What Are Clinical Rotations?
Discover the journey through clinical rotations for MD students, when future doctors begin bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world practice. Explore key skills, diverse specialties, and strategies for success in this blog.
What Are Clinical Rotations?
Clinical rotations represent a pivotal educational phase for MD students marketing their transition from intense theoretical studies to real-world clinical practice. After two years immersed in textbooks, labs, and lectures, the opportunity to apply medical knowledge in a practical setting is both exhilarating and demanding.
At St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine, clinical rotations occur at exceptional teaching hospitals across the U.S. and Canada during semesters 6-10 of medical school. There, students work closely with practicing physicians to help care for real patients. Under expert medical supervision, students experience the practical duties of being a doctor, including patient interviews, examinations, and interpreting lab data.
To ensure you embark on this journey feeling confident and prepared, we’ve curated some key information highlighting what you can anticipate during clinical rotations and strategies to help maximize your learning experience.
Why are clinical rotations important?
While classroom learning establishes a strong academic foundation, medical theory alone does not adequately equip you for the challenges of real-world medical practice. In clinical rotations, you will engage with patients who present unique symptoms and experiences, often deviating from textbook scenarios.
Clinical rotations refine diagnostic skills and practical abilities within authentic clinical environments, which is crucial for developing expertise in managing the complexities of patient care.
You’ll gain valuable insights into different medical fields, which will help inform your choice of specialty later in your medical career.
What are the benefits of clinical rotations?
When you complete your clinical experience, you’ll have gained key skills needed to work as part of a medical team and care for real patients, including:
- Identifying appropriate diagnostic procedures.
- Understanding the relationship between socioeconomic and medical problems.
- Developing a database.
- Constructing a master list of potential health problems.
- Conducting interviews and charting patient information.
- Educating and counseling patients, adjusting your communications to their level of understanding, and developing increased sensitivity to unique needs.
- Undertaking basic clinical procedures, such as laboratory tests and suturing.
- Managing straightforward, common medical ailments (with appropriate oversight)
Types of clinical rotations
Core rotations
Medical students engage in an extensive 80-week clinical rotation program, incorporating both core and elective elements, to diversify their experiential learning across various medical specialties. In the Core Clinical Clerkships portion, during year three, students delve into five essential disciplines:
- Internal medicine — 12 weeks
- Surgery — 12 weeks
- Pediatrics — 6 weeks
- Obstetrics & Gynecology — 6 weeks
- Psychiatry — 6 weeks
Elective rotations
Elective rotations cater to your chosen specialty, providing a customized learning journey. Typically lasting four or six weeks, such placements are usually completed in the fourth year for disciplines such as:
- Primary Care Medicine (required)
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Anesthesiology
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Neurology
- Pathology
- Plastic Surgery
- Radiology
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
What challenges should I expect during clinical rotations?
Although clinical rotations can be exciting and rewarding experiences, they also come with their own unique challenges, such as:
New terminology: Initially, the medical jargon and acronyms used by staff may seem like an “alphabet soup.” Prepare to familiarize yourself with new terminology, diagnostic tests, and diseases. Succeeding in clinical rotations is as much about studying as any other part of medical school.
Time management: Although you’ll be learning useful skills and knowledge, you’ll also need to prepare for shelf exams simultaneously. Being a great medical school student involves making sure you have sufficient time to study, while also devoting enough care and attention to your clinical rotations.
Emotional resilience: Dealing with patients who do not respond positively to treatment or face unfortunate outcomes can be emotionally taxing. Building resilience is crucial to navigating these early clinical experiences successfully.
How can I succeed during my clinical rotations?
Here are our top recommendations for maximizing your clinical rotation experience:
- Familiarize yourself with your patients: Despite encountering fewer patients at this stage of your training, invest time in understanding their social and medical history and symptoms thoroughly.
- Dedicate time and effort to patient care: Prioritize understanding and assisting your patients to the best of your ability. Actively engage, ask pertinent questions, and study to enhance your comprehension of their conditions and treatment.
- Collaborate with ancillary staff: Recognize the expertise of ancillary staff and seek their insights. Inquire about similar cases and heed their advice and recommendations.
- Establish a robust study routine: Balance active participation in your rotation with dedicated study time for upcoming assessments. Maintain a realistic study schedule that integrates seamlessly with your rotation commitments.
- Seek professional feedback: Embrace feedback as a catalyst for skill enhancement and continual growth. Don’t hesitate to solicit feedback from your clinical team to refine your performance with each rotation.
- Adhere to professional attire standards: Present yourself professionally by adhering to dress code guidelines. Wearing appropriate attire instills confidence and demonstrates competence to both patients and peers.
How can studying at SMU help you?
At St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine, we offer outstanding clinical rotation opportunities and the right support to help you become a successful doctor. Learning from our expert faculty and gaining invaluable experience in real-life clinical settings will help you become a more skilled and confident MD.
Thinking about starting your journey to becoming a doctor? Take a look at our four-year MD program. Our small class sizes, excellent curriculum, and well-established clinical partnerships work together to deliver an exceptional education for aspiring physicians from the U.S., Canada, and many other countries.
Learn more about our admissions requirements, what’s involved in the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the best ways to gain research experience before you start medical school.
Contact our knowledgeable team today or join one of our upcoming events to learn more about studying at St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine!
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