How to judge the quality of a school's rotation sites?

[samurai5511]

I am comparing the schools I got into by looking at the rotation sites that programs have for the third year. It is hard to tell the difference between the rotation sites that the programs offer. How would I go about comparing them? I am looking at ARCOM v VCOM - Auburn, and it is hard to tell the difference. VCOM - Auburn seems to have more sites in the actual state of Alabama. Other than that, I have no idea how to compare them.

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[Blueprint Med School]

Couple of different ways:

1) Prestige of the hospital. Doesn't always apply but some hospitals have very high ratings for certain specialties or services.

2) What is important to you? I valued a single site (or at least short distance) over almost everything else. My sites were two hospitals in the same network 20 minutes from each other. A big difference from nomadic schools which have multiple sites far from each other or even across state lines.

3) Setting. Some love city, suburban, or rural. I had no desire to be at a large city institution so I opted for a larger community hospital. Again, what is important to you?

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[Angus Avagadro]

I would want some inpatient teaching sites with residents and fellows. Also some rural or outpatient sites too. Too much of either is not good imo. Otherwise, it's hard to Guage the quality as it is resident and attending specific. Some good, some not.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

I would want some inpatient teaching sites with residents and fellows. Also some rural or outpatient sites too. Too much of either is not good imo. Otherwise, it's hard to Guage the quality as it is resident and attending specific. Some good, some not.

A good point as well. There is a balance between academia and 'doing' stuff and unless you 'know' you want to either be a rural single coverage attending in Nowhere, Kansas (less resident sites = more you and attending time and more hands-on) or you want to be at a super-specialized quaternary center (look for urban and larger academic centers at the trade-off of almost no hands-on), it is best to find a mix of the two.

David D, MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors