Clinical rotations are assigned medical school shifts for medical students who are assigned duties in a clinical setting. When a medical school student gets assigned to a site, they work under the supervision of a clinical expert or physician and learn the work professionally. During this time, students perform many medical duties – starting with small help to extending their hand for more advanced and complex causes.
It is a wonderful opportunity for students to test their knowledge and understanding of veterinary science, while applying it on a day-to-day basis. One of the most enriching experiences in this regard would be the opportunity to understand the human and animal bond, mostly the pet-parent and the pet, and the relationship between a pet family and their vets. This is the time when a student can take a closer look into the everyday routines and expectations of this profession. And by the end of every rotation, students are evaluated by their instructors.
If you are a senior vet school student, you are probably about to start your rotations. If you want to learn about core rotations in veterinary school.
What are the different types of clinical rotations?
Most clinical rotations last for about six to eight weeks in veterinary schools. And every student undergoes different rotations to learn different services.
The core rotations for most students include:
- Equine surgery and medicine
- Anesthesiology
- Medicines for Animals of food consumption
- Oncology
- Neurology or neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Orthopedic surgery for small animals
- Ophthalmology
- Internal medicine for small animals
- Diagnostic pathology
- Theriogenology – referring to animal fertility and reproduction
Besides the core rotations, medical students are also required to complete another twelve to fourteen weeks of electives. They can also opt to repeat these core rotations to gain more experience in some particular areas. Some rotations to be picked for elective time can be – small animal community practice, internal medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology etc. Elective rotations also lend the opportunity to students to focus on what speciality they’d like to pursue.
What is some advice for students who are on clinical rotations?
- Study for your boards from one year in advance. Utilize the free blocks you earn for networking and experiencing other vet clinics. There’ll be some sleepless nights over the course of med school, but always make sure you are not skipping on rest.
- Be good to your classmates and be respectful of the clinicians who are working for decades. There should always be a space to respectfully disagree.
- If you are referring to a patient, keep the latest vet updated. You still have to look after your patients. Do all your medical records on time and don’t allow it to pile up.
- Check in with your fourth-year peers- Medicine deals with advanced technologies that are continually changing. Therefore it’s the best advice to keep in close communication with students of senior classes. Have your questions ready and clear your doubts. They are the best people to guide you and prepare you for what’s to come, as they know best what third year students are about to experience and therefore their guidance is invaluable. You should also actively communicate with your peers about staying informed regarding health-based technologies such as work-hour requirements, new clinical skills, etc.
Pick your most favorable veterinary medical school and enroll in a program today.
