Clinical Rotations

[JimmyB123]

This is a two part question regarding clinical rotations

Part A) Which DO schools are known to have good quality rotations? (I value ward based rotations in populated areas, but that's just my preference)

Part B) Basically, the pre clinical years are going to be the same across the board at any schools (DO or MD really). So I have figured that I must do research on the clinical rotations at DO schools to find distinguishing factors. How does a "pre medical student" figure out the quality of rotations? What kind of factors do I look at and what resources are there available to actually look at these factors? It's really difficult to assess the quality of rotations in my shoes but I know that I really should b/c it can make a huge difference later on

Any help would be appreciated

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[meliora27]

I think that this is the Achilles Heel of DO schools. A strong USMLE Step 1 score can perhaps ease any doubts that people may have regarding the scientific foundation in the preclinical years, however the quality of rotations in the absence of university teaching hospitals leaves the clinical education up for grabs. Some schools are much better than others, and even at the same school, some rotations may vary considerably.

The fact of the matter is that not every DO student wants to go into outpatient primary care. Therefore, rotations must be more than preceptor based training as it is at many schools. Spending 8 weeks with a general surgeon who may do a handful of appys, lap chole, hernia repairs, and maybe a colon or two a week does not cut it.

The bottom line is that you only know what you see. Go to a place where you're most likely to see the widest range of pathology, and be exposed to the widest variety of cases, specialities, etc.

 

[AlteredScale]

This is a two part question regarding clinical rotations

Part A) Which DO schools are known to have good quality rotations? (I value ward based rotations in populated areas, but that's just my preference)

Part B) Basically, the pre clinical years are going to be the same across the board at any schools (DO or MD really). So I have figured that I must do research on the clinical rotations at DO schools to find distinguishing factors. How does a "pre medical student" figure out the quality of rotations? What kind of factors do I look at and what resources are there available to actually look at these factors? It's really difficult to assess the quality of rotations in my shoes but I know that I really should b/c it can make a huge difference later on

Any help would be appreciated

A) MU-COM rotates with at the hospital, Rowan has their own affiliated teaching hospitals, DMU-COM, KCUMB rotates with UMKC and KU-SOM as well as offers rotations at Umichigan, CCOM, OU-HCOM Cleveland Campus will rotate their students at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe, PCOM. I've heard iffy things about MSU-COM.

B) Search "Specific school...clinical rotations", the specific hospitals and clinics at which they are usually on their website with a little digging. Things to look for at the hospitals is 1) location 2) level 1 trauma 3) bed number 4) GME offerings (residency, fellowships) 5) rating of hospital.

As it has been said above, a stellar Step I/COMLEX 1, EC's and Research will trump non university hospital clinical rotations....and it doesn't matter much. Each rotations can be subjective on the quality no matter MD or DO tbh.

Just because you sub-I at MGH means zilch when it comes to matching in residency unless you're great friends with said PD.