Best and Worst Externship / External Clinical Rotation?

[ucbsowarrior]

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The post is to help the up and coming thrid years decide (rank) which rotations provide the ultimate learning experience!

We require all the help of current 4th year students and any practicing ods.

FORMAT:

Location:
Name of Clinic:
Year: (ie the year you were at the rotation)
Pros:
Cons:
Would you recommend this site? Why? or Why not?

All info is appreciated by the opto students.

 

[rpames]

At ICO we have a binder in the library that has a listing of all the sites and the students comments about them, good and bad. Do the other schools have a book like this?

 

[xmattODx]

At ICO we have a binder in the library that has a listing of all the sites and the students comments about them, good and bad. Do the other schools have a book like this?

Pacific does.

 

[r_salis]

At ICO we have a binder in the library that has a listing of all the sites and the students comments about them, good and bad. Do the other schools have a book like this?

So does SUNY.

 

[OcularDZ]

IU has a file cabinet full of reviews....anybody have a suggestions where to go????

 

[ODtobe]

So does PCO.

 

[vtrain]

Ok - I'll start

Location: Miami, FL
Name of Clinic: Bascom Palmer
Year: Fall 2003
Pros: Amazing variety of pathology seen. Good didactics (Grand Rounds, Journal Club, etc), amazing library with every eye book and journal imaginable, great preceptors - Dr. D, Dr.McS, DrT.R. are all top notch Optos, and you're in Miami!
Cons: Sure you see all this great stuff - but how relevant is it to optometry? Six months can be along time, Need thick skin,
Would you recommend this site? Why? or Why not? Definitely recommended. It really is a lifetime learning opportunity to train and observe at the premiere eye hospital in the country, if not the world. Also, alot of school rotate through there like IU, PCO, NOVA - so you get to interact with the other students and residents and see what they're all about. It looks good on a resume too.

 

[vtrain]

Location:
Name of Clinic: VA Newington
Year: Spring 2004
Pros: Preceptor Dr. O is amazing. Good guy, even better instructor. Try to stump him with an eye question? Good luck. The residents when I was there were all very willing to teach even though they were very busy. Good patient pool - you'll be busy! Community optos come in a teach - all are very knowlegeable and willing to teach
Cons: Newington is boring. Not much extra didactics other than your clinic hours.
Would you recommend this site? Why? or Why not? Yes. The only downside to this rotation is that there is ZERO to do in Newington, so expect the hospital to be your life. I was very comfortable with the VA population after this rotation.

 

[ucbsowarrior]

Ok - I'll start

Location: Miami, FL
Name of Clinic: Bascom Palmer
Year: Fall 2003
Pros: Amazing variety of pathology seen. Good didactics (Grand Rounds, Journal Club, etc), amazing library with every eye book and journal imaginable, great preceptors - Dr. D, Dr.McS, DrT.R. are all top notch Optos, and you're in Miami!
Cons: Sure you see all this great stuff - but how relevant is it to optometry? Six months can be along time, Need thick skin,
Would you recommend this site? Why? or Why not? Definitely recommended. It really is a lifetime learning opportunity to train and observe at the premiere eye hospital in the country, if not the world. Also, alot of school rotate through there like IU, PCO, NOVA - so you get to interact with the other students and residents and see what they're all about. It looks good on a resume too.

Thanks for the great review! Hopefully a lot of students can benefit from this info.

Hey all you 4th yrs or practicing ods - we need more site reviews!

 

[OcularDZ]

Anybody hear anything about the Jesse Brown VA in Chicago?

 

[cpw]

UHCO also has a binder.

The only site I was at that is still an exsisting site (they closed my other one) was the VA -- Palo Alto, California.
Year: Summer 2004

Great site, nice people, and lots of path. You'll also get great experience at the bind rehab center which is a wonderful facility ( definitely go there if you're low vision inclined) You'll be busy busy busy ! Also, a paperless hospital. (very nice) You also get free lunches 🙂

Cons: if you're not computer literate you'll struggle. If you don't like older people, you'll struggle. You also have to commute between Palo Alto, San Jose, and Monterrey (you only have to do monterrey once a month and you can carpool so it's really not bad).