Clinical Rotations

The Office of Clinical Education plays a pivotal role with bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world patient care. In years three and four of our Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, each medical student will participate in clinical rotations. The Office will coordinate and oversee each medical students' clinical rotations across hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other medical environments.

About the Rotations

Our clinical rotations are thoughtfully designed to expose students to a variety of medical specialties, while offering opportunities to develop clinical reasoning, professionalism, and key patient care skills, including examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and communication. Through hands-on clinical experiences, medical students gain a deeper understanding of a physician's daily responsibilities and learn how different specialties work together within the healthcare system.

Under the guidance of experienced physicians, our students receive clinical instruction and formative daily feedback on their performance.  Students will also receive bedside teaching, where they learn about patient conditions and enhance their clinical skills by observing and participating in patient examinations and treatments.  These clinical experiences help medical students refine their clinical and communication skills, deepen their understanding of ethical considerations and professional conduct, and gain valuable insights crucial for their future medical careers.

Third Year Rotation Assignments and Locations

During their second year, medical students will be assigned via a lottery system to rotate through one of seven core Baptist Memorial Hospitals for their third-year training. Each rotation is four weeks, except for three rotations, which are two weeks long. Rotating in one hospital system eliminates the stress of relocation and allows medical students to focus on their education and patient care, while saving time and money by avoiding travel between hospitals or cities. Spending an extended period in one location enables students to gain a deeper understanding of the patient population, the healthcare system’s role in the community, and provides the opportunity to follow patients over time, ensuring continuity of care. 

Fourth Year Rotation Assignments

Fourth-year clinical rotations provide medical students with advanced, hands-on experience as they prepare for residency. By this point, students have completed the bulk of their core clinical rotations in their third year, and the fourth year allows for more specialization, increased responsibility, and preparation for life as a resident.