Core clinical rotations are required and include assessment by preceptor evaluations, post-rotation exams, clinical experience logs, and other assignments determined by each clinical department. Core rotations include family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, and obstetrics/gynecology in the third year and emergency medicine and critical care in the fourth year. Additionally, students are required to participate in cardiology, a rural selective and elective rotation in the third year.
This is an opportunity to participate in a learning experience that is not part of the core OMS III curriculum.
Students must complete elective rotations in recognized fields of medicine. Examples of elective rotations include anesthesiology, cardiovascular/thoracic surgery, dermatology, endocrinology/metabolism, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, nuclear medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, pathology, radiology, rheumatology/immunology, urology, research, international, and directed study: Business of Medicine.
Students may pursue elective clinical rotations at preapproved institutions where an additional agreement to send AZCOM students has been established. Elective rotations may also be taken in any of the required core rotation disciplines. Other elective choices are subject to review and approval by the Associate Dean of Clinical Education. Elective options are also subject to the limitations as noted in the Clinical Rotations Policy Manual.
Matching to a residency is an important part of a student’s professional development leading to licensure and expected by Midwestern University. Having its students match to residencies is also important for AZCOM’s accreditation requirements. As such, AZCOM is aware that students may be asked to perform ‘second look interviews’ in connection with matching to a residency program. Although residency takes place after graduation from Midwestern University, the interview process is a standard and regularly anticipated part of the AZCOM program. AZCOM does not provide credit for these second look interviews; however, AZCOM is supportive of student participation in a second look interview and requires that students inform the Clinical Education Department prior to participating in second look interviews, including the location, dates, and specialty. Notification must be sent to the student’s assigned coordinator in advance of the second look interview.