Clinical Sites

[wilsontft29]

Hello!

 

Can anyone share some of the places they have been for clinicals at Pacific? I know that they send you all over. I am applying for 2011, and I am anxious about the clinical part. What transportation is used if you go out of state? Do you rent a car, drive your own car? Where do you stay, how long are rotations, and does graduate loans cover all that? Thanks!

-Michelle R.T.®, CNMT

[primadonna22274]

Well, it was 1999-2000, and clinical sites have exploded since then, but: almost every Portland hospital except for OHSU; behavioral medicine & public health in Astoria (wonderful); IM outpatient/some hosp in Corvallis; FP/peds in Grand Ronde (tribal clinic, excellent); endocrine in Salem. I traveled less than most of my class and was able to commute almost everywhere (although Astoria was 2.5 hr drive so I stayed during the week and came home on the weekends). My understanding is most clinical year students now expect to travel at least one rotation away from home. Pacific has affiliation agreements in almost every state and several international rotations. My friend and former student is now clinical coordinator at Pacific so I have a little bit of insight there.

[rev ronin]

So there's a map with pins in it in the hallway. Until next month, we have 2 classes (2010 and 2011) out on rotations. Most of the pins are in OR, WA, and CA, with several pins per state in MT, ID, WY, UT, and CO. There are pins scattered to AK, TX, HI, NC, OH, MA, DC/VA/MD, IN, ND, GA and probably a few states I'm missing. Canada, Philippines, and Bahamas have one pin each.

 

In most cases, students drive. I doubt the student in the Bahamas drove (for those of you who've forgotten your canonical Dead Milkmen...).

[wilsontft29]

Thanks for the responses!!! My husband and I would be moving from Fl, to Oregon, so I have so many questions! We have never lived outside of Fl, but we have family in Bandon, and Port Oreford Oregon, so that should help some:) I don't mind traveling, just a little nervouse about being by myself in a strange place and being safe! lol Any other input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

-Michelle R.T. ®, CNMT

[rev ronin]

Accept that no matter where you get into PA school, you WILL be on the road a fair bit of the time your second year. The one thing that's surprised me here is how many married couples are living apart for PA school--roughly half of the married couples are living away from their spouses, and a quarter of the parents are living away from their children, at least for the week.

[Evan]

I had rotations all over... ER in Colorado, FM in Utah, IM in Nevada, Trauma in OR...

 

I took my car with me everywhere except Colorado where my housing accommodations were across the street from my clinical site... Housing was provided at a couple of my sites. Rented and borrowed rooms made up the others... Occasionally I was even able to live at home... I was away from my family about 50% of the time... I wasn't easy for any of us but we got through it...

I think I traveled more than average but that was my preference: I wanted a wide range of experience and clinical sites. That's one of the benefits of going to Pacific. They are very, very supportive of the more, shall we say, exotic clinical sites...

 

Rotations at Pacific were 6 weeks long with FM double that at 12 weeks... Loans paid for some of it with the balance coming from savings...

 

Good luck to you... Pacific is a great school but, of course, you must forgive my bias...

[ascites]

You are at the mercy of the clinical team... you could be planned out to go to hawaii but you could get a phone call a few days before heading out notifying you that you're rotation is canceled and will be going somewhere else. =)

[carpe178]

Eeek, ascites... I'm assuming the above scenario happened to you!? Where are you headed instead?

[mackdc2b]

this is great input from everyone! I love to travel (who doesn't?) but a financial issue may arise. Did Pacific provide you a financial aid interview following the formal interview? Or did everyone research that up themselves prior to interviewing?

[rev ronin]

Yes, the Pacific financial aid staff put on a presentation during my interview--I expect someone will be there Saturday as well. They DO increase financial aid availability to compensate for "extras" like international rotations--of course, much of that will be private lender aid, but what can you do?

[ascites]

It happened to one of my classmates.. ticket bought and ready to roll into next rotation.. then bam!!! a week before heading out.. "your next rotation has been cancelled!!!"

[alleycat]

last post was a while ago, but here's a great rotation @ circleville Ohio...a small rural ED 3 level, perfect if you want hands on...all students in my class that scored a trauma one got pushed to back of the room behind docs, techs, rns, med students and interns. good luck

[kenyabill]

Can any students or alumni share their experiences with Pacific's clinical rotations? I am interested in see where they went, how difficult it was to find housing, any complications that arose, or any tips/recommendations in general! This would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

[rev ronin]

What do you want to know?

 

Pacific has sites throughout the Western U.S., and a few in odd places like Ohio. Of my scheduled rotations (6 of 8, I'm not counting my family practice as double, nor counting my paper, since everyone is nominally in Hillsboro for that), one was in Costa Rica, three have been in the Portland metro area, and two were in Washington State, where I'm from.

 

Other clinical rotation sites I know my classmates have gone to (excluding international) include Alaska, Hawaii, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho. I think one guy went to Arizona, and someone probably went somewhere in Wyoming but I don't remember whom or where. Aside from Oregon, it seems like a lot of people go to Washington and Hawaii.

 

The clinical team focuses first on the education--there is no guarantee that you will get a location you want. At the same time, I've been very happy with their assignments for me. I know not all my classmates are as thrilled with their ratio of "near" (to Portland) vs. "far" rotations as I am.

 

Housing... for sites that tend to have one or more Pacific student per term, there are often places which continually rent to Pacific students; those are passed on from class to class, as needed. The school will only help arrange housing for International rotations. For the rest, students usually work through peers, family friends, Craigslist, or a realtor. I can't find a four bedroom house to rent in Forks, WA at any price, so I'm going to have to cram my family back into a three-bedroom, looks like. At the same time, there's TONS of good, affordable housing at other sites.

[kenyabill]

Thanks, this is exactly what I needed to hear! I have ties in both Southern California and Hawaii and would love to be placed in some rotations around the area. However, I know that's not possible. How much weight does the clinical rotations placement team give towards your preferences or is it completely random?

[rev ronin]

I have no idea how they weigh and mesh the various factors; you'd have to ask them directly. I do know that I've been pleased with the "fit" (personality, learning/teaching style match) of 4 of my 5 rotations so far, and with the locations of all of them, and I got the three areas I declared as interests (gen surg, internal med, EM) in the first half of my rotations.

[kenyabill]

Thanks for the help! I have a week left to make my decision to put down the deposit or not. From my impression of the campus, faculty, and conversations with the current students, it seems like a very good program that tries its best to prepare its student for the profession. However, the first time pass rate of the PANCE for the last 2 years discouraged me a little. I asked the program director why this had happened and whether any changes would be made, and I wasn't given a clear-cut answer other than those individuals that had failed had special circumstances. I appreciate all the info that hasbeen given already, but are there any current/former students that would mind sharing a list of pros/cons about the school?

 

Thanks in advance!

[megantnl]

this is great input from everyone! I love to travel (who doesn't?) but a financial issue may arise. Did Pacific provide you a financial aid interview following the formal interview? Or did everyone research that up themselves prior to interviewing?

I've found the financial aid staff to be very helpful. You can meet with them in person, or they are always quick to reply to emails. You'll meet them on interview day too.

[megantnl]

My rotations have been primary care near Seattle, family med near Portland, surgery in New Mexico, ER in Ohio, community med in Roatan, Honduras.

 

I've taken my car to those except for Ohio because I found a room to rent that's a mile away from the hospital. The clinical year presents a lot of logistical challenges but you take one thing at a time and it tends to work out pretty smoothly. If you do not want to travel during your clinical year, Pacific is not the place for you.

[TheGregoryGirl]

I have been accepted to Pacific and Northwestern and can see it's going to be a struggle to decide where to go. I still have questions about the traveling rotation scenario. I have a pet which means I would have to live with others to guarantee he'd be taken care of while I was gone. I am also wondering if you find yourself in the position of sometimes paying rent in two places? Thanks!

[rev ronin]

You are allowed to have pets, you just can't let them get in the way of your rotations. Most of the folks who had dogs or cats had to leave their pets behind for some or most of their rotations. BUT, that's nothing against pets, because most of the people had to leave their families behind for at least some of their rotations, too. I don't think you get extra financial aid for pets, though, unlike family members. I did only one rotation (Costa Rica) completely away from my family, but I actually moved my family with me to a site for 12 weeks, and then sublet our (rental) house to other students in my class who were doing rotations in Portland to recoup most of the cost. We ended up about even on that, but only because we were sent to a rural site where we could get a house for three months for 1/2 the price of our Hillsboro place. Other times, I ended up commuting "home" on weekends.

 

Expect nothing, and you won't be anything but pleasantly surprised.

[sthall]

the first time pass rate of the PANCE for the last 2 years discouraged me a little. I asked the program director why this had happened and whether any changes would be made, and I wasn't given a clear-cut answer other than those individuals that had failed had special circumstances. I appreciate all the info that hasbeen given already, but are there any current/former students that would mind sharing a list of pros/cons about the school?

 

Thanks in advance!

They have been making changes to get test scores up. There was a drop for a couple of years because students were slacking off and not putting the time into studying for the PANCE during rotations because they did so well in the didactic year. They are now requiring you to pass mini tests/quizzes after each rotation. The class of 2012 had only one student not pass on the first attempt an the 2013 class, last I heard, has all passed to date with a few left to take it.

[Z PA-C]

I have been lucky enough to be accepted to this program but my only big concern is having to travel every six weeks for rotations. If I go here I will be away from my boyfriend for the didactic year since he is studying to be a sonographer. By the time clinical year rolls around he will be done with his program and be able to move up to Oregon with me but it might be hard if I am having to travel a lot especially since he would want to start working.

 

I guess my question is...how much say do you have in staying closer to campus? Does Pacific have a lot of rotations nearby or is it pretty limited? I wouldnt mind commuting 1-2 hours but having to uproot and fly to other states would be a little tough.

[PAchick]

Leah told me to expect to relocate after every rotation (every 6 weeks).

I also asked about Cali and Hawaii rotations specifically. They do not have any rotations established in Cali and there isn't much of a chance to get rotations in Hawaii unless you're in the outreach program

[rev ronin]

Honestly?  My feeling is that the clinical staff have tended to under-promise and over-deliver.  In fact, I think my clinical coordinator, who is no longer with the program, really went too far in that direction, conveying the message "don't ever expect to see your family, but hey, it's only for 15 months"  Yet, I was able to see my family at least on weekends for all but the international rotation... and even then, I could Skype 'em.

 

There ARE rotations in plenty of states.  Multiple members of my class did rotations in California, but rotations are always being added and removed.  I wanted the Dutch Harbor rotation that I'd heard about from the classes before mine, but apparently the preceptor who worked with the school in previous years had taken another job.  Rotations are the hardest thing for a school to keep up on: there are plenty of new programs competing for them, including some who pay preceptors.  The time commitment to be a preceptor is pretty intense, and the average student won't be a net positive producer.

What surprised me was the number of married or engaged students who went through the entirety of PA school separated from their loved ones.  It was 20-25% of my class who did that, but I don't honestly know if that was anomalous or not.  Each year's class has its own dynamics.