Everyone says clinical rotations are way better than classroom didactics. They are not wrong. I think a lot of it has to do with finally seeing patients and the education being more clinically relevant. For those students preparing for rotations, I wanted to share a few challenges that I often experienced and some advice to conquer these challenges.
One concern many students have is finding the time to study for shelf/COMAT exams. I would recommend always having something you can study while on rotation during inevitable downtime. Anki is great for this. Untimed practice questions are another good idea. It’s probably best to save timed blocks for when you have a less distracting environment (not the clinic or hospital).
I’d also recommend setting goals for how many practice questions you want to finish prior to your shelf exam and then coming up with a game plan for how many to finish daily. I would normally divide the total number of practice questions by the number of days of the rotation and then give myself a couple days as a buffer to make sure all questions are completed.
Another effective way to study is to read about the topic relevant to the patients you are seeing. I would try to look up relevant information on UpToDate, AMBOSS or Open Evidence and read about it during downtime. Connecting what you see in the clinic with your reading may help your long-term memory of that concept too.
Every rotation will be different in terms of the amount of time you have to study while “on the job” and free time to study while at home. It may take a rotation or two to learn how to study but be patient with yourself as you adjust to rotations and just aim to do your best.
Personally, I am not at one clinical site for more than two rotations, so I’m constantly adjusting to new building floor plans, navigating traffic and finding parking. To reduce first-day jitters at a new site, I’d recommend either visiting the clinic/hospital if possible, or finding your parking lot on Google Earth.
On your first day, I would make sure to learn the expectations of your preceptor so you know what you can do to help them out and to set yourself up for success for the evaluation. It’s also a good idea to ask for feedback throughout the rotation, especially halfway through. This will likely not only help your evaluation but will allow you to work on improving your areas of weakness to be a better future doctor.
The last challenge I wanted to share is picking a specialty. I am currently battling this challenge, although I think my mind is 99% decided. I’d recommend reflecting on your rotations throughout the year, whether you write down your reflections or share them in conversation with colleagues, friends or family.
If you have any say in the order of your rotations, I’d recommend doing a rotation in your specialties of consideration by February, so you likely have your mind made up before most applications open for audition rotations. If you are interested in a more competitive specialty, I’d also recommend meeting with your school’s career services program about your competitiveness and for any tips on being successful with applying for auditions and the match.
If you are very lost on finding a specialty for you, I’d also recommend taking the AAMC Careers in Medicine quizzes. These would show you which specialties best align with your interests, professionally and personally.
Lastly, mindset is so important to do well and to enjoy clinical rotations. No one loves working long days and then studying on top of long days. I try to remind myself that I am studying for my future patients. This makes studying a lot more manageable than just studying for another exam. Be a sponge on rotations and try to soak up as much as possible, from clinical knowledge to communication and leadership skills.
Best of luck to you on rotations!