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T8 Clinical Rotations
The Department of Clinical Education requires T8
students to participate in Clinical Rotations to provide students
with a broader range of learning experiences. These rotations
include both Chiropractic Rotation sites and Allopathic Rotation
sites. At the selected sites students may take histories,
examine patients, observe and network with specialists, and
encounter situations outside the scope of their current internship.
These visits earn clinic hours, not TAC time.
Click
here to view the list of Allopathic and Chiropractic Rotations
Sites
- Chiropractic Rotations
What are Chiropractic Rotations?
The Chiropractic Rotations Program was designed to provide
students with the opportunity to see a variety of health
care conditions in a number of diverse clinical environments.
The more exposure students have in these clinical settings,
the more prepared they will be to enter the field of health
care as licensed providers.
Students are introduced to each site by meeting the doctor,
staff, and receiving a tour of the clinic. They learn about
the logistics of patient care, and background information
about the clinic and the doctor.
Students shadow the doctor to observe a variety of patients.
When appropriate the doctor and intern will discuss patient
cases, including the clinical thought process for the patient
work-up, diagnosis, and treatment plan. Students may be
directly involved in conducting histories, performing physical
examinations, and taking and/or viewing x-rays.
As time permits, doctors are encouraged to answer questions,
not only concerning patient cases, but also some of the
specifics regarding running a practice, such as weekly patient
visits, patient numbers, billed services, gross collections,
and net revenue. This information will no doubt give the
students a reality check about private practice.
Intern Expectations
Students receive and need to review written information
about the Chiropractic site, the kind of experience they
may expect, specific protocols to follow, and learning objectives
for the site. Students, as ambassadors of Northwestern,
are expected to follow the clinic dress code (clinic jackets
are required at some sites) and hygiene guidelines. They
are to be prompt, and to act in a professional manner at
all times. Students need to complete an assignment sheet
analyzing their experience after visiting each clinic.
Intern Objectives: During the Chiropractic clinical
rotations, students will:
- Observe and describe the clinical setting and atmosphere.
- Participate as fully as possible in the experience
as directed by the doctor at each site. This may include
taking histories, performing physical examinations,
taking or reviewing radiographs, and discussing diagnostic
possibilities and treatment plans.
- Describe the mission statement or philosophy of the
clinic.
Describe conditions that the doctor treats and cases
that the doctor discusses.
- Analyze the experience to determine what can be applied
to their future practice.
- Compare the Chiropractic Rotation to their present
clinic assignment.
- Allopathic Rotations
Northwestern Health Sciences University’s Clinical
Rotations Program is an experiential educational program
for T8 and T9 interns. Administered by the Dept. of Clinical
Education, the Allopathic Rotations are conducted in off-campus
clinic and hospital settings that offer students opportunities
beyond Northwestern’s clinical program. Chiropractic
doctors need to be familiar with other disciplines to which
they will be referring their patients for diagnosis and/or
treatment.
As participants in the Allopathic Rotations, students will
better understand the rationale for different approaches
to care, be exposed to a wider range of patient conditions,
engage in meaningful exchanges with other professionals,
and better understand the means for appropriate patient
management through consultation, referral, and cooperative
care. Primary elements include observation of patient care,
discussion of the rationale for care, discussion of patient
management plans, and observation of the doctor's role in
the management of the professional practice.
The Allopathic Rotations Experience
Interns who have visited these sites have been overwhelmingly
positive about their experience! Comments reflect that most
participants have seen the chance to observe surgery, learn
about MRIs and CTs, or follow an osteopath on rounds as
a phenomenal chance to learn and add to their clinical understanding
and skills. Most doctors in the field who hear about this
program state that they wish they had had the chance to
do these kinds of visits, and that those kinds of experiences
would be highly beneficial to doctors in practice.
Intern Expectations
Students are required to observe at a minimum number of
rotations. They receive and need to review written information
about the Clinical Rotation site, the kind of experience
they may expect, specific protocols to follow, and learning
objectives for the session. Expectations of individual sites
are reviewed prior to attending the IDP experience.
Students, as ambassadors of Northwestern, are expected to
follow clinic dress code (clinic jackets are required at
some sites) and hygiene guidelines, to be prompt, and to
act in a professional manner at all times. Even if students
question or disagree with something, they need to consider
this to be part of the learning experience in the Allopathic
setting and be appropriate in their discourse with the host.
After a visit, an intern is expected to complete an evaluation
of the Allopathic site and send a thank-you note to the
respective doctor. If visits are during a scheduled clinic
shift, arrangements need to be made with the clinic director
well in advance of the visit day. Students’ ultimate
responsibility, as always, is to the clinic and the patients.
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