As a prospective med student considering medical schools, you are likely doing your due diligence by researching schools’ USMLE pass rates and residency Match stats, as well as MD curriculum. Another crucial factor not to be overlooked is a school’s clinical training program.

Med students complete their clinical training during the final two years of their med school journey. This is a time for students to apply their knowledge and explore various specialties in their clinical rotations.

Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions students have about clinical rotations at St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine.

1. Where do SGU students complete their clinical rotations?

While SGU’s campus is based in the Caribbean, students have access to over 85 hospitals and health systems in the US, Canada, Grenada, and the UK offering clinical and ambulatory training and support. In fact, SGU’s network is largely in the US.

One benefit to SGU’s clinical network in the US, according to Dr. Robert Grant, senior associate dean for clinical studies, is learning healthcare in different environments.

“Students can practice in different socioeconomic areas—rural versus urban, private hospitals versus municipal hospitals, as well as different geographic areas,” Dr. Grant explains. “Having that network of clinical sites gives you the opportunity to really try on an area that you may not have had the opportunity to visit, explore, or experience before.”

2. Are the rotations accredited?

Yes. SGU students complete their clinical training at hospitals and health systems with postgraduate programs that have been approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the UK and Grenada equivalent. They do their rotations right alongside students attending US medical schools at US SGU clinical affiliated sites.

3. What kind of clinical rotations will I complete and how long will they be?

Students must complete several “core rotations,” including internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. In most cases, core clinical rotations are broken down into six-, or 12-week blocks, enabling students to experience a variety of different specialty areas from one rotation cycle to the next.

These clinicals often include outpatient experiences, such as short visits in which you’ll take a patient’s history and perform physical exams. You can also expect inpatient rotations that will involve more extended patient interaction, often caring for the same patients in days-long cycles.

Once a student completes their core rotations, they will have the opportunity to choose electives in a variety of subspecialties like anesthesiology, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, pulmonary disease/critical care, and many more.   These electives vary in length.

4. Is it possible to do rotations at hospitals that aren’t affiliated with SGU?

While students must complete core rotations at SGU-affiliated hospitals and centers, some students do electives elsewhere.

Students from Canada, for example, often like to secure an away rotation back in their home country if they’re able. Or perhaps you’re simply interested in a particular elective at a site outside of SGU’s network.

SGU students are permitted 12 weeks of nonaffiliated rotations and should discuss these options beforehand with their SGU advisors.

5. How well does SGU prepare students for clinical rotations?

Working with patients is an important part of a physician’s job but you first need to have a solid background in medical education to build upon. SGU has a systems-based curriculum rather than organ-based so that students grasp key concepts of interactions and processes within the human body early on in their education.

Most students do go through a bit of an adjustment period when they start clinicals. Learning transitions from being primarily didactic to much more hands-on in a hospital setting. As such, there is typically more responsibility during your final two years of medical school.

“This is a different kind of learning now,” says Dr. Grant. “You’re going to need a different set of competencies than what helped you through the basic science years. Now you will have to make use of your skill sets in humanism, interpersonal relations, and, in terms of team building, being able to assess and treat a patient together with other doctors and hospital personnel.”

6. How do I make a good impression during my clinical rotations?

Making a good impression during your clinical rotations is important for establishing advantageous connections for your career. The collaborative nature of clinical care means that you’re going to be working with clinical colleagues in other disciplines who are going to be sources of referral for you. You will enter your career with a cohort of peers who you trained with and got educated with.

Dr. Grant offers this advice as well: “Take advantage of the opportunity in every way you can. If a faculty member or a resident is doing some clinical research, get involved. We’re all interested in making healthcare better. The clinical project may be one with outcomes, healthcare policy, or a particular clinical condition. Contributing to the fund of knowledge is a fantastic way to make a good impression.”

7. Does SGU provide any support services for students completing clinical rotations?

Students often go through a bit of an adjustment period when they start their third year of medical school. It’s actually quite common to feel a little uneasy at first. The good news for SGU students is that there’s a support system in place.

SGU’s Academic Advising Development provides comprehensive support to SOM students throughout their clinical journey. Drawing from their extensive experience, the clinical academic advisors serve as mentors who offer insights derived from their own time as clinical students and as practicing physicians.

Support services offered by Academic Advising Development include:

• Personalized advising: Advisors provide individualized guidance and support to help students navigate the complexities of clinical rotations, ensuring they develop the requisite knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes.
• Mentorship and professional development: Advisors mentor students in their professional growth, such as how to integrate effectively into clinical settings, and advocate for their needs.
• Resource connection: Advisors connect students with academic resources, support services, and opportunities for clinical experience enhancement.

The Office of Career Guidance (OCG) also serves as a critical resource for students. During students’ clinical years, OCG assists students with preparing applications for postgraduate residencies and postgraduate opportunities. Complete information on examination requirements, clinical timeline guidance, and obtaining postgraduate training is provided to help students navigate the residency application process. Many OCG advisors are also MDs who provide guidance helping SGU clinical students maximize their chances of matching into the specialty and geographic location for residency training that the student desires.

Work toward your physician future

You can see that SGU clinical rotations have a lot to offer students. This training program is thoughtfully designed to ensure you make the most of your final two years in medical school. You’ll have so many opportunities to develop your patient skills and find mentors who will help you every step along the way.

From applying to med school to residency and beyond, the journey to become a doctor takes motivation, dedication, and discipline to succeed through each stage of the process. Check out SGU’s free resource, Journey to become an MD: Steps to becoming a doctor, which provides information and advice to help guide you through each stage.

This article has been updated from January 2021 to include current facts and figures.