Actually, private hospitals generally do not allow for as many potential learning opportunities for medical students than, say, public urban hospitals in poor areas of town. People go to private hospitals for the best medical care, not to become practice patients for students. Yes, many private hospitals have residency programs, but med students training in such institutions typically do not gain as much clinical exposure and hands-on training as they would at a public hospital. For instance, Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami is one of the busiest medical centers in the nation. A physician who I once worked with told me that as a fourth-year student at Miami, her responsiblities were extensive, and she often treated patients and performed procedures with little supervision from attendings. Granted, she is an awesome doctor and I am sure her superiors had confidence in her abilities, but such practices are not likely to occur in private medical centers no matter how smart or capable a med student may seem.
