San Bernadino County/Arrowhead Med Center

[edgar]

Have any 3rd or 4th years done their clerkships at the new Arrowhead Regional Medical Center/San Bernadino County Hospital in Colton, CA? Since it is so new, I have not heard anything about how good the facility is. Any replies would be helpful.


EDGAR

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[OsteoDOC]

Edgar,

You probably won't get much response regarding the new San Bernadino County/Arrowhead Regional Medical Center because it has only been open for about 2 months. When I interviewed there for residency in November, we were allowed to go over to the hospital and get a tour before it was even open. All I can say is that the place is gorgeous! Almost all of the patient rooms are private, the surgical suites are very high tech as well as the computerized radiology program (you can look at all the films on a computer screen instead of having to always go look at the hard copy...very impressive!). The new hospital is totally state of the art!

As for incoming WesternU/COMP students, you will most likely be doing your full 3rd year at Arrowhead. Currently, 6 of your 11 3rd year rotations are assigned many of which are done at Arrowhead. I think that in the future, all of them will be done at Arrowhead..but that is only my guess. There is also talk of moving the medical school to the campus of the medical center (this would be for only the medical school). Time will tell.

Brandon A, MS4
Western University/COMP

 

[edgar]

Brandon,


Could you tell me how many beds are at the hospital? I'm also curious to hear if San Bernadino has the same medical school affiliations before the move (i.e. COMP, UCI, Loma Linda). And lastly, is Arrowhead a tertiary care hospital or just a community hospital? Thanks a million.

EDGAR

 

[OsteoDOC]

Edgar,

Yes, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center has the same affiliates as before (Western University of Health Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine and University of California, Irvine College of Medicine). As an osteopathic medical student from WesternU, you will do rotations side by side with medical students from these other medical schools. This is why I assure you that you, as an osteopathic medical student, are on even par with allopathic medical schools. Naturally, some students will know more and some less because of there is a lot of individuality with the learning of medicine. I will say that we do have a slight edge on the musculoskeletal system because of the manipulations but everything else balances out. Generally, when working side by side with these other students on your service, you are both "medical students" and you work together (trust me, there is plenty of work and learning for everyone and the extra hands are certainly nice).

As for the number of beds at Arrowhead, i think it is about 300 which is plenty I assure you!

Arrowhead is definately a tertiary medical center. It is the county medical center which has plenty of pathology. It is also one of two trauma centers in the county, the other being Loma Linda University Medical Center (surgical residents from LLUMC rotate through ARMC). ARMC is also the regional burn center with the other burn centers in the region being UCI Medical Center, UCSD Medical Center and LA County/USC Medical Center. (No, LLUMC does not have a burn center).

Just in case you didn't know, ARMC has 2 residency programs and a 3rd starting this July. It has an AOA/ACGME Family Medicine Residency Program (one of the largest in the country) that has both osteopathic and allopathic medical grads. It also has an AOA OB/Gyn residency program that is 4 years because the rotating internship and R-1 year is combined. Starting this July, it is starting an AOA Orthopedic Surgery Residency that is also being affiliated with LLUMC Orthopedic Surgery Program (from what I have been told).

Hope this answers everything for you. Good luck this fall. As I have told you in the past Edgar, just relax and have fun this summer. DO NOT study. You will be studying soon enough. Don't stress over medical school. You wouldn't have been accepted if they didn't think you could get through the program. Just make sure you take time out for yourself. I am certainly no Einstein and I got through it all while having a family and working part-time as a paramedic. Bottom line, medical school is doable.

Brandon A, MS4
Western University/COMP

 

[NickCVM]

Brandon or should I say Dr. Brandon (if not, soon to be) - Thanks for the valuable info. Good luck with your residency.
--Nicolas--
WesternU'03

 

[edgar]

Brandon,


Thanks a lot for your helpful answers to my question. Nick and I are going to be classmates at COMP this Fall and Arrowhead has been on our minds as of late. Have a great time at UCSF/Fresno and give my best to your family for me.

EDGAR

 

[OsteoDOC]

Edgar and Nick,

I hope that the two of you enjoy your education at WesternU over the next four years. You will find some things there that you don't like and many things that you do like. Just make the best of it. WesternU is not perfect by any means but it has given me a chance to be a physician and for that I will always be greatful.

Looking back, I can honestly say that I had a great time in medical school. Studying hard, passing all the exams (and there are plenty) and enduring everything has been rewarding. Don't expect to be #1 but strive to be the best YOU can be. That will be the ultimate reward. Try not to stress out or think that you are going to fail out of medical school because you won't. Trust me, once you are in, it is extremely hard to fail out. If there is one thing I can leave you with in regards to grades and class rank, it is this; you are the top 5% of the people who applied to get in. If you get a "C" on an exam, that makes you an "average" of the top 5%. Is that make you a bad student? When was the last time you asked a physician how they did on a biochemistry exam? Anatomy exam? How they did on part 1 or 2 of the boards? NO ONE asks these questions because in the real world, it doesn't matter. As pre-meds, it did because you had to get good grades to get in. Now that you are in, your goal should be to learn as much as you can and graduate. Forget about the grades! Many medical schools like Harvard have. Again, good luck to the two of you and everyone else who has gotten into WesternU or the other medical schools.

Brandon A, MS4
Western University/COMP