VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

VCOM third- and fourth-year students also have the opportunity to do a VCOM International Medicine month in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, or El Salvador as a medical selective or elective rotation. A student may request an International rotation that is sponsored by an organization outside of VCOM as an elective rotation; however, the rotation must be affiliated with a medical school or a federally sponsored organization. Students must include the name and credentials of the supervising physician, must be able to demonstrate in-country approval for the site (usually by the minister of health), and be approved in advance. OMM is integrated into the OMS 4 curriculum. The didactic and hands-on osteopathic manipulative medicine curriculum is integrated into the required rotations in the 4th year curriculum to ensure students continue to develop their OMM skills and ability to apply osteopathic principles and practices in the provision of high-quality patient care. The OMM objectives are integrated into each syllabus and students must attend the monthly, regional OMM workshops while on a VCOM required rotation in a VCOM regional site. The Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME must approve all rotation schedules. Students who have difficulty in scheduling their fourth year should meet with the Associate Dean. Students should also contact and meet with the Clinical Chair in their area of career interest for advice. Formal, scheduled opportunities exist for students to meet with Clinical Chairs such as when students return to campus for Hospital Day and when a student returns for competency testing. Students may also contact the Clinical Chair directly via email at any time. OMS 4 Rotation Selection The scheduling of 4th year rotations is very important for the student in both obtaining a broad-based education and in assuring exposure to residency programs of interest. Students are required to meet with the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME for planning. Students are also strongly encouraged to meet with the Discipline Clinical Chair(s) in the area the student is interested in for residency and practice. Fourth year students complete a Clinical Rotation Schedule Form in the spring of the OMS 3 year, which includes identifying are of interest for residency. Once completed, the student submits their form to the Director of Fourth Year Clinical Rotations for approval. The Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME will meet with students in the spring of their OMS 3 year to review the student’s choices and approve the schedule. The Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME must approve the student’s 4 th year schedule. Students must consider factors such as the ability to obtain suitable, financially affordable housing; transportation; impact on significant others; impact on ability to interview at other programs; weather; workload; and board dates in advance of scheduling the OMS 4 year. Some non-VCOM elective or selective sites may charge a rotation fee, parking fee, or other administrative fee and it is the student’s responsibility to make sure they are aware of these fees. The financial burden associated with these fees will not be considered a reason to change a rotation as this should be determined in advance. Request for OMS 4 Rotation Change VCOM realizes students may change their area of interest. If the student does change the area of interest, they must notify the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME and the Director of OMS 4 Clinical Rotations to request schedule changes. Changes may not be possible for rotations that the office does not know about 30 days in advance . Students should recognize that signing up for clinical rotations represents a commitment by the student that they intend to be present during the scheduled rotation period. This commitment in turn is a component of professionalism that all members of the osteopathic profession must understand and honor. The collaborative relationship VCOM and prior VCOM students have built with hospitals, residency programs, and individual preceptors is one of trust and respect, which includes honoring our commitment to scheduled rotations. Disrupting that trust could adversely affect VCOM students’ ability to rotate with the site in the future.

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