What Order to Schedule Clinical Rotations

I just found this article out on the web and found it interesting. For those of you that have a choice in clinical rotation order, you may want to check this out:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/585800

The Away Rotation & What it Means for Your Residency

I get a lot of 4th year medical students in both Chicago and New York that are doing rotations away from their home institution. I don't think all medical students realize what opportunities an away rotation presents, so I thought I'd jot down some notes on the topic:

1. An away rotation, first and foremost, is your best opportunity to see if you have a fit with a particular city and more importantly, with a particular hospital or medical center.
2. This opportunity also gives the medical student an inside track, if they take advantage of the opportunity, to make an impression on those that will later be reviewing applications when it is time to match. Make sure you are unforgettable (in a good way) and that you've met as many people as possible in the department(s) you will be applying to.
3. If you think you are particularly interested in a specific city and hospital, be sure to at least attempt getting a second rotation at a second hospital. The first hospital may greatly under-perform your expectations (I've seen this a lot in Chicago with my medical students...and in some cases it has even changed the overall direction of their specialty).
   
4. Plan ahead to make sure you make the most of any downtime you might have during your rotation. Make sure the city you are in is right for you by taking in the culture and social scenes in the city.
   

As always, happy hunting and don't work too hard!

Emergency Medicine Rotations

I just found a link that I thought I'd share. The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine has a good resource for Emergency Medicine Rotations. Check out:

http://www.saem.org/SAEMDNN/Default.aspx?tabid=577

As always, happy hunting! I will be adding these links to our resource as soon as possible:

MedBed Clinical Rotation Finder Application

Medical Student Rotations and the Recession

I've been asking this question a lot lately: How will this recession affect medical students, their clinical rotations and their job prospects?

After perusing the web and talking to quite a few people, this is what I have gathered. This is in no way a scientific study, but the consensus seems to be:

1) Medical Students are about 50/50 on whether their job prospects are secure.
2) Historically, applications to medical schools have increased in previous recessions.
3) There is still a shortage of doctors and nurses in the US.
4) Clinical rotations seem to be fairly secure - mainly because it is not a revenue drain.
5) Residencies should continue - Again, not a huge revenue drain (compared with an Attending).
6) If there is an impact, it will trail the rest of the economy by about a year or so.

I believe at the end of the day, that if you are in medicine for the right reasons and you carry a deep passion for what you do, you're going to be fine. In the long run, the US and world have survived recessions. Remember that each recession is usually "the worst since..." and yet, we always manage to move on.

Rotations During the Winter - Plentiful up North

As we head into Thanksgiving, I thought I'd post real quick on a phenomenon that I've been hearing about for a couple of years now...

If you're having trouble finding rotations during November through February, try rotations in colder climates. If you have thin blood, it may not be the most appetizing idea in the world, but I guarantee there is more availability in the schedules during this time of year. While others are crowding into rotations in warmer climates, you'll be busier and get better experience up north.

Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!