What Are Clinical Rotations?
Clinical rotations begin in your third year of medical school, and are usually when you begin treating patients in teaching hospitals. You'll become part of a medical team, and experience a side of medicine that isn't reflected in textbooks. Each school has their own clinical rotation requirements, but, at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), you can expect to spend several weeks in one specialty before switching to another.
Clinical rotations are a great chance to experience a broad range of specialties while you're still a student, and help you clarify the kind of doctor you want to be after graduation.
Until this point, you would've likely studied different illnesses and diseases in isolation instead of practice. Real patients are far more likely to have more than one illness or condition, and how they present won't always match what's written in the textbook. Providing quality patient care also has an emotional component you may have a hard time balancing at first.
While good doctors can diagnose patients, great doctors help patients make informed decisions, feel safe with them, and instill confidence in their abilities.
How Long Are Clinical Rotations?
Clinical rotations span two years - specifically in your third and fourth years of medical school - but you'll only spend a few weeks in each specialty. At American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), your clinical rotations will include:
- 12 weeks in Internal Medicine (60-80 hours a week)
- 12 weeks in Surgery (65-80 hours a week)
- 6 weeks in Pediatrics (50-80 hours a week)
- 6 weeks in Obstetrics and Gynecology (60-80 hours a week)
- 6 weeks in Psychiatry (40-80 hours a week)
- 38 weeks of electives
For your electives, we generally advise spending four to eight weeks in the specialty you plan to pursue after graduation. It is also recommended that you schedule the Family Medicine elective ( 4-6 weeks ) since it's a condition for licensure in most states.
Regardless of whether you have completed medical sciences in St. Maarten or Preston,, UK, campus , clinical rotations can be scheduled at affiliated hospitals in the U.S. or U.K..
Clinical Rotation Tips
Medicine isn't a static field. It requires constant learning, process of elimination, and the ability to pivot at a moment's notice. Balancing care for patients, completing coursework, and preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Exam® (USMLE®), it's easy to get bogged down by deadlines and lose sight of your goals.
It's important to make the most of this exciting time, and we've compiled a few tips and tricks we think can help.
Don't Let Fear Keep You from Learning
As a third-year medical student who's treating patients alongside seasoned medical professionals for the first time, it's easy to feel excited, nervous, scared of making mistakes, and hesitant to speak up. Every resident and attending started exactly where you are now and likely felt the same way as you.
No one expects you to be perfect and have all the answers in your rotations, but they are expecting to see you're trying and willing to learn. They want to hear your thoughts, see you're thinking through diagnoses logically, and open to helping out wherever you can.
While reflecting on her clinical rotation experience, Nikole Czapp, a 2016 AUC graduate, had this to say:
"If you forgot to check on something that comes up during rounds, say that you don’t have that information, but will obtain it. If you’re asked a question or are “pimped” on a topic you don’t know, it’s absolutely ok to say you don’t know but that you will find out. No one is expected to know everything and admitting your weaknesses actually comes off as a strength.
Don’t say you know how to do a procedure or a certain suture technique if you really don’t. It looks much better to say “I’ve never done that before but if you can guide me, I’ll do it”.
This displays maturity while still showing your eagerness to learn. A lot of learning will come from your experiences during rotations. If you tell someone you’ll look into a topic or skill, make sure you actually follow through. Circle back with your supervisor or preceptor after following through to show you’re reliable and taking the initiative.
Be Willing to Help (a.k.a. Create Opportunities for Yourself)
Sometimes, residents and attendings are swamped with their work. When that happens, they might handle tasks themselves instead of calling you over and teaching you how to do it. If that happens and you've completed your responsibilities for the time being, don't hesitate to ask if you can observe.
According to Nikole, "If the resident is about to remove a chest tube, speak up. Let them know that you’ve never removed one before and ask if they mind showing you how to do it.
Ask to help close during surgery if you’re scrubbed in. During ER rotations, become best friends with the techs and nurses. When you have time between patients, take blood, start IVs, place catheters, run EKGs. Expose yourself to as much as possible.
Be assertive, but respectful and take advantage of each unique learning opportunity in front of you while it is there. I’ve rotated with students who don’t like to step up and try new things unless they are forced to because they are scared of messing up. This is your time to not be 100% perfect at things and it is expected that you will need help and guidance. It is better to get some of these fears out of the way now, before residency when more responsibility is placed on you. Not only that, but your residents and attendings will notice your enthusiasm which will surely reflect in your evaluations."
Help Everyone on Your Team
Medical teams are made of more than a physician. Everyone, from the department heads to the medical assistants, works together to improve patient outcomes.
According to Nikole, "Oftentimes, medical students struggle to find their role in rotations, especially when each rotation has a different system with different responsibilities. Determine what is expected of you and then plan to meet those expectations and then some.
Show up early, stay late. Help the medical assistant get a room ready for a patient. Offer to run specimens down to the lab during downtime in an ER shift. Transport the patient yourself to x-ray if you’re free instead of waiting for transport to arrive. Get to know your patients!
Usually medical students have less responsibility than other members of the team involved in patient care so take this opportunity to really get to know them and their healthcare goals—after all, they are a part of the team too."
Develop Your Professional and Bedside Manner
It takes time to build your confidence interacting with patients, and clinical rotations can be a great starting point. As a student, you're likely eager to show what you know, correctly diagnose patients, and create treatment plans. It can be easy to get lost in the technical aspects of medicine, and lose sight of the fact your patients likely aren't trained in medicine. Bogging them down with every minute detail and jargon can be overwhelming, intimidating, and confusing for patients.
In your clinical rotations, focus on learning how to connect with patients, empathize with them, educate them, and help them make informed decisions about their healthcare. Ask for advice on how to conduct yourself in difficult situations - like delivering unpleasant news - while also maintaining empathy. Not every part of your job will be enjoyable, but learning how to conduct yourself professionally while in front of patients can take you far in your career.
Good luck and enjoy your clinical rotations!
--
The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. AUC is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.
