Clinical Rotations

[cuteaggression]

I feel like this is a dumb question, but how exactly do clinical rotations work? If I am assigned to one campus, can I still do specific rotations on other campuses? If so, do the other campuses have to be affiliated with the medical school I'm in?

Thanks for any answers!

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[anhtimmy]

For your core rotations (IM, Surg, Peds, Psych, Neuro, FM), you'll most likely do them at a location affiliated with your school. That being said, some schools allow you the opportunity to do them at unaffiliated hospitals. So the best thing to do would be to ask.

When I was on my internal medicine rotation at St. Luke's (affiliated with BCM in Houston), I often worked with other medical students from other cities (UTMB in Galveston) and countries (Mexico).

Rotations are graded based on evaluations (subjective), shelf examinations and standardized patient practicals (objective). Scores (Honors, High Pass, Pass, Marginal Pass, Fail) often depend on percentile or score cutoffs. Again this varies among schools and even among different rotations within one school.

 

[cuteaggression]

Okay, great! So it just depends on the school, really. Good to know! Thank you!

 

[ortnakas]

This is extremely school specific.

At my school, you do core rotations at an assigned affiliate, your family rotation rotation anywhere as long as it's with a DO, and your electives anywhere that will take you and fill out the right paperwork.

Edit to add: obviously I'm at an osteopathic school-- I didn't realize I was in the allopathic forum. I'd be willing to bet it's school-specific in the allopathic world as well.

 

[mvenus929]

Very school specific. My school had us doing at least 2 away rotations, including outpatient IM and family in which we worked 1-on-1 with an attending/preceptor during third year. But our school only had one main campus, so it wasn't like VCU or some of the other schools that send a portion of the class to a particular city for their clinical rotations.