advice on choosing rotation sites

[manxuxugly]

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I'm only a first year medical student, but I figured this is the best place to post this thread as I am looking for advice from my upper-class peers. We are having a little "fair" at our school where several hospitals come and sell themselves. I want to make it the best experience I can (mandatory attendance), and since I don't know much outside of the classroom, I was wondering what the important factors are personally in choosing your rotation sites? Now that you guys have the 3rd year experience, or much of it at least, what mistakes have you made that I should be aware of? What have you found to be most beneficial?

Thanks for your help guys.

 

[modelslashactor]

are you having clerkship directors from the hospitals come or just a representative? each clerkship is typically very different at a particular hospital so the answers to the following will vary greatly.

hours: how long is a typical non-call day and how long are call shifts? what time do you start?
teaching: daily lectures? by who? do med students get separate teaching?
grading structure: what % get honors? HP? do the residents or the attendings grade you and how often do you see them?
attending contact: are the attendings faculty at the med school (in other words, can you get a good LOR)
perks: free lunch, free dinner on call?

in the end the word of your fellow med students is what will be used to pick rotation sites, at least it was for me.

 

[PulseOx]

rotate at hospitals you want to do residency at. It will give you a big edge.

 

[cpants]

Avoid the notoriously "easy" sites. In my experience easy usually equals boring, with little patient or resident contact and little learning.