Let us Start One by One Starting from the Most Important & Earliest accessible type of USCE.
2. This can also help you get some very Strong LoRs & unofficial Recommendation from Research heads (They can Personally make a 'Call' for you.) Remember Research faculty is the Main faculty that helps the institution get state funds in some highly Reputed institutes. They have a Good 'Say'. ;)
3. You can be offered to Join the Research ( 6-months/1 year or more) after you finish your Graduation if the Head thinks you have Interest , Dedication & Potential.
4. As i said he can Make a Personal Call for you later on.
5. Good Contacts as Always.
6. You may Get a PUBLICATION done which is a Great Add on to your Resume.
7.You may easily get into an Observership or Externship into the Same Institute later on after finishing Your graduation ;) (Same case with a Clinical Elective)
8. A Big name may be Added to your Resume if you get into Institutes like "John Hopkins, Yale Etc.
9. As i said being in US, searching for more opportunities is easier. :)
1. Clinical Electives:
Clinical Elective is a Clinical Hands-on Experience that we can get while in the Final Year of our Curriculum in MBBS. This Final Year is a Confusing term for many, so let me Explain. Final Year means that you are in the "LAST YEAR" of your Medical School/College. e.g if You are in India , You should be an 'Intern' (In US the term 'Intern' is used for PGY-1 Resident), Similarly in some countries it is the 'House Job' Year. Any case, You MUST NOT HAVE GRADUATED, i.e It should be the LAST Year of CLINICAL ROTATIONS' finishing which you will be Awarded you Degree.
So Continuing, An Elective is Just a Ward Rotation like a Clinical Clerkship we do in our own Medical School only that it is Done in a Different Medical College & not a Part of the Essential Curriculum. Clinical Electives are one of the BEST Clinical Experience an International Medical Student can get.
So Continuing, An Elective is Just a Ward Rotation like a Clinical Clerkship we do in our own Medical School only that it is Done in a Different Medical College & not a Part of the Essential Curriculum. Clinical Electives are one of the BEST Clinical Experience an International Medical Student can get.
You get to perform all the duties an American fellow MBBS final Year student does in his Clinical Rotation at Par with them. Taking Histories, Doing Physical Examination ( Hands-on), Interacting with the Patient & Health team, Making notes, Presenting Cases to the Attending & Taking Classes, lectures or Presentations by the Attendings or Organised by the Department are some of the Activities you will be able to be a Part of depending upon the Institution & Specialty you are in. You get to know more IMGs of Course. And Don't worry about being an "Allien" at the New Place... All your fellow Students are, nothing but an "Allien" to that place like you. So that makes a Good Company. USE this time the Best You can. Most Hospitals will offer you 4,8 or at Maximum 12 weeks of Electives.
As Written in our Book 'US Clinical Electives A to Z Volume 1'
"Basically Clerk-ships are Clinical Rotations in Wards as a Part of the Clinical Learning Procedure which We all do at our Respective Medical Schools in 3rd, 4th or 5th years as the Case may be. All Students undergo clerk-ships at their Med Schools in Medicine Ward, Surgery Ward, Obs & Gynae Wards, Peds & so on. On the other Hand an ELECTIVE is a Clinical Rotation of OUR OWN CHOICE that we participate in with our will to get Some Clinical Experience in some Specialty of our Interest at a Foreign Institution. "
So this was about the Definition of an Elective/Clerkship in the united States. :)
We Will get to the 'List of Colleges & more later.
As Written in our Book 'US Clinical Electives A to Z Volume 1'
"Basically Clerk-ships are Clinical Rotations in Wards as a Part of the Clinical Learning Procedure which We all do at our Respective Medical Schools in 3rd, 4th or 5th years as the Case may be. All Students undergo clerk-ships at their Med Schools in Medicine Ward, Surgery Ward, Obs & Gynae Wards, Peds & so on. On the other Hand an ELECTIVE is a Clinical Rotation of OUR OWN CHOICE that we participate in with our will to get Some Clinical Experience in some Specialty of our Interest at a Foreign Institution. "
So this was about the Definition of an Elective/Clerkship in the united States. :)
We Will get to the 'List of Colleges & more later.
2. OBSERVERSHIPS
Observerships can be done After you have finished Your Graduation/MBBS. These are Clinical "NON-Hands on" Experience meaning You are Allowed to Observe the Hospital Setting & Assist the Attending & the Health team. You can Learn from them , Observe them but not allowed to Touch or examine the Patient (Officially :p). There is a Very Wrong Misconception that Observerships are useless. Although The Negative Point about them is that there is almost 'minimum' Patient contact in these but their Plus Points are that 1. They are Easy to find 2. Application Procedures are easy 3. Again they are a Window to a LOT of Opportunities from impress the Attending, to Getting Good LoRs & also Of-course you can prove yourself to be as Resourceful as Possible for the team by Volunteering forward & showing a Good Attitude & Dedication towards your Work & duties as well as Extracurricular work. And Of course, the thing Common to all these 'USCE's is making some Good Contacts which are Always a Help that Goes all the way. Moreover It is Easier to find other Opportunities/USCEs & Places etc where you can Join as an Extern, Observer or Research Assistant e.t.c here in the united states then when you are Browsing over the internet sitting in your Home Country.
3. EXTERNSHIPS
So these are Another type of USCE that can be done After you have graduated/finished MBBS. An Externship is similar to an Internship in that it Provides you a Practical hands-on Experience. You have to perform all the Duties of an 'Intern' BUT different in the Sense that You have to Pay in order to get one & 2nd You get to do them for 4-8-12 weeks at max. Moreover they are Extremely Rarely offered these days by Hospitals with a Huge Workload to May be Lower that by Putting some Work on you. Anycase if You get one, it is GREAT!, bcz You will have may be the Best Clinical Experience out there. Another thing is if at all it is Available , the Application Requirements are usually Very High, e.g. Most may Require you to have given Step 1 & 2Ck or Some may want you to have Passed Step 2 CS or both. Any how, they are usually available on an On & Off basis at different Universities/ teaching Hospitals. You can find Private Companies offering these all over the internet. I have no idea about that but may be if Someone of You have found them useful We Request you to Share that information in the Comments Below or on our facebook Page. Anycase when you get an Externship or a USCE from any source , Just Keep 2 things in Mind.
1. Ascertain that the Physician you are going to Work with or the One who writes your LoR is ACGME accredited.
2. Try to get an Experience in this Order University Program > Teaching hospital >> Private Practitioner
Any case, a USCE is a USCE. It's Always Better to have participated & performed in something then nothing at all.
4. Research Electives
In this Kind of an "Elective" you Assist & Work with an Attending involved in some Research Activity. You can Assist them in Tabulation of their Data, Research Activities, Publishing Articles , Even get a Publication done in your name ( Which is AWESOME to have done).Although it is not per say a "clinical" experience but If you get to Do a Research Elective in a Reputed university there can be a MULTITUDE of Big Benefits You can have.
1. This shows your Dedication & interest in the specialty.
2. This can also help you get some very Strong LoRs & unofficial Recommendation from Research heads (They can Personally make a 'Call' for you.) Remember Research faculty is the Main faculty that helps the institution get state funds in some highly Reputed institutes. They have a Good 'Say'. ;)
3. You can be offered to Join the Research ( 6-months/1 year or more) after you finish your Graduation if the Head thinks you have Interest , Dedication & Potential.
4. As i said he can Make a Personal Call for you later on.
5. Good Contacts as Always.
6. You may Get a PUBLICATION done which is a Great Add on to your Resume.
7.You may easily get into an Observership or Externship into the Same Institute later on after finishing Your graduation ;) (Same case with a Clinical Elective)
8. A Big name may be Added to your Resume if you get into Institutes like "John Hopkins, Yale Etc.
9. As i said being in US, searching for more opportunities is easier. :)
