Make the Most of Your Wait Time...

As of February 2010, the approximate wait time for clinical rotations is 6 months (with a range of 3 months to 9 months).

The reason for this fluctuation is that students may have requested to only have rotations in a particular region or only GREENBOOK certified.

So what can you do during this time gap?

Several Options:

·         Polish your practical skill set, history taking, and note writing using this SITE.  I did about 2-3 sections a day and finished it in a about 10 days.  Having gone through this will prepare you for you rotations.  It also has sections for oral presentations and write-up protocols.

·         Set up your own Elective (sometimes called a Clerkship) rotations at non AUA-affiliated hospitals.  These electives must be greenbook certified which means they have a residency program of that elective’s specialty that is accredited by ACGME or AOA.  Furthermore, for non AUA-affiliated hospitals you can only do certain electives which are:

1.       Diagnostic Radiology

2.       Opthalmology

3.       Emergency Medicine

4.       Neurology

5.       Pathology

Once you have a hospital that is interested in taking you in for any of those electives, you must then submit an request form to AUA to officially arrange this.  It involves the Dean of clinical sciences to overlook the request and get in touch with the program director at your hospital.  Ask your coordinator to send you an email attachment of the official form or email me at shivasherolike@gmail.com for it.

National Area Health Education Organization (NAO) helps students and hospitals get in contact for educational purposes.  You can use their DATABASE to browse through NAO-affiliated hospitals and apply directly for an elective or observership.

Alternatively, the On-Line Extramural Electives Compendium website can be used to access IMG-friendly electives.  It is sponsored by the Association of American Colleges (AAMC).

·         Set up your own Observerships (sometimes called a Preceptorship) at any hospital or clinic.  With Observerships you do not get credit for it, nor are you allowed to perform medical procedures and exams.  In most cases you are attending morning rounds, seminars, and case presentations.   Although less applicative than Clerkships, this is a good opportunity to develop contacts with physicians which will help for when you apply to residency.  This also gives you a preliminary exposure to a hospital environment so that you’re not totally lost on your first rotation.  Also, you can include observerships in your curriculum vitae to help enhance your residency application.  Because you will not get any credit for it, you do not need to formally apply to AUA like you would have for setting up an Elective.

Sample email to apply for Electives or Oberverships at hospitals:

Hello,

I came across your contact information from the “name of website”

I am currently a 3rd year medical school student at American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUACOM).  It is IMED-recognized with clinical clerkships based in affiliated hospitals throughout the United States.  I have some time before beginning my clerkships so I’d like to use this break as an opportunity to explore further hospital clerkships or observerships around my area of residence.

Please guide me accordingly as I'm interested in setting up a short elective clerkship or observership. 

In addition, kindly find my CV attached to this email as a word document.

Awaiting your reply,

Thank You

Getting Started Early...

From the day you took your USMLE Step1 exam to the day you receive your score report is 3 weeks.

You should use those 3 weeks to get all your paperwork completed to ensure a timely schedule and minimize the wait time for clinical rotations.

I encourage you to call AUA and find out who your clinical coordinator is and email them asking for the necessary paperwork that needs to be filled out.  Depending on your last name your clinical coordinator with either be Jessica Romero or Trisha Lane.

If you are not able to get a hold of them right away then you should anticipate what some of the paperwork will be by getting started on it beforehand.

What you will need

1. A signed agreement of the clinical clerkship placement attestation. 

This form is found in the Clinical Guidelines Handbook. To access this form email me @ shivasherolike@gmail.com

2. Criminal Background Check 

call your local police department to obtain this

3. Photocopy of Passport

4. Medical Clearance

This includes:

a. A physical in the last 6 months

i. There is a form the physician must fill out for this just email shivasherolike@gmail.com for it.

b. HIV counseling (just ask your doc to tell you about HIV risks and then have him write a note that he did so)

c. 10-panel drug-urine test lab report

d. Titers (this is important, don’t get just dates but get full titer reports that were done past 12 months)

i. Varicella

ii. MMR

iii. Hepatitis B

iv. Tetanus

v. Diptheria

e. PPD status for TB screening within last 6 months

5. Documentation of Certificates

a. HIPAA training course (I used CEUfast.com because I could also do the OSHA: Bloodborne Pathogen training course with it for $29.99)

b. OSHA: Bloodborne Pathogen Training course (ceufast.com)

c. BCLS training (you should have kept your little red card from the island so just photocopy it)

d. Infection Control Training course (proceo.com/courseover). AUA has a discount code that will make this cost $25.00.

e. Health Insurance Card (photocopy it)

6. 2 Passport-Size photos

7. Proof of Seasonal Flu Shot (I got mine done at Target but if you call around to any pharmacy stores or even your doctor’s office they should have it). Ask for the receipt copy that shows:

a. LOT #

b. Expiration Date

c. Vaccine Manufacturer

d. Date of Dose

e. Amount

f. Site of Injection

8. Curriculum Vitae

Example 1

Example 2

 

9. Official USMLE Score Report

Once you have obtained all of your paperwork, photocopy everything and mail it all at once to your designated clinical coordinator’s address at the AUA New York Office:

American University of Antigua
College of Medicine / School of Nursing
2 Wall Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10005


I hope this guide was useful and you're transition into clinicals is a smooth process.