Imagine your first day of clinical rotations as a medical student. After hours of studying, you will finally transition from learning in classrooms to exploring real care environments.
To succeed, you will need more than textbook knowledge—you’ll need planning, curiosity and the right mindset. With the wisdom of years in practice, physicians offered key insights on how to make the most of every rotation from day one.
Schedule strategically
John Andrews, MD, is the AMA’s vice president for graduate medical education and a former pediatric residency program director. He said that putting your interests first in the rotational pecking order is a good strategy for career planning.
“Use your clerkships to help define your interests,” Dr. Andrews said. “If you think you might be interested in a specialty but haven’t had clinical experience in it, try to schedule that rotation early. It’s disappointing to go in thinking you want to be a surgeon, only to do your surgery clerkship late and realize it’s not a good fit—by then, it can be hard to change direction.”
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.
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Take every rotation seriously
While not all the clinical rotations you do will be of equal interest given your long-term career goals in medicine, each one does offer an opportunity for growth, according to AMA member Felisha Gonzalez, MD.
“Being excited about the rotation you're on, even if it's not what you want to do, helps,” said Dr. Gonzalez, a fourth-year emergency medicine resident in Boston. “Try to recognize that all things you learn are positive opportunities. It’ll make you a better doctor in the long run anyway.”
Check in with your fourth-year peers
Medicine is a field with complex technologies and health systems that are rapidly changing. That’s why Michael Rakotz, MD—group vice president for the AMA Improving Health Outcomes initiative—recommends students ask senior classmates questions about their experiences working with clinicians.
“I always tell students to find somebody who is a fourth-year when you’re going to be a third-year because that’s invaluable,” he said. “These students would have been through exactly what future students will experience and will know what clinical rotations will be like in their school or hospital environment. They can always give the most precise advice on what to expect.”
Talking with your peers can keep you informed about important new health technologies, clinical skills, work hour requirements and procedures students should practice in training, Dr. Rakotz said.
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Speak with an attending in that specialty
Clinical rotations can give you the rare opportunity to interact with attending physicians, ask questions and observe how they care for patients in a real care setting. This can be especially helpful for students who already know they’d like to pursue a very specific specialty.
“If you want to be something specific—like a cardiologist, nephrologist or surgeon—it’s great to talk to older students on those rotations, but also find an attending who has actually [practiced that specialty] in real life for years,” Dr. Rakotz said.
For instance, the life of a general surgeon teaching students on rotation or in an academic setting may differ greatly from that of a general surgeon who is practicing the specialty full-time, Dr. Rakotz said. While immersed in a clinical setting, try to gain insights from a physician who practices in your field full time to make sure you understand the everyday expectations and culture of that specialty.
Hone your ability to listen
AMA member Chris Dangles, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Service in Gibson, Illinois.
“Listening is one of most critical clinical skills you’ll need. I tell my students all the time, ‘Just listen to your patients, and they’re going to tell you what’s wrong,’” Dr. Dangles said.
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Don’t forget to have fun
From acing the United States Medical Licensing Examination to prepping for shelf exams, as a medical student, it’s natural to often have a goal or deadline in mind. But try not to let these responsibilities eclipse the excitement of donning your white coat or experiencing clinical rotations for the first time.
“I still remember what seems like every second on my first clinical rotations,” Dr. Rakotz said. “I remember how much fun they all were and how great it was to get out of the classroom because I did not enjoy sitting in a classroom eight hours a day. But I loved every second of learning how to practice medicine from real doctors in a real hospital with real patients ... and I know most students to do too. It’s really where you learn how to become a doctor.”
Let go of the fear of being wrong
As a third-year medical student, Dr. Gonzalez felt immense pressure to project confidence and avoid mistakes. As a resident who works with students during clinicals, she has found that fear to be misplaced.
“I just always felt that if I got something wrong or if I answered a question incorrectly, that it would be held against me,” she said. In hindsight, she wishes she had released that anxiety, noting, “You absorb more knowledge and you learn more easily when you are calm and relaxed.”
