By Dr. Robert Grant, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Studies at St. George’s University School of Medicine.
As of July 2021, St. George’s University School of Medicine have been the #1 provider of doctors into first-year US residencies for the last 12 years combined, with over 1,090 US residencies in 2021. We have contributed over 19,000 physicians to the global physician workforce, with students, graduates, and faculty from over 150 countries. SGU graduates have practiced in every state in the US, as well as in more than 50 countries, including UAE, Lebanon and Egypt. Having recently joined SGU, I am excited to be a part of this history of success and to share my perspective on the importance of clinical training, and the best ways that medical students can make the most of their experience on the wards.
Over the years, I can confidently say that a very significant and important part of being a medical school student is understanding the theoretical knowledge of science, but an equally crucial component is the tangible difference that quality in-hospital training can make on an aspiring physician.
It starts with exposure to the different disciplines. No one knows what the life of a practicing physician in a certain specialty is really like until they get to live it. Personally, I went to medical school because I wanted to be an ophthalmologist. It wasn’t until I rotated through other disciplines—and spent some time in ophthalmology and realized I didn’t really want to be an ophthalmologist—that I settled in the surgical world, and then ultimately on a career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon. Students in their final two years of medical school at St. George’s University will experience core rotations in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, and psychiatry, which will help our future doctors become familiar with the skills and mindset to excel in these specialties. These clinical rotations can be completed at one of over 70 affiliated hospitals in the US and UK. These different healthcare systems provide a unique perspective on the variety of environments our students will experience during their careers in medicine.
It’s also important for students to socialize as a physician to understand the important responsibilities that you’re given with the privilege of caring for other human beings. Additionally, every rotation is an audition toward residency training. The work that every student does is noticed by his or her peers, the residents, and the faculty, who want to get the best residents they can into their program.
For students to make a good impression during their clinical studies they should practice three main qualities – they should be available, be affable, and be interested. Students may know that they’re going to be a family practice doctor, a pediatrician, or a psychiatrist, but this is their opportunity to immerse themselves in a clinical field. Particularly nowadays, with the team-based nature of clinical care, they’re going to be working with clinical colleagues in other disciplines who are going to be sources of referral for them; and the students would refer to them in the future. You go through life with a cohort of peers who you trained with and got educated with.
If a faculty member or a resident is doing some clinical research, students can get involved. We’re all interested in making healthcare better. The clinical project may be one with outcomes, healthcare policy, or a particular clinical condition. Contributing to the fund of knowledge is a fantastic way for students to make a good impression.
Our faculty at SGU is committed to delivering the ultimate St. George’s experience. That means teaching our curriculum, mentoring our students, and offering guidance throughout the residency match program. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship for the clinical sites. We are a superb medical school because of the preparation and the learning that goes on in a didactic way. And therefore, we are attractive to good clinical sites because they know that the product they’re getting from an SGU student or graduate is someone who’s going to be successful.
The school is doing everything we can to standardize the clinical program, make it comparable amongst the sites, and create opportunities for students to select sites that fit their wants, needs, and desires. If you would like to learn more about St. George’s University, you can visit the request information page here.
