Wyckoff: First Impressions

[Sree Cheruku]

It was my first day today, so I thought I'd share my experiences.

The hospital facilities are great. The library is better than that of any other hospital I've been to, with updated journals and good computer access. Classrooms are nice with modern technology and the attendings and members of the medical education staff like to teach. There appears to be a good didactic component to all the core clinical rotations. The consensus among students who have been rotating there is that Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn are the best rotations.

The downside is that there's 600 students, so administrative tasks like orientation and group assignments take forever - roll call itself takes 10 minutes. Also, there are never enough seats for everyone - ever. I've also been told that students don't have much access to call rooms during 24 hour calls, which isn't much fun if you're in surgery.

They make a huge deal about titers, so if you don't have lab-drawn titer levels for MMR, V-Z, and Hepatitis as well as proof of PPD and physical exam in the last 12 months, your rotation will get cancelled. You have to bring them with you to the hospital. I also carry proof of passing Step 1 score and transcript just in case. Lots of people got bumped today because of not having titers.

The clinical coordinator here, JR, is pretty responsive to student needs. I don't think he likes ValueMD very much, based on his speech today, but I get that a lot from school/hospital adminstrators.

So far my Peds is going just as was described by another student in this thread - I'll update this thread as I learn more.

Forgot to mention, I've gathered from my classmates who've called the clinical department in the last week that the current wait time for Pediatrics at Wyckoff is around 7-8 months, so make sure you schedule this rotation the minute that you have your Step 1 score back. You can use those 7-8 months to take care of all your other cores, which have much shorter wait times.

[cavalletti]

That just might be the first positive thing I've heard/read about Wyckoff. Let us know if you feel the same after 2 weeks.

All the best.

[NicSTX]

we want updates!

[akabeeks]

Hi, Sree..I had a horrible dream that I couldn't do rotations in NYC. I see you are from whitestone, NY. If i didnt want to leave NYC once I am done in baltimore, I have hope right. Hopefully, it will be a smooth transaction. They have all the roations there??

[Sree Cheruku]

Yep, everything can be done in NY. Just schedule them way ahead of time - especially Peds.

[akabeeks]

Thanks I will message you here once I am at that point. Should I schedule them the day after I give my step1? or even ahead of time!!

[NicSTX]

You can't do anything until you have your step scores and all of the checklist they send you in an e mail. Both advisors will not speak to you until all paperwork is turned in.

[summerwind]

Originally Posted by Sree Cheruku

Forgot to mention, I've gathered from my classmates who've called the clinical department in the last week that the current wait time for Pediatrics at Wyckoff is around 7-8 months, so make sure you schedule this rotation the minute that you have your Step 1 score back. You can use those 7-8 months to take care of all your other cores, which have much shorter wait times.

How many students in your peds rotation? Are they all from Carib Schools?

[PAtoMD]

Do they want quantitative titers (the actual numerical level of antibodies) or qualitative (positive or negative)? Thank you

Originally Posted by Sree Cheruku

It was my first day today, so I thought I'd share my experiences.

The hospital facilities are great. The library is better than that of any other hospital I've been to, with updated journals and good computer access. Classrooms are nice with modern technology and the attendings and members of the medical education staff like to teach. There appears to be a good didactic component to all the core clinical rotations. The consensus among students who have been rotating there is that Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn are the best rotations.

The downside is that there's 600 students, so administrative tasks like orientation and group assignments take forever - roll call itself takes 10 minutes. Also, there are never enough seats for everyone - ever. I've also been told that students don't have much access to call rooms during 24 hour calls, which isn't much fun if you're in surgery.

They make a huge deal about titers, so if you don't have lab-drawn titer levels for MMR, V-Z, and Hepatitis as well as proof of PPD and physical exam in the last 12 months, your rotation will get cancelled. You have to bring them with you to the hospital. I also carry proof of passing Step 1 score and transcript just in case. Lots of people got bumped today because of not having titers.

The clinical coordinator here, JR, is pretty responsive to student needs. I don't think he likes ValueMD very much, based on his speech today, but I get that a lot from school/hospital adminstrators.

So far my Peds is going just as was described by another student in this thread - I'll update this thread as I learn more.

Forgot to mention, I've gathered from my classmates who've called the clinical department in the last week that the current wait time for Pediatrics at Wyckoff is around 7-8 months, so make sure you schedule this rotation the minute that you have your Step 1 score back. You can use those 7-8 months to take care of all your other cores, which have much shorter wait times.

[Sree Cheruku]

actual titer numbers signed by your pcp or a lab report showing actual numbers, spread the word to your friends, just this last orientation a dozen students were sent home for not having titers