Must-Do Clerkship Rotations

[F508]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for must-do rotations, as in rotations that are:

- useful for any future practice

- high return for LMCC

- things less seen in predoctorate level but come up a lot in practice

 

ex: I've heard infectious diseases is a rotation everyone should do

[katakari]

Depends on your specialty of interest.

[ACHQ]

Agreed it really depends on your specialty of interest. For example, if you are interested in Internal medicine then I wouldnt call something like peds or OB/GYN a must do rotation.

 

As for "things less seen in predoctorate level but come up a lot in practice" again depends on your specialty but always being able to handle acute situations is something they don't really teach too much in preclerkship, things like anesthesia, emerg or ICU would be great for that.

[Renoir]

Agreed it really depends on your specialty of interest. 

I'm interested in the same advice as OP, but with a Family Rural residency in mind. (CCFP-EM or CCFP-FPA are potentials down the road) So far I've come up with:

• Radiology
• Anesth
• Derm
• Plastics (rural site)
• Ultrasound

Do these make sense? Any advice from other primary care folks? Thank-you!

[ACHQ]

I'm interested in the same advice as OP, but with a Family Rural residency in mind. (CCFP-EM or CCFP-FPA are potentials down the road) So far I've come up with:

 

• Radiology
• Anesth
• Derm
• Plastics (rural site)
• Ultrasound[/size]

Do these make sense? Any advice from other primary care folks? Thank-you![/size]

Note: I am not someone doing family medicine (let alone rural family) I am doing internal medicine but have worked with rural family docs getting extra training

 

I would say that list looks fine, and consider adding ICU and ER for sure. A trauma elective would be good but only during the primary survey not trauma surgery. Cardiology/CCU would probably be helpful too. Peds (peds ER would probably be best) would also be good for you.

 

That being said you probably have limited number of electives so you won't be able to do all of them.

[F508]

Of course it depends on what speciality you're interested in. However, regardless of speciality of interest, are there good electives to do to have a well rounded predoctorate training? I would hate to become an orthopedic spine surgeon who knows nothing about the differential for chest pain... A bit exaggerated but you get my point

[F508]

How would plastics be important for med fam?

[F508]

.

Agreed it really depends on your specialty of interest. For example, if you are interested in Internal medicine then I wouldnt call something like peds or OB/GYN a must do rotation.

 

As for "things less seen in predoctorate level but come up a lot in practice" again depends on your specialty but always being able to handle acute situations is something they don't really teach too much in preclerkship, things like anesthesia, emerg or ICU would be great for that.

Ita interesting you mentionned ICU, a few people have recommended this rotation. I was under the impression that ICU cases were more intense and wouldn't be helpful for a generalist practice. i guess ICU helps to learn how to stabilise patients in acute + severe cases?

[Renoir]

How would plastics be important for med fam?

The thinking was -probably only for trauma or minor procedures done in an urgent care or rural ED. In retrospect, a lot of the techniques could be learned on my own anyways.

 

In talking to my advisor, I'm told having this many 'lifestyle' specialty elective looks suspicious for some applying family, so I'll probably spend more time on family and internal electives.

[ploughboy]

.

Ita interesting you mentionned ICU, a few people have recommended this rotation. I was under the impression that ICU cases were more intense and wouldn't be helpful for a generalist practice. i guess ICU helps to learn how to stabilise patients in acute + severe cases?

 

If you're going to be practicing rural family med, from time-to-time you'll find yourself dealing with a ridiculously unstable patient without any back-up.  You'll be the most qualified medical practitioner available, at least until the helicopter gets there.

 

So ya, doing some ICU would be a good place to experience the basics of resuscitation.  As the med student on ICU, you'll often get stuck with the really stable, going-to-the-ward-but-there's-no-bed patients.  Don't settle for that!  Ask to be assigned to the fresh, unstable patients with one of the residents or the fellow backing you up.  And be keen about going to emerg consults, rapid response calls etc.  That's probably the best way for you to get the most out of that sort of rotation.

[ACHQ]

If you're going to be practicing rural family med, from time-to-time you'll find yourself dealing with a ridiculously unstable patient without any back-up.  You'll be the most qualified medical practitioner available, at least until the helicopter gets there.

 

So ya, doing some ICU would be a good place to experience the basics of resuscitation.  As the med student on ICU, you'll often get stuck with the really stable, going-to-the-ward-but-there's-no-bed patients.  Don't settle for that!  Ask to be assigned to the fresh, unstable patients with one of the residents or the fellow backing you up.  And be keen about going to emerg consults, rapid response calls etc.  That's probably the best way for you to get the most out of that sort of rotation.

 

100% agreed.

[PurpleS]

The thinking was -probably only for trauma or minor procedures done in an urgent care or rural ED. In retrospect, a lot of the techniques could be learned on my own anyways.

 

In talking to my advisor, I'm told having this many 'lifestyle' specialty elective looks suspicious for some applying family, so I'll probably spend more time on family and internal electives.

 

2 weeks in OBGYN would probably also be extremely helpful in rural family. Also agree on ICU and emerg mentioned above.

[hking03]

Having my matched to a rural family program and having worked with a few rural family doctors I'd say the following are good rotations to do:

 

ICU

Emerg

Peds Emerg

CCU

Obs

 

Good alternatives:

Trauma

Gen Surg

Anesthesia

Internal subspecialties

 

Ones that I would avoid:

Radiology (because for the most part, at least what I've seen and heard, you sit around and watch someone read an X-ray, which is cool but you'll get more practical X-ray exposure on ICU, internal, Emerg rotations).

Derm (although seeing skin conditions is important for practice, these electives are usually too short to get comfortable and you can always do an elective in residency)

 

 

Good luck!

 

Oh, also... I'd do a rural family elective too. Just so they know you are interested in family medicine