty agreement SNAFU's.

 

[MalachiConstant]

Here are the passages in the COCA standards document that are relevant to the current discussion:
the whole document is here

Clerkship Training
6.8 A COM may offer a portion of its curricula at affiliated or educational clinical sites not
owned or operated by the COM. Written affiliation or educational agreements with core
rotation sites, which clearly define the rights and responsibilities of both parties, must be
obtained between the COM and each clinical clerkship teaching facility not owned or
operated by the COM, or in the case where an institutional agreement is not applicable,
between the COM and the individual preceptor.

6.110 All instruction at the affiliated or educational sites must be conducted under the supervision
of COM academically credentialed or approved faculty.
Guideline: The Dean or the Dean’s designate is responsible for ensuring that
meaningful educational experiences should be conducted at
affiliated clinical sites including credit-based international sites.
It is the responsibility of the COM administration to review the
credentials of all academically credentialed or approved faculty to
determine that they are qualified, or to have an affiliation
agreement with such clinical sites which recognizes and approves
the processes by which faculty at those sites are credentialed and
approved (that are consistent with the credentialing policies of the
COM). The training environment at affiliated educational sites
should also be reviewed to guarantee that they provide students, at
a minimum, an appropriate number of clinical presentations,
appropriate supervision, and opportunities to interact with other
healthcare professionals.
The individuals supervising students’ clinical experiences should be
the same as those who were appointed or credentialed by the COM,
or approved or credentialed by the affiliate as provided for in the
affiliation agreements.

 

[Superman DO]

I had a doc back in my hometown that really wanted me to do a rotation with him earlier this year. His clinic was apart of a private, regional powerhouse hospital. They had a policy of having their own hospital-school affiliation agreement and not making amendments to it. Of course, my school had their own agreement they wanted to sign. The whole situation went to lawyers and neither party would budge. Ultimately, an agreement could never be put in place, and I could not do this rotation. It is very sad when great educational opportunities come along in which a preceptor and student are very excited to work together, but it is never allowed to happen because of ridiculous paperwork and third-parties.