Many medical students begin clinical rotations during the late summer and early fall. The move signifies a transition from classroom to clinic, making for a different type of learning environment.
Here is a look at some do’s, don’ts, tips and tricks that will help you thrive during clerkship rotations.
Support the support staff
Nurses, patient-care assistants and other members of the care team will provide you much guidance as a medical student. Because of that, it is wise and helpful to always be on the lookout for ways you can contribute. Even if your clinical knowledge isn’t perfect, being genuinely helpful and professional can leave a lasting positive impression
Kimberly Lomis, MD, the AMA's vice president of medical education innovations, said thatworking with nurses and other health professionals offers a lesson in systems thinking during each shift. “Students are understandably a bit intimidated at first,” she said. “But because you are actively observing everyone as you try to learn, you have an opportunity to contribute to team workflows and patient safety. Asking respectful questions about why the team does its work in certain ways can help you identify how you can pitch in and sometimes leads to meaningful improvements.”
The AMA Succeeding in Medical School series offers tips and other guidance on a wide range of critical topics, including preparing for the USMLE and COMLEX exams, navigating clinical rotations, publishing scientific research, and maintaining optimal health and wellness.
Dive deeper:
- The science of scheduling: When to do key medical school rotations
- 4 tips to enhance patient communication as a medical student
- Clerkships: How medical students can hone situational awareness
- Ready for the OR? 5 tips for your surgical clerkship rotation
Your rotations offer specialty insight
Clinical rotations give students the experience they need to make informed decisions about what to practice, so “choose your medical school rotations wisely … get broad exposure to specialties, and look at them first hand,” said AMA member Chris Dangles, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Service in Gibson, Illinois.
“I have a wife who knew she wanted to be a plastic surgeon from the time she was five years old and fortunately she was able to do that. Myself, as an orthopedic surgeon, I didn’t pick the specialty until my last year of medical school,” Dr. Dangles said, noting that he gave himself the time he needed in training to gain exposure to orthopaedic surgery before choosing the specialty.
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Read the room
While a clerkship rotation may feel like one long assessment of your clinical knowledge, the softer skills also are vital. One of those skills that can get lost is situational awareness, according to AMA member Felisha Gonzalez, MD.
Medical students often become so focused on clinical accuracy and impressing supervisors—by giving thorough differentials or sounding confident—that they may forget the emotional weight their words carry when spoken in front of patients.
“If you're giving a differential and cancer is on your differential, don't say that in front of the patient for the first time,” she said. “It might not even be an option the care team is thinking about, but now you’ve scared the patient. They’re human. You have to remember that part.”
Dive deeper:
- FAQ: How to master life as a third-year medical student
- Answers to top questions about away rotations
- Tips to act like an intern and ace your subinternship rotations
- Match is huge, but don’t overlook these other must-do’s
Put patients first
Take the time to get to know your patients and help your team identify their needs. Students often have more time to elicit important social factors that impact outcomes. A great side benefit is that, by knowing your patients well, you are more likely to remember associated clinical details and pearls.
“Let’s say someone came into the hospital with a case of pneumonia, and you treated it and it improved. One of the best things you can do is get to know that patient, and that way it’s actually a study aid,” said AMA member Michael J. Rigby MD, PhD.
“The more you know about that patient, their personal life, who they are, what they do, you are actually going to help yourself root that concept in memory,” said Dr. Rigby a third-year neurology resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “So, getting to know the patients on your team can actually be very helpful for your own academic needs.”
