Picking a rotation site?

[js677]

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For those who choose where to do 3rd year rotations, would y'all do a rural site or urban? What are pros and cons of either? I am leaning away from urban as I've heard there are more opportunities for hands on stuff in rural locations. What looks better for residency as well?

 

[Dr. Death]

You are asking the wrong question. The question that you should be asking is if you should rotate at sites with residents or sites with only preceptors. The answer to that question has been answered 1.3 million times on this forum and can be searched using the search function. If the rural site and urban site both (or neither) have residents, then it does not matter one bit

 

[ciestar]

Having rotations with residents is essential. Better yet, having inpatient rotations are also essential. If you’re at a site and mostly doing outpatient, you’re doing it wrong.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Inpatient > Outpatient for sure.

But I disagree having rotations with residents is essential. I do more without residents around, than when they are.

 

[ciestar]

Inpatient > Outpatient for sure.

But I disagree having rotations with residents is essential. I do more without residents around, than when they are.

Need at least one. It matters

 

[hungrydoc710]

Need at least one. It matters

Our school makes us fufill one rotation with a resident.
I just got done with surgery and had a resident around for 2 weeks. When he left, the second 2 weeks my work load grew double. It was better.

 

[deleted645092]

Technically there’s a minimum number of rotations you’re required to do with residents so there will be residents at some point either way. The big thing is to avoid outpatient as much as possible. 1, it’s boring, and 2, there’s less opportunity to do the cool things med students want to do.

 

[DO2015CA]

Inpatient > Outpatient for sure.

But I disagree having rotations with residents is essential. I do more without residents around, than when they are.

False. It has nothing to do with your workload. You need to see how a residency program functions. What your role will be as an intern. Also, the resident and attendings tend to explain their thought process to the medical students more than preceptor based. Preceptors bottom line is still seeing patients to make money.

From auditioners to beginning interns, we can tell who did and did not work with residents. Idc that you got to first assist stuff if you don’t understand your role in signout/rounds/workload.

 

[hungrydoc710]

False. It has nothing to do with your workload. You need to see how a residency program functions. What your role will be as an intern. Also, the resident and attendings tend to explain their thought process to the medical students more than preceptor based. Preceptors bottom line is still seeing patients to make money.

From auditioners to beginning interns, we can tell who did and did not work with residents. Idc that you got to first assist stuff if you don’t understand your role in signout/rounds/workload.

I def understand that, but tbh I think it's best to do core rotation without residents - you get to see more patients alone, do more H&P, more presenting to preceptor - all the things that 3rd year is good for.

Next year for my aways in Gas and IM, I'll obvi do them at programs alongside residents.

 

[Candidate2017]

It really depends on what you prioritize. I prioritize sleep and free time so I chose a site with a light reputation. There were residents on most rotations except my specialty of choice, where I only wrote 1-2 notes. Maybe 4-5 notes total in med school. But I had no problems transitioning to residency. In a specialty heavy on H&Ps and note writing.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You need to maximize rotations with residents. I don't care how smart you are, I need to know whether you know how to work in a resident group and function as a mildly useful intern.

 

[ciestar]

I def understand that, but tbh I think it's best to do core rotation without residents - you get to see more patients alone, do more H&P, more presenting to preceptor - all the things that 3rd year is good for.

Next year for my aways in Gas and IM, I'll obvi do them at programs alongside residents.

Wait youre not a resident?
Well, I am and i can tell you that it is important lol

 

[DO2015CA]

I def understand that, but tbh I think it's best to do core rotation without residents - you get to see more patients alone, do more H&P, more presenting to preceptor - all the things that 3rd year is good for.

Next year for my aways in Gas and IM, I'll obvi do them at programs alongside residents.

You get more quality education doing all of those with residents. You see how the intern vs senior does an H&P and presents on rounds. You see where the pitfalls are.

I would agree preceptor rotations are phenomenal for advancing your physical exam skills because you see way more patients. But for learning, nothing beats watching an intern struggle on rounds to present the patient then the senior swoops in with the pertinent information they missed. It lets you realize what is and isn’t pertinent. You can present a million times in a preceptor rotation and you’ll get better, but you won’t be great. Seeing the next steps being performed by imperfect learners at the next stage themselves offers wealth of knowledge that a preceptor critiquing your presentation cannot add.