fakingpatience Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Is there a good way to judge a schools clinical rotations? As a pre-PA, the quality of a schools clinical rotation is a huge factor in deciding which schools to apply to. Are there certain questions I should ask programs? Red flags to look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted April 27, 2014 Moderator Share Posted April 27, 2014 can all students get both peds and ob rotations? these are the hardest sites to arrange and some programs short folks on these by giving "extra fp" to "make up for" the lack of appropriate rotation sites in peds and ob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbrothers98 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 This is a great question and a very important one. Clinical rotations are where a student is made into a clinician. With this occurring over a year or slightly more, the quality needs to be high. A student is in the best position to ask these hard questions during the interview process. Once a student is in their 2nd year, finding out rotations are subpar is too late. I agree with the advice above, peds and ob are hard to find, ob much so for male students. First thing to check is if the program makes information readily available at their website concerning clinical rotations. This question may already have an answer. If a program is attached to a medical center or medical school, likely that there will be rotations there, some good, some not so good. Competition with medical students and residents has to be anticipated. There may be a rigid clinical curriculum that cannot be deviated from ie all EM rotations at the large ED with 60k visits a year, all FP rotations at the associated medical center clinic, a way to ensure the same exposure and instruction for all students in the program. For a program not attached, this can be a crap shoot. Ask what the program does to obtain and maintain rotations? Are there rotations that are difficult to obtain? Will students know their entire rotation schedule at the start of the year or will this be a more dynamic process? If a student has the ability to set up their own rotations, is this allowable and what assistance does the program provide in that situation? Are there 2nd year students of the program to talk to you about their rotation experience? Does the clinical coordinator have a presence at interviews and make themselves available for questions? Two last things to consider. How large is the program? Much easier to place 24 students in rotations than 100. Where is the program and how many programs are nearby? Competition for rotations can be a factor plus geographic barriers such as distance and remoteness may work against rotations. Or there are great rotations, just students have to travel an hour from campus to get to it and there is no housing available. Concerns about rotations are valid. Another concern that I dont see brought up on a regular basis is handling the knowledge base they try to drown you in the first year along with learning the basic skills needed to be a PA. Some things to think about and ask: Who teaches the classes? PA program faculty, med school faculty or community medical professionals? If med school faculty or community professionals, is there a CourseMaster (faculty that sits in lectures, knows what was said to students and can distill and test on what is needed vs unnecessary hot air? What is done to focus on the essentials needed to progress from term to term, year to year, student to graduate? What percentage of classroom time is spent in lecture vs small group vs lab? Is there any self directed learning? Are there tutors available if needed? Remediation available for poor performance? Good luck. George Brothers PA-C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted April 30, 2014 Moderator Share Posted April 30, 2014 Two last things to consider. How large is the program? Much easier to place 24 students in rotations than 100. worth considering, but check individual programs. my program (drexel/hahnemann) had 80 students and the best rotation list I have ever seen. the length of time a program has been around is a major facror to consider as well. my program has been around since 1971, so they had worked out all the kinks in the rotation schedule and had lots of great options like trauma surgery sites, peds em sites, etc. and all students knew all their rotation sites early on before starting the clinical yr. I have a current student who does not yet know where her next rotation, which starts in 2 weeks, will be as the program is scrambling to find her one. that's not ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshie1 Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 The only reliable resource is the current 2nd year students of your program of interest. While it is nice to think that the ADCOM, or Clinical Coordinator, or faculty will be honest with you about how they operate, during the interview process or a phone call of inquiry you will be told how it SHOULD work. It is doubtful that you will EVER be told that they are having trouble retaining or securing sites, for whatever reason. Why would they ? DO NOT assume that a long-standing program has their ducks in a row as far as this is concerned. Try to talk to the 2nd years to see how it has gone or is going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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