Kent:
thank you, one of the reasons i am going to the internship that i am is precisely due to them having paid faculty...its like common sense dude.
just as it is impossible to assume that anything a first year says of a positive nature isn't under duress after being warned about speaking out the dean, it is impossible to assume that an unpaid faculty member will put the interests of the student above the interests of his/her practice.
I didn't want to go to far into that issue, since the people voicing their displeasure had specifically mentioned feeling censored and I was initially interested in raising that issue to its highest vitriolic peak...having accomplished that, LOL, i am planning on being VERY active in recruiting alumni to protest and in fact donate their energy into denying revenues to NOVA as long as NOVA puts their energies into facades and away from focusing on the clinical years.
Having said that, let me applaud the physicians that I have worked with this year.
The er at akron general, although an MD program was extremely gracious, allowed tons of student latitude...gave me my first gramstained fingers in four years (miss teaching those labs) saw a lot of clue cells and smelled some fishy odors, plus it taught me NEVER trust a single guaic (ischemic bowel s/p negative rectal), and it provided an ACTUAL SYLLABUS that wasn't OVERKILLED but that focused on the differential diagnoses that are common to ER practice and had you focus on "WHAT IS GOING TO KILL THIS PATIENT IF I DON"T THINK OF IT?" that is professionalism!
the family physician i was with last month
(no names until he gives the ok) was a wonderful example of a physician who spends time with the patient...HMO be damned...
my rural experience in Ft. Pierce was outstanding, all the doctors there give you latitude, answer your questions and try to help you think and grow...other places that are a bit north of there (under 50 miles) are JUST THE OPPOSITE according to three of my classmates. there you be scut monkey.
My rotation currently is giving me tons of latitude and i would recommend it to anyone who wants exposure to manipulation and also time to study your interests.
so while i believe in the paid model, I think with PROPER OVERSIGHT AND CONCERN FOR IMPROVING QUALITY EXPOSURES AND NOT PASSING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HOSPITALS, an unpaid model CAN work...unfair as it it to the physician.
--I may piss off some folks with this one, but I think we need to do away with the vacation month and go to four week rotations, every two months you could have a five to seven day break and although you would lose 1-2 days out of each rotation, you actually would have 3 extra rotations in 25 4-week cycles than in the current 23 month cycle with one vacation month...you also could schedule interview blocks around these times much more easily. and with two week half rotations get your face in the door at a lot more places during early fourth year, which is NOT FOCUSED UPON ENOUGH because the profession is TRYING TO KEEP YOU AT THE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS AFFILIATED WITH THE SCHOOLS...what most people don't focus on is how the school and the profession is trying to PROMOTE ITS PROGRAMS instead of PROMOTING ITS PRODUCT..US!
--thanks again Kent, and keep the faith, I was very impressed with the way des moines ran its first two years, however...go ahead burst my bubble....videotaped lectures, indoor gym with weightroom...it would've been worth giving up the 2 grand deposit at NOVA LOL, I was Very VERY close to doing it, in fact, if it werent for the lovable four year old, I might have tried to transfer after first year. grass is always greener.
