HAS ANYONE DONE ROTATION AT THE VA MEDICAL CENTERS? IF SO, WHO DID YOU CONTACT AND HOW DID YOU SET IT UP?
VA Rotations
- Thread starter DSFX
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Most medical schools that are affiliated with VAs have the rotations set up for you.
If you have a special interest in the VA population and your medical school does not provide a rotation there, check with your academic office to see if a) you are covered there b) there are rotations available and c) if they'll take you.
PS.Typing in all caps is perceived as "shouting" on internet sites.
If you have a special interest in the VA population and your medical school does not provide a rotation there, check with your academic office to see if a) you are covered there b) there are rotations available and c) if they'll take you.
PS.Typing in all caps is perceived as "shouting" on internet sites.
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Ahhh...the story makes more sense now.
May I surmise that you're an FMG wishing to do an elective rotation at a US VA hospital?
If so, you don't contact VA hospitals directly, but rather US medical schools which have electives open to FMGs. You'll have to sift through the available rotations to find an elective at a VA - obviously the medical school needs to have a VA available for students to rotate through. It is unlikely that you can contact the VA directly to arrange such a rotation - all arrangements would be made with the medical school supervising the student.
Now, if you've already graduated you are only eligible for observerships which are of dubious value. Again, I would go through a medical school to arrange this rather than contacting VA hospitals.
If you have a particular VA you are interested in, you might try contacting their academic affairs office to see if they offer any rotations/observerships and what the procedure to follow is.
At any rate, why do you specifically want to rotate at a VA hospital?
May I surmise that you're an FMG wishing to do an elective rotation at a US VA hospital?
If so, you don't contact VA hospitals directly, but rather US medical schools which have electives open to FMGs. You'll have to sift through the available rotations to find an elective at a VA - obviously the medical school needs to have a VA available for students to rotate through. It is unlikely that you can contact the VA directly to arrange such a rotation - all arrangements would be made with the medical school supervising the student.
Now, if you've already graduated you are only eligible for observerships which are of dubious value. Again, I would go through a medical school to arrange this rather than contacting VA hospitals.
If you have a particular VA you are interested in, you might try contacting their academic affairs office to see if they offer any rotations/observerships and what the procedure to follow is.
At any rate, why do you specifically want to rotate at a VA hospital?
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U of MD has a VA center too. A lot of med schools have VA centers. Anyways, I suspect that the OP was asking about VA centers because at one time, VA centers used to be almost exclusively staffed by IMG's. This was because of the difference in salary between the VA and private practice that once existed. This has now significantly changed, and actually, getting a job at a lot of the VA hospitals, particularly the academic ones has become quite competetive, even for AMG's. If you think about it, it makes sense in today's medical culture. Steady salary, good benefits, you will never get fired, and as one anesthesiologist in the VA told me "I joined the VA because I didn't want to work anymore". You don't have the pressure of making money or seeing a lot of patients, and even though your completely covered malpractice-wise, most VA patients don't sue doctors unless a gross mistake has been made (ie they aren't sue-happy, most of them are actually really old fashion and respectful to doctors). Another big advantage of working in the VA is that you don't have worry about how your patient is going to afford the meds that you prescribe him as the VA pays for it. Anyways, don't mean to ramble on, but those are all of the reasons that the VA is so popular these days with all physicians, particularly the older ones.
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ckent is correct of the history and current state of employment at the VA - they don't have elective OR cases going after 3:30 (make that 15:30) and the residents here don't take in house call (of course, its a painful 30 minute drive out there if you do have to go in).
Most universities in cities of moderate size will have a VA hospital for students to rotate at - I know students from UCLA, Chicago and Penn State all rotate at local VAMCs.
Most universities in cities of moderate size will have a VA hospital for students to rotate at - I know students from UCLA, Chicago and Penn State all rotate at local VAMCs.
