Penn State Medical School Clinical Rotation Sites: A Comprehensive Overview
Clinical rotations are a crucial component of medical education, providing students with hands-on experience in various medical specialties. Penn State College of Medicine offers a wide array of clinical rotation sites designed to provide comprehensive training for future physicians and physician assistants. This article delves into the various clinical rotation opportunities available, including the Family and Community Medicine Clerkship, Medicine Clerkship, Physician Assistant (PA) Program rotations, and the General Surgery Residency program.
Family and Community Medicine Clerkship
The Family and Community Medicine Clerkship is an ambulatory care educational experience primarily based in Family Medicine residency programs and academic practices. This clerkship aims to help students integrate basic science and clinical knowledge and apply them to patient care. It also focuses on developing skills essential in Family Medicine and providing firsthand experience in family physician practices.
Family Medicine emphasizes breadth rather than depth, exposing students to a diverse range of patients’ ages and medical problems. Key aspects of this clerkship include continuity of care, preventive medicine, evidence-based health care, and family issues. Many family practices also incorporate minor office procedures, obstetrics, women’s health, sports medicine, and community medicine.
Locations
The clerkship is available at multiple locations, including:
- St. Joseph Medical Center | Reading, Pa.
- St. Vincent Health Center | Erie, PA (students must supply their own housing)
- UPMC Altoona Family Physicians | Altoona, Pa.
- UPMC St. Margaret | Pittsburgh, Pa.
Medicine Clerkship
The Medicine Clerkship offers an immersive experience in internal medicine. Students function as key team members on an inpatient medicine hospital service and can explore various internal medicine subspecialties. These subspecialties include allergy and immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, geriatrics, gastroenterology, hematology, oncology, infectious diseases, nephrology, pulmonary, and palliative care.
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This clerkship allows students to interact closely with patients who have both acute and chronic illnesses. Students participate in educational activities such as bedside rounding and case-based discussions.
Learning Objectives
During the medicine rotation, students will:
- Gain foundational clinical skills and knowledge.
- Develop team and communication skills.
- Acquire health systems knowledge necessary for providing excellent care to hospitalized patients with acute and chronic illnesses.
- Experience the roles of both primary providers and subspecialty consultants for medically complex patients.
- Observe the broad range of potential career paths in medicine.
Locations
The Medicine Clerkship is available at the following locations:
- Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center/Penn State College of Medicine
- Penn State Health Holy Spirit Hospital
- Lebanon VA
- UPMC Harrisburg
- WellSpan York Hospital
Physician Assistant (PA) Program Rotations
The clinical year of the PA program involves a series of 5-week rotations in diverse clinical settings. These rotations are supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs), where students work directly with clinicians in patient care.
Mandatory Clinical Year Courses
The mandatory courses for the clinical year include:
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- PAS 756: Summative Experience (1 credit)
Mandatory Clinical Rotations
Students must complete the following mandatory clinical rotations:
- PAS 741: Behavioral Health I (5 credits)
- PAS 732: Emergency Medicine I (5 credits)
- PAS 734: Family Medicine I (5 credits)
- PAS 739: Internal Medicine I (5 credits)
- PAS 735: Ambulatory Care (5 credits)
- PAS 737: General Surgery I (5 credits)
- PAS 743: Pediatrics I (5 credits)
- PAS 745: Reproductive Health I (5 credits)
Elective Clinical Rotations
PA students can choose one elective rotation from the following options:
- PAS 776: Medical Specialty Elective (5 credits)
- PAS 777 Surgical Specialty Elective (5 credits)
Students may select from various specialties, including additional time in a mandatory rotation or experience in areas such as burn, cardiology, critical care, dermatology, endocrinology, ENT, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, interventional radiology, nephrology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, palliative care, prison medicine, radiation oncology, trauma, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic & reconstructive surgery, physical medicine & rehabilitation, or vascular surgery.
Student Responsibilities
Students are responsible for their transportation to and from clinical rotation sites. However, students required to travel more than sixty miles from the Hershey Medical Center campus or their residence will have the option for program-provided housing.
Summative Experience
Upon completing the clinical training, students participate in a one-credit Summative Experience. This includes the PACKRAT examination and assessments of professionalism, knowledge, technical skills, interpretation, and performance of diagnostic evaluations.
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General Surgery Residency
The General Surgery Residency at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is a five-year, ACGME-accredited program designed to prepare residents for leadership roles in clinical and academic surgery. The program admits five residents each year and emphasizes a comprehensive training approach to develop surgical skills along with an understanding of basic science as it applies to surgical practice.
Curriculum Overview
The residency is structured to build competency year by year, with the first two years focusing on core surgical principles, including basic surgical skills, history taking, and patient management under supervision. The third through fifth years enable residents to take on more complex cases and engage in leadership roles within the team.
Each Thursday morning is protected for education, featuring SCORE-based lectures followed by case-based discussions and simulation training in the Clinical Simulation Center. The curriculum also integrates topics like ethics and the role of residents as teachers.
Rotation Schedule
During the first two years, residents participate in clinical rotations that cover surgical subspecialties, while later years concentrate on advanced surgical techniques and complex cases. The program encompasses various mandatory conferences, including morbidity and mortality meetings, as well as grand rounds.
Clinical Rotation Sites
Residents experience diverse clinical rotations across several sites, including:
- Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Penn State Health Children’s Hospital
- Hampden Medical Center
- Lancaster Medical Center
- UPMC Pinnacle Community Osteopathic
Research Opportunities
The program emphasizes research, encouraging residents to dedicate two years for clinical or basic science research through the Department of Surgery. This experience aims to enhance academic credentials and prepare residents for competitive fellowships.
Program Features
The program supports visa applications, primarily for J-1 visas, and is recognized as highly competitive, looking for candidates who excel academically and demonstrate a commitment to surgery through clinical experience and leadership. The program is DO/IMG friendly, welcoming applicants from diverse medical schools and training backgrounds.
The program also prides itself on a commitment to wellness and diversity, offering wellness initiatives targeting emotional, spiritual, and social health, as well as support networks for residents and their families. The residency also features a dedicated Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which fosters a culture of inclusivity and mentorship among underrepresented residents.
Visiting Student Opportunities
Penn State College of Medicine welcomes visiting MD and DO students for selected fourth-year elective programs. The college seeks students with a strong undergraduate record in both the sciences and humanities but considers more than just academics. The admissions committee is particularly interested in applicants from diverse backgrounds who have clear potential for leadership and service in patient care, research, medical education, administration, and service.
Participating Departments
Elective rotations are available in the following departments:
- Dermatology
- Neuroscience
- Neurosurgery
- Radiology
- Surgery
Eligibility
Elective rotations are available for medical students in good standing in their final year from medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) within the United States and Canada. Specific criteria must be met for a medical student at another medical school to be granted visiting student status at the Penn State College of Medicine.
Requirements
To be eligible, students must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Have no criminal record.
Penn State College of Medicine requires verification of a criminal background check on all visiting students, including a State Criminal History Record, Child Abuse History Clearance, and Federal Criminal History/Fingerprinting Clearance.
Application Process
Students apply using the standard AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) program application. In addition to the VSLO application, students applying for electives at Penn State College of Medicine will need verification of personal health and general liability insurance.
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