NSU-COM Answers

[Doc 2b]

Since there seems to be many questions about NSU. I'm posting a reply to a question I recieved via a PM. I hope this relieves any trepidations about NSU.

First off, NSU is a good school. You get a good education. That said, your right, every school is going to have it's problems. Every person I know that has been to medical school, hated their admin, and I have friends from all over the place. Our problems stem from a disconnect between our admin and students, and when I say admin, it's not always within our own college. You have to remember that we are a University that has many colleges, so there are people that are higher than our admin that make our lives hard. From these idiots is where you get our attendance and dress code policies. So it's not necessarilly our admin that can be bad, but the school's admin, make sense?

As for rotations, they are pretty good, even though you may get stuck somewhere you hadn't anticipated, I think you'll get a good clinical education. Your 4th year is pretty much wide open save for 3 mos of ruruals, so you really have 6 mos free to go whereever you want. Many people actually move to where ever they are planning on doing their residency during their fourth year, so yeah your aways are easy.

You'll hear alot of complaining this time of year, people are tired and malignant. They've found out they have to move etc., so you're going to find a lot of bitching. Just look at things objective and don't make decisions based on a few people, including myself. Go where you'll be comfortable living, where it's the cheapest, and where you'll get the best education, in that order.

I hope that answers your questions.

Doc 2b

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[toothless rufus]

Do any students ever not have to move, at least for third year (fourth if they want it)? For example, is it possible to do all your rotations at one institution, say Broward general? And where do you do your 4th year rurals? Can you do them OOS? If there is a resource on the NSU website that covers these types of questions?

 

[Doc 2b]

Do any students ever not have to move, at least for third year (fourth if they want it)? For example, is it possible to do all your rotations at one institution, say Broward general? And where do you do your 4th year rurals? Can you do them OOS? If there is a resource on the NSU website that covers these types of questions?

Sure there are people that don't move, but it's a roll of the dice. We have a lottery like most schools, so depending on your lottery number you may or maynot have to. Fourth year rurals are inversly related to your lottery number, so the people that get their first choices in the rotation lottery get their last choices for rurals. Don't know what OOS is? You can go to the rural med website, don't know the link, but it's there somewhere. Don't worry so much about this stuff yet, study hard for your classes and the rest will work itself out.

 

[toothless rufus]

Sure there are people that don't move, but it's a roll of the dice. We have a lottery like most schools, so depending on your lottery number you may or maynot have to. Fourth year rurals are inversly related to your lottery number, so the people that get their first choices in the rotation lottery get their last choices for rurals. Don't know what OOS is? You can go to the rural med website, don't know the link, but it's there somewhere. Don't worry so much about this stuff yet, study hard for your classes and the rest will work itself out.

Thanks!

OOS=out of state. So, can you do those 4th year rurals anywhere?

Could you please expand on that inverse lottery thing? Is that dealing with timing of rural vs. electives?

 

[Quakkilla]

Thanks!

OOS=out of state. So, can you do those 4th year rurals anywhere?

Could you please expand on that inverse lottery thing? Is that dealing with timing of rural vs. electives?

There are rotations out of state, some through the Osteopathic Institute of the South. This is refered to ad the Georgia Track, where you go to GA and do your rotations. It is a lot of moving around from what I have heard, but it is good rotation, one I looked into. I would have done it had I not had a dog. The idea of possibly having to move every three months I just couldn't do. Some people are in the same place for a good majority of the time, jsut depends on how you can get you rotations set up. And with GA-PCOM starting rotations this year it may be harder. There is also a knew rotation at UAB and it will be accepting more students next year from what I have heard, but that is just hear say.

If you are looking to get OOS, the only options now is UAB or GA. You are pretty much locked in FL your 3rd year.

As for the Lottery, the lower you were in the lottery they try and give you a better time for electives. So you will have more of your electives during the prime interview season. Pretty much everyone as electives during that time, but if you were last in the lottery you will theoratically have more.

Hope this Helps
Q

 

[MD/DO ALMOST]

thanks for the info- Im glad to hear that we can leave to go oos at least the fourth year. I would probably like to return home, but who knows, I might like Fla. If not, I would love to be able to go to the west coast or HI to rotate for as much of fourth year as possible. ( family) I actually feel better about the education at Nova (facilities, rotation sites, match lists, community acceptance, etc...) as compared to other allo and osteo schools I was accepted at, so I hope I am correct in choosing to attend.

 

[toothless rufus]

If you are looking to get OOS, the only options now is UAB or GA. You are pretty much locked in FL your 3rd year.

Thanks for the info, Quakkilla! I don't mean to pester, but what I was wondering about is the 4th year rurals? There are three months of those, I think. Can these be done anywhere?

 

[bravotwozero]

Thanks for the info, Quakkilla! I don't mean to pester, but what I was wondering about is the 4th year rurals? There are three months of those, I think. Can these be done anywhere?

I know a fourth year NSU student, who did his rural meds rotation in Alaska of all places

 

[Doc 2b]

Thanks for the info, Quakkilla! I don't mean to pester, but what I was wondering about is the 4th year rurals? There are three months of those, I think. Can these be done anywhere?

Two months are assigned, and I don't think you can change that, but I'm not positive. The school gets funding from the state to provide man power at rural clinics, so I would doubt that you can avoid those. The third month is a selective, you can select to go pretty much anywhere as long as it's rural. I've heard of people going to AK, WY, NM, etc, even Africa. Just has to be rural. Or they'll assign you, or you can rotate through the prisons which is always popular.

 

[toothless rufus]

Two months are assigned, and I don't think you can change that, but I'm not positive. The school gets funding from the state to provide man power at rural clinics, so I would doubt that you can avoid those. The third month is a selective, you can select to go pretty much anywhere as long as it's rural. I've heard of people going to AK, WY, NM, etc, even Africa. Just has to be rural. Or they'll assign you, or you can rotate through the prisons which is always popular.

Great info, thanks! Ohhh, I think I will skip the prisons! Although it might be cool, like on Law and Order!

 

[GregsAnatomy]

Two months are assigned, and I don't think you can change that, but I'm not positive. The school gets funding from the state to provide man power at rural clinics, so I would doubt that you can avoid those. The third month is a selective, you can select to go pretty much anywhere as long as it's rural. I've heard of people going to AK, WY, NM, etc, even Africa. Just has to be rural. Or they'll assign you, or you can rotate through the prisons which is always popular.

I'll be doing the prison rotation during my fourth year and just wanted to elaborate on why it is so popular. It is really one of the unique learning opportunities you can get through Nova. The Florida Department of Corrections has a 150-bed hospital within the prison system where all inmates with medical conditions are sent. Because the patients are inmates, students get a significant amount of hands on experience which makes this rotation so popular. I have heard of students performing colonoscopies, cardiac catheterization, and even cholecystectomies during this rotation!

 

[toothless rufus]

Because the patients are inmates, students get a significant amount of hands on experience which makes this rotation so popular. I have heard of students performing colonoscopies, cardiac catheterization, and even cholecystectomies during this rotation!

Yet another example of why crime doesn't pay!

 

[Faraaz23]

In addition, after you get matched at your clinical site... you can try and trade with someone else. I've been told by the M2's and M3's, that most people who want to stay in the area will be able to get a rotation site in the West Palm/Broward/Miami-Dade county area.

We really getting UAB... as in University of Alabama Birmingham? Thats actually a very very well known hospital. That hospital is ranked every year in US News for various specialties (for whatever its worth). Someone else in your class said they'd heard rumor of Cleveland Clinic FL... any truth to that?

 

[Quakkilla]

In addition, after you get matched at your clinical site... you can try and trade with someone else. I've been told by the M2's and M3's, that most people who want to stay in the area will be able to get a rotation site in the West Palm/Broward/Miami-Dade county area.

We really getting UAB... as in University of Alabama Birmingham? Thats actually a very very well known hospital. That hospital is ranked every year in US News for various specialties (for whatever its worth). Someone else in your class said they'd heard rumor of Cleveland Clinic FL... any truth to that?

Yep, as in University of Alabama Birmingham. The rotations are at Cooper Green Hospital, and indigent care facility. There are 3 guys I know from my class going there, and from what they have told me they wanted more but there wasn't that much intrest from the students this year. Evidently they had a recent graduate from NSU go there for residency and liked them so much they wanted our students to come there. That is the word on the street anyway. Maybe there will be more slots in the future, the guys going will rep well.