Rate LECOM Rotation Sites

[jfellings]

I am a current LECOM-Erie MS-I and am trying to gather information about rotation sites but most of the info I have seen on threads here is outdated. I have a decent grasp on how the selection process works but I am wanting to find out where people had good (or bad) experiences while rotating. Can any LECOM-Erie 3rd and 4th year students (current or previous) talk about the pros/cons about where they did their rotations?

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[bleeker10]

I am a current LECOM-Erie MS-I and am trying to gather information about rotation sites but most of the info I have seen on threads here is outdated. I have a decent grasp on how the selection process works but I am wanting to find out where people had good (or bad) experiences while rotating. Can any LECOM-Erie 3rd and 4th year students (current or previous) talk about the pros/cons about where they did their rotations?

PM Slevin. He is a current third year. There are a couple other third years on here but I haven't seen them post in awhile. Since you don't pick til Sept/Oct of second year, you can ask some of us second years about the places we have been to. What rotations do you have questions about?

 

[jfellings]

PM Slevin. He is a current third year. There are a couple other third years on here but I haven't seen them post in awhile. Since you don't pick til Sept/Oct of second year, you can ask some of us second years about the places we have been to. What rotations do you have questions about?

I guess I am trying to balance two things: I have a kids so I am trying to figure out where I can do rotations without having to move around/travel ridiculous amounts but still be in an area that offers good exposure and connections to residency programs. I have been told by some current students that there are some sites like York or Scranton where you don't have to move or travel too much but that is all second hand information. Just trying to gather as much general information to help with the decision process.

 

[bleeker10]

Those sites are called "thirteens". They take 13 students who do all their core rotations at that site. The locations were Pinnacle (Harrisburg), York Memorial, Scranton, UH (University Hospitals-Richmond). There were a few other sites that took 3-4 students to do all their cores there too. One is Wilson Regional (Johnson City, NY which is where I am going) and Indiana, PA. If you can't do those places, you can pick to stick in a location. But expect to come back to Erie to do some mandatory rotations.

 

[Slevin]

Those sites are called "thirteens". They take 13 students who do all their core rotations at that site. The locations were Pinnacle (Harrisburg), York Memorial, Scranton, UH (University Hospitals-Richmond). There were a few other sites that took 3-4 students to do all their cores there too. One is Wilson Regional (Johnson City, NY which is where I am going) and Indiana, PA. If you can't do those places, you can pick to stick in a location. But expect to come back to Erie to do some mandatory rotations.

Bleeker, you going to Johnson City? How come? I did my undergrad there and I'm going to try and do a rotation there next year at some point, vista my old stomping grounds. HaHa

But to answer the OP's original question. You can stay in erie and do all your rotations in this area or you can try for cleveland or pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will give you the most exposure but you may have to do some driving to get from site to site. Erie you can do almost all your rotations here in town but the exposure isn't as great.

There are also other places like Philly you can do which is good from what I hear except that the cost of housing is more expensive.

Hope that helps.

Bleeker, good luck on step 1, I'm currently studying for step 2 and it's a pain in the ass

 

[bleeker10]

Bleeker, you going to Johnson City? How come? I did my undergrad there and I'm going to try and do a rotation there next year at some point, vista my old stomping grounds. HaHa

Bleeker, good luck on step 1, I'm currently studying for step 2 and it's a pain in the ass

I decided I would rather stay at one hospital then drive around all the time like some of my friends. I have friends that are in a different state each month and since I just bought a car in September, I didn't want to put all the miles on my car. When I decided to go for Wilson, it was too late to get into one of the other 13s.

Where are you doing your .mil rotations? I'm trying to figure out where I wanna go but it's hard to decide. What are you going in to? Good luck on step 2. I'm ready for step 1 to be over with

 

[pianoman511]

I guess I am trying to balance two things: I have a kids so I am trying to figure out where I can do rotations without having to move around/travel ridiculous amounts but still be in an area that offers good exposure and connections to residency programs. I have been told by some current students that there are some sites like York or Scranton where you don't have to move or travel too much but that is all second hand information. Just trying to gather as much general information to help with the decision process.

Most of the "metro" areas have a good selection of rotation sites where you can get plenty of variety but still not have to move around too much. The downside of the "13" sites is that (with the exception of UH13) you are at the same facility for every rotation. One of the highlights of clinical rotations is the ability to see various sites to evaluate them for possible residency locations and to experience different areas (rural vs. urban). In my opinion, you do yourself a disservice to do everything at the same place. Do you know what specialty you are interested in ? That may affect where you rotate if there are more residency programs in that field in a certain area.

If you have any specific areas you are wondering about I may be able to give some feedback.

 

[jfellings]

Most of the "metro" areas have a good selection of rotation sites where you can get plenty of variety but still not have to move around too much. The downside of the "13" sites is that (with the exception of UH13) you are at the same facility for every rotation. One of the highlights of clinical rotations is the ability to see various sites to evaluate them for possible residency locations and to experience different areas (rural vs. urban). In my opinion, you do yourself a disservice to do everything at the same place. Do you know what specialty you are interested in ? That may affect where you rotate if there are more residency programs in that field in a certain area.

If you have any specific areas you are wondering about I may be able to give some feedback.

I am not entirely sure what I want to go in to. I have had a lot of surgical exposure so General Surgery or Urology are both areas that I really like. I figure there is a lot of exposure in the Pittsburgh area (and good exposure to residencies, too). But it seems like that would be pretty high on most peoples list and with the addition of Seton Hill I am thinking it may be tough to get that area. Have you heard much about York, Cleveland, or Buffalo areas?

 

[pianoman511]

I am not entirely sure what I want to go in to. I have had a lot of surgical exposure so General Surgery or Urology are both areas that I really like. I figure there is a lot of exposure in the Pittsburgh area (and good exposure to residencies, too). But it seems like that would be pretty high on most peoples list and with the addition of Seton Hill I am thinking it may be tough to get that area. Have you heard much about York, Cleveland, or Buffalo areas?

York - two hospitals, York Memorial & York Hospital (confused yet ??? ) York Memorial offers one of the "13" options (all rotations at the hospital). York Hospital - haven't heard much about it but it does have a few allopathic residency programs which have decent reviews online.

Buffalo - really only one site left, Sisters of Charity Hospital, for "core" rotations, the other option being Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center which is about a 1/2 hour commute - have friends that have gone there and give positive reviews

Cleveland - not too much left here either, Aultman (Canton) & South Pointe (20 mins from cleveland), the other option being the UH13 group (University Heights) - you rotate between the hospitals in the group for all of your core rotations (a "13" group) - heard mainly positive reviews for that as well but they did say their schedules got changed around frequently (i.e. the order of the rotations)

The one caveat I have to include is that no one will be able to spend their entire 3rd or 4th years in a given area UNLESS they do one of the "13" groups. Otherwise, inevitably everyone has to do a "mandatory" rotation somewhere (Erie is the most common, also mandatories in Scranton, Meadville, Clarion & others). In addition, your ability to stay in a given area is compromised by the number of other people interested in that area which are assigned to your rotation group (done by a committee composed of fellow students & class president). For example, if there are two people who want Buffalo and only one true Buffalo site...you get the idea (most often only one spot per site for a given rotation with a few exceptions).

Pittsburgh has the same problems as everywhere else. The numbers of rotation sites are going down, especially with the closings associated with West Penn/AGH consolidation, while the number of students increases due to Seton Hill. I'm not optimistic about it all going well for pittsburgh interested people any many may have to change their plans. That being said, there are still many sites in the Pittburgh area but they are generally not the biggest/best (i.e. not many of the larger hospitals are well represented).

Surgery is tough in the osteopathic world. There are relatively few residencies for D.O's, but plenty in the allopathic match which still has some difficulties associated with it. It's doable, but there's a lot of legwork to do. Urology is the same but the match is different from the others since you have to go through the San Francisco match (google it). I'm not 100% familiar, but I know it's a bit different than the allo or osteo match.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Dr Yiot]

I did not want to start a new thread and this was the closest to what I was looking for regarding rotations so I guess I will just ask here.

Does anyone have any information on Pinnacle Health CG in Harrisburg? I am currently an OMS1 who is looking at doing a 13 closer to NJ. From what I hear we lost York, which is what I was originally planning on trying to get. So now I am trying to do some research on others in PA. I have thought of Conamough as I know its a great hospital (still about 3 hours closer to home than erie) or harrisburg but I have not heard anything about pinnacle at all.

anybody have any idea?

Ill also consider phili (love it there) but I am anticipating that will be very difficult to get as I am sure many people will be going for that and I do not believe that is a "13"