I know they include City of Hope (pretty damn awesome for peds, I'd think) Arrowhead, and a bunch of places our around San Bernardino. The only negative I could see in the list is that the different locations were pretty far flung, and it'd be a trek to commute out to, say, Arrowhead every day.
Not that I'll be rotating any of these places, but still...
I got the impression they were pre-arranged, the only exception being your electives, which you pursue. I think that's the way it's done at any half-way decent school.
That was the impression I got as well, but I wanted to be sure, rather than simply assume.
There are set tracks that you can rank, where you choose which rotation where and when, and then a computer chooses which one you get, based on your rankings and other's rankings.
After that, you have the opportunity to trade each specific rotation with others. It's pretty structured, which I think is good.
Edit: This is for the third year, I'm not exactly sure how the 4th year works.
Sounds pretty cool... do you know where I can find more information about this?
And yeah, it seems like the third year is filled with required rotations that should be a little more set, only about three months worth of required rotations in year 4... it also sounded on interview day like any international rotations probably needed to be set up on your own.
i have heard you guys talking a lot about cali, but why in particular are you guys choosing western over other DO schools??? i have not seen the campus yet, what are the facilities like? and what do current students think of the program?
Well, you've gotta understand, California people never want to leave California, but on the other hand, it's very difficult to get into California schools. So that's really a huge plus here.
On the other hand, there are a lot of reasons even a non-California person would want to be here. The facilities are excellent and seem fairly new (especially with the new building going up). They have excellent early clinical experiences and a great basic science curriculum. They have a strong emphasis on OMM and seem pretty focused on building student skill levels there. The students there seem really happy- everyone we passed on our tour was smiling at us, saying hi, and wishing us luck, while the students we had lunch with described their experience as overwhelmingly positive. All lectures are on video podcasts synced up to the powerpoint, so you can use that instead of lecture if it's a better use of your time. Students also seem very cooperative and share notes and study aids through an online forum. The curriculum and testing works well- they test every other Monday, which lets you get into a rhythm, and they also use the USMLE shelf exam to help you prepare for boards. You're also in unique situation where you can live in good neighborhoods while working with a population in immense need (and practice your medical spanish!).
Overall, this is just a great place. The match lists are great, and I have a lot of faith that this place will make you a great, sensitive, caring clinician.
Have fun at home and good luck
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