Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, one of AUC’s affiliated clinical rotation sites
When Do We Do Clinical Rotations?
Third and Fourth years of med school. After we complete our first five semesters of Basic Science training on the island, we go back to the states (or Canada) and take the USMLE Step 1 board exam within a semester’s worth of time. Once we pass the exam, we work with our clinical advisors and schedule our clinical rotations (aka “clerkships”) for our third and fourth years of med school.
How Many Weeks are Clinical Rotations?
In total, we do 72 weeks of rotations during our third and fourth years of medical school. We do 42 weeks of Core clinical rotations and 30 weeks of Elective clinical rotations.
What Are The Core Clinical Rotations?
The five core rotations that all med students must do are Internal Medicine (12 weeks), General Surgery (12 weeks), Pediatrics (6 weeks), OB/GYN (6 weeks), and Psychiatry (6 weeks). In addition, for licensure reasons, AUC highly recommends us doing the “required electives” of Family Medicine (can be 4 or 6 weeks, depending on the site) and Neurology (4 weeks). The rest of the electives we can choose ourselves, and are usually 4 weeks each.
Can We Do Elective Rotations Before Core Rotations?
Generally, we do core rotations before elective rotations, mainly because core rotations are more fundamental and elective rotations are usually sub-specialties of those fundamental core fields. There are only four elective rotations that we are allowed to do before finishing all of our core rotations: Family Medicine, Neurology, Pathology, and Radiology.
Where Can We Do Our Clinical Rotations?
We are required to do all of our core rotations at AUC’s affiliated teaching hospitals, most of which are located in the US, but also the UK. For elective rotations, we generally also complete them at AUC’s affiliated hospitals, but we also have the flexibility to complete some electives at non-affiliated hospitals as well. According to a newly-passed nation-wide law, we are allowed 8 weeks of our rotations at each institution/hospital not affiliated with our school.
What Does It Mean For A Rotation To Be “Greenbook”?
It means that the rotation is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and is done at a teaching hospital that also has a residency program in the particular field you want to do the rotation in.
Are All of AUC’s Clinical Sites Greenbook?
All of AUC’s clinical core rotations are greenbook except Pediatrics at Kern (in California), which fall under the umbrella of Family Medicine, and Psychiatry at Metropolitan State Hospital (also in California), which only covers adolescent psychiatry. These two rotations at these two locations satisfy the requirements for California and almost all the other states for licensure, but may cause issues in Texas. If you decide to go this route, you can still get a residency in Texas, but your licensing in Texas would be delayed until after you are board certified. To ensure you’ll have no issue with licensing in Texas, I personally would just do these two rotations at another one of AUC’s many affiliated teaching hospitals.
I Don’t See Pediatrics or Psych rotations at Providence Hospital Being Listed on the ACGME Site. Is It Really Greenbook?
The Pediatrics rotation at Providence is actually done via Providence’s sister hospital of St. John’s Hospital, which is listed on ACGME, and therefore is greenbook. The Psych rotation at Providence is administered via University of Michigan, which is also listed separately on the ACGME site, and is therefore also Greenbook. There’s a couple more examples of these types of listings. Yes, the way the approved clinical rotations are listed on the site can be a little confusing sometimes, but you can be sure that all of AUC’s clinical rotation sites (except Peds at Kern and Psych at Metropolitan) are greenbook.
Is There Only One Hospital We Rotate at Each Clinical Rotation Site?
Not always. For example, if you decide to rotate at Center for Haitian Studies (CHS), you’ll actually be rotating at any one of CHS’s affiliated hospitals: Miami Children’s Hospital, University of Miami Hospital, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Aventura Hospital, or Mt. Sinai Hospitals, all of which are major teaching hospitals for several medical programs in the south Florida area. We’re not just limited to that one hospital.
Which Hospitals Can I Do All 5 Core Rotations?
In the US: Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, Providence Hospital, Nassau University Medical Center, Kern (but keep in mind the Pediatrics here fall under “Family Medicine” and therefore can be an issue for licensure in some states).
In the UK: Ealing Hospital, Epsom General Hospital, and Royal Blackburn Hospital. If you choose to go to a hospital that does not offer all the cores, as a third or fourth semester student, you may have to do some traveling, but some people may like to experience different hospitals and make useful connections.
Will I Have Issues With Licensure If I Do Rotations in the UK?
No. All of AUC’s affiliated teaching hospitals in the UK are considered “Greenbook” and completely meet the requirements. Personally, I feel it would be an awesome experience to get trained in the UK for at least one of my core rotations and then return to the US to complete my third and fourth year of medical school.. I hear from several students and alumni that clinical training in England is more hands-on, and trains you well to impress your attendings once you come back to the states. Not to mention, being trained by two healthcare systems is an invaluable opportunity.
Are There Exams We Take After Each Rotation?
For each clinical rotation, we take the NBME Shelf Exam for that rotation. It counts towards our clinical grades at AUC, which is pass/fail. These exams are nationally administered and can be taken at various testing centers in the states. More importantly, after finishing our core rotations, we’ll have to take the second part of our board exams: the USMLE Step II. The Step II exam consist of a Clinical Knowledge portion (USMLE Step II ck) and a Clinical Skills portion (USMLE Step II cs). These exams are also administered at various hospitals around the country.
Where Can I Learn More About AUC’s Clinical Rotations?
Every semester, AUC’s Office of Clinical Student Affairs (OCSA) come down to the island to give a presentation/workshop about clinicals. It is open to the entire school and is a great way to get more information and get your questions answered about clinicals, as well as meet your clinical advisors. In addition, every May, AUC holds a Clinical Symposium in which representatives from most of AUC’s affiliated clinical teaching hospitals in the US and UK come to the island to talk to Basic Science students about their hospitals. You meet and talk to the people directly running the show and get a much better sense of what the sites and rotations are like. You can also contact the Office of Clinical Student Affairs directly to get any questions answered.
What are AUC’s Affiliated Teaching Hospitals?
For a complete and updated list of AUC’s clinical teaching hospitals, please visit here. Here is a list that I have compiled (updated January 22, 2013):
| CLINICAL SITES IN US | LOCATION | CORE ROTATIONS | ||||
| Med | Surg | Ped | Ob/G | Psych | ||
| Aultman Hospital | Canton, OH | X | ||||
| Baton Rouge General Hospital | Baton Rouge, LA | X | X | |||
| Bayfront Medical Center | St. Petersburg, FL | Electives only | ||||
| Brentwood Hospital | Shreveport, LA | X | ||||
| Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center | Bronx, NY | X | X | X | X | X |
| Brooklyn Hospital Center | Brooklyn, NY | X | X | X | X | |
| Center for Haitian Studies | Miami, FL | X | X | X | X | |
| Cleveland Clinic | Weston, FL | Electives only | ||||
| Flushing Hospital | Queens, NY | X | X | X | X | |
| Griffin Hospital | Derby, CT | X | X | |||
| Kaiser Permanente LA | Fontana, CA | Electives only | ||||
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | X | X | X | X | X |
| Lutheran Medical Center | Brooklyn, NY | X | X | |||
| Metropolitan State Hospital | Norwalk, CA | X | ||||
| Mount Sinai Medical Center | Chicago, IL | Electives only | ||||
| Mount Vernon Hospital | Mount Vernon, NY | X | ||||
| Nassau University Medical Center | East Meadow, NY | X | X | X | X | X |
| Orlando Regional Hospital | Orlando, FL | Electives only | ||||
| Providence Hospital | Southfield, MI | X | X | X | X | X |
| Shands at the University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | Electives only | ||||
| Spring Grove Hospital Center | Catonsville, MD | X | ||||
| St. Agnes Hospital | Baltimore, MD | X | X | |||
| St. John Hospital and Medical Center | Detroit, MI | X | ||||
| St. John’s Episcopal Hospital | Queens, NY | X | ||||
| St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center | New York, NY | Electives only | ||||
| St. Mary’s Hospital | Waterbury, CT | X | ||||
| St. Vincent Medical Center | Bridgeport, CT | X | X | |||
| Staten Island University Hospital | Staten Island, NY | X | X | X | X | |
| Tallahasee Memorial Hospital | Tallahassee, FL | Electives only | ||||
| Union Memorial Hospital | Baltimore, MD | X | X | |||
| CLINICAL SITES IN UK | LOCATION | CORE ROTATIONS | ||||
| Med | Surg | Ped | Ob/G | Psych | ||
| Ealing Hospital | London, UK | X | X | X | X | X |
| Epsom General Hospital | Epsom, UK | X | X | X | X | X |
| Queen’s Hospital | Romford, UK | X | X | X | X | |
| Royal Blackburn Hospital | Blackburn, UK | X | X | X | X | X |
| Wexham Park Hospital | Slough, UK | X | X | X | X | X |
| Worthing District Hospital | Worthing, UK | X | X | X | X | |
I know that there are 2-3 clinical centers in which you can do all your clinical rotations (both core and electives). I’m sure the number of spots are pretty limited and I was wondering how hard it is to get all the rotations in one hospital. I would like to stay in place during 3rd and 4th years and I was wondering how difficult it is to get the opportunity to do instead of shuffling between different hospitals and having to move from one apartment to another. Also I just wanted to let you know that your website is pretty amazing and has helped me to get all the information about AUC. Thank you!
Thanks for visiting Samantha! As for doing all your cores in one area, it is definitely possible, especially if you go to New York or the UK. You can also do all your cores in Michigan and California, but since spaces are limited at these sites and demand is usually high, it is more difficult to get these sites. You could always try taking the step early in order to have an earlier choice as to where to rotate, but be sure you are ready to take the step before you take it. Good luck Samantha!
Hey Benji,
We are planning on moving to the UK come Aug/Sept. I noticed on your list of hospitals you don’t have Kingston?
Thanks for posting all this great information, a girlfriend of mine at AUC told me about it!
Hi Helen,
Thanks for visiting my site. AUC no longer has Kingston as a site. This happened pretty recently, so I updated my information accordingly.
Good luck in everything!
Benji
Hey benji!
Thanks so much for your blog. It really has made more comfortable about the idea of going to school at AUC. Two questions. We’re you able to choose where you sis your rotations. I want to do mine in california. I see though the hospital that interests me, MSH in Norwalk only does psychiatry. Does that mean that I will do most of my others at a place like kern? Second do you feel the acquiring of AUC by DeVry is going to change the experience at AUC. I’m mostly likely going to start in fall 13. Thanks for your help.
Hi Tanner,
Thanks for visiting my blog. In terms of rotation, usually your clinical advisor will let you know which spots are available at the time of clinical registration, and from those that are available, you choose where you want to do your rotations. As of now, only Psych is offered at MSH in Norwalk, and therefore with the rest of your rotations, you will have to do them at the other affiliated hospitals, like Kern.
As for how the recent acquisition is going to change the experience at AUC, no one’s really sure. DeVry has said that AUC will continue to be its own institution, and that most likely we won’t notice any difference for a while. The AUC community certainly has a unique identity and intimate atmosphere and many current students worry that the school might lose this with the new owners. One thing is certain: there’s a lot more money available to be invested in AUC now… let’s just hope it’s for the better.
Best of luck Tanner!
Benji
Hi Benji,
I noticed you got into Michigan sites in your reply earlier in this thread and taking the step early. i was wondering, do you know how many spots are there in the July cycle at providence? And how early in the 6th semester is “early enough” to have a decent chance at making it into providence?
Thanks so much for sharing all your wisdom!
Hey Savreet,
Thanks for the message. The sites I talked about above are for clinical rotations during third and fourth years of medical school, not residencies. Sorry if there was any confusion. In terms of rotation assignments, the availability of sites is based on first come first serve principle. If you’re the first person in your class to get your score back, then you’re the first person in your class to choose where you want to go for rotations. Providence is a very popular spot for rotations among AUC students, so it tends to fill up quickly. Here’s some more info on what happens after you complete your second year on the island: http://www.caribbeanmedstudent.com/2012/01/clinical-registration-checklist/
Best of luck!
Benji
Hey Benji,
Do you know for which states even the electives have to be green-book? I went on the NYState licensing website and it has no mention of ‘green book’. Thanks for your help!
Hi Izabella, from what I understand, most states will require most of your electives to be green-book, especially for foreign medical graduates. It is also a school requirement that we complete most of our electives at ACGME-approved sites to ensure that all AUC graduates are eligible to get licensed in all 50 states. Any elective rotation that you decide to schedule will have to first be approved by the school, and the school definitely doesn’t encourage doing any non-green-book sites, even for electives.
Hi Benji
Is it possible to do the core rotations and electives in South Africa? If you dont have any hospitals that are affiliated in South Africa with AUC then is there any way that you can become affiliated with them? I live in South Africa and would love to do the rotations here as the exposure is very hands on!!!
Hi Saz,
As of now, AUC has no affiliated hospitals in South Africa, and therefore students are not able to do core rotations there. With electives, students are allowed to do them outside of affiliated hospitals, but they must be greenbook to be approved by AUC and counted for credit, and be OK with the medical board of the states in which you want to apply for residency. I’m not sure if the teaching hospitals in South Africa would be recognized as greenbook or approved in the US, and that’s something I’d recommend you looking into. It would be a fascinating experience if you could do some rotations there though.
Benji
Dear Benji: Is it possible to do elective rotations for hospitals not affiliated with AUC (Texas for example)?
Thank you!
Hi Tariq,
You are allowed to do elective rotations at hospitals not affiliated with AUC as long as they are greenbook. You’d have to contact the hospital you’re interested in and see if they take Caribbean medical students as visiting students. Some hospitals do while others may not. AUC would also have to approve the rotation. Many non-affiliated hospitals may require you to pay up front for the rotation, and often it can be very costly (i.e. $800/week or so). AUC may be able to reimburse some of the money, but you’d have to see with them. Otherwise, rotations at affiliated hospitals would already be included in your AUC tuition.
Benji
hello Benji,
I have few questions, if I may please?
(1) After giving step-1 exam in USA, how long it takes before scores are declared?
(2) After scores are declared, what is paper work need to be filled to give to AUC? to apply for clinical rotation? is it to be mailed to AUC or can it be E-mailed to AUC?
(3) After paper work is submitted to AUC , how long ( how many days) one has to wait before Auc will tell you where you will do clinical rotation? and lastly
(4) where could I find , (sites), which places other AUC student lives (apartments etc.,) when they do clinical rotations in usa at AUC affliated hospitals.
thanks in advance.
Hi Damini,
Thanks for writing. The answers to questions 1-3 can be found here: http://www.caribbeanmedstudent.com/2012/01/clinical-registration-checklist/
As for places to live, after you schedule your rotation sites, the site coordinators will email you an orientation package that will often tell you places that students have stayed at in the past. I’ve written a few clinical site guides as well about the sites that I’ve rotated at that has some places that I know students have stayed as well. Feel free to check them out.
Benji
Thank you so much Benji, your help is so much appreciated. you have a blessing day!!
please continue the good work!!