Hello. Like most of you, I am a prospective SABA med student, but I was hoping to have a few questions answered first, regarding clinicals.

Does the university give you a complete list of your clinical rotations, so you know where you are going from the beginning to the end of the 72 weeks? How are the 30 weeks of electives given? Ideally, I would think one would want to do much of their core rotations in hospitals that also offer elective rotations in their particular area of interest.

Enlightenment would be appreciated. Thanks.

I emailed some SABA residents and Grads, and they had the following to say: ***I have purposely withheld names because I have not received their permission*** I hope this helps.
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You do NOT need to pass step 1 to start rotations however, most of the good sites require that you do and yes the top students get the best sites. I did NOT get a complete list of my rotations from the outset. While you are in one rotation, you kind of sort of plan the next one. If you are a top student, it will all work out very easily and it wont even be a concern. Electives are completely in YOUR hands. In fact, SABA prefers to have you arrange your own because if you use a SABA hospital for electives they bill you a $100 per week. Yes, many people make connections at the CORE hospital for their electives or go to surrounding hospitals in the area or just plain network or word of mouth etc. Most hospitals are pretty easy to offer electives cause it is easy help for them and the requirements are much less for them then CORE's. Yes, ACGME accredited rotations are a must if you eventually want to not have to deal with medical licensing in certain states. Besides the ACGME accredited sites are the better ones anyway cause they usually cater to U.S. med students so stick with those and you will be better off. I didnt get to (removed, a very prestigious school) University by being at the bottom of my class and going to inner city garbage hospitals that rich smart US med students would not touch with a 10 foot pole....think about it. Let common sense be your guide.
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Dear Jonathan:
Yes, ALL my rotations were ACGME certifiedclinicals, except one that was at an osteopathic physician's rotation site. That one did not count in Pennsylvania and the PA Board requested me to have a repeated rotation at a site that was ACGME certifiedfor medical (allopathic) physicians. Subsequently, I chose not to take the residency offered to me in Philadelphia; and the fact that I did one osteopathic site rotation did not cause any problem in other states (NJ and FL). I do not know other states whether they have such restriction. For safety's sake: do all your clinicals, regardless whether core or elective, in an allopathic institute that has an ACGME certified residency program. In this way you would not have further problems at the time of verification and licensing. As I wrote you, I developed most of my clinical sites: while in one, I asked around for and secured the next. Some were in the same place in another department, some in another institution nearby as the physicians referred me to their contacts. I also went personally into some institutions and applied for an acceptance for medical student clinical rotation, most refused me but some took me, and at the end I had the best selection. I roughly knew what I will do and where but had no lined up timetable in advance. As long as all my required core rotations were done and I had the electives I wanted, I did not care much about what I do, in which order I do, or where. I did some of my electives in the same place by asking my preceptors if I can stay for another 6 weeks in an elective rotation: this is how I did gen'l surgery for instance, or psych. who merely transferred me to their other building for a forensic psych electives. But I warn you: you must be very hard working, knowledgable, easy to please/get along, and minding only your own business type of person, otherwise not much help can come your way. For these reasons I do not know how the school lined up rotations for the other students. I am a bit different, not only because I was a transfer student to Saba but because I am also the type of person who knows what end results I need, and I am not afraid to go and get whatever is needed to accomplish that goal. I only can tell you that the Saba officials were more than cooperative with me in my deals with the programs and supervised me, regardless where I went. Naturally, I asked their permission first before accepting the final offer for another clinical. Remember, I told you in the beginning that I was a transfer student so I got no standing in class ranks, neither did I get a signed up list of rotation sites in advance. Ask someone else who attended Saba from the beginning; they probably are more help to you then I am. Good luck,
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John,
They set up your electives. If you are married or have children, they will more than likely place you at a hospital your third and forth years where you don't have to move. Like, Lousiana, or Colorado. There are others, I did LA for one year, then wanted to move to get more hospital experience elsewhere, so I went to Colorado and set up my own electives, saba can help with those too but they are generally set up on your own. Once you do one, you talk to other students there and get your name out, meet the docs and set one up with specific dates. They get paid for every week you are with them so there is that incentive too for them. it's all very easy and it sounds daunting but you will do just fine.
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Unless things have changed, Saba does give preference to those at the top of the class. You usually know a couple of months in advance where you will be going for core clinical rotations. Electives are on your own, you set them up yourself. I have heard that Saba acquired more clinical spots. All of my rotations were at ACGME accredited sites, I think most of my friends had the same experience. I would ask Saba to let you know the details. Actually, I think they have a list of clinical sites on their web site.
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Yes, my rotations were at ACGME hospitals. You would prefer this, but it is not mandatory. Saba does help you with setting up your rotations and tries to make them for both the third and fourth year. Sometimes, you are at a hospital and if doing a good job you can set up your own within the same place.
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Thanks for writing back. I do have a few other questions. Regarding clinicals, I am assuming SABA gives preference to students in the top of their class. USUALLY.
After passing the USMLE 1, does SABA give you a complete list of your 72 weeks of clinical rotations, so a student knows where he is going from the start. NO.
How are elective rotations chosen? YOU CHOOSE.
Again, is that ultimately in the hands of SABA or do you apply while completing your core rotations? YOU APPLY
I would think one would want to get most of their core rotations done at a hospitals that also can offer electives of that students particular interest. IF YOU CAN.
I have also been told that ACGME certified rotations are a key... Were your clinicals done at sites that had ACGME certified programs? I ONLY WORKED AT HOSPITALS THAT WERE ACCREDITED TO HAVE STUDENTS/RESIDENTS FROM MED SCHOOLS WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR STATE.

Saba takes care of your core rotations (42 weeks), and expects you to take care of your electives. While they would like students to complete Step I prior to starting the rotations, there are exceptions where they need to fill spots. I actually started general surgery about two weeks after I got back from Saba, then took Step I.

All my core rotations were ACGME-accredited, and they informed me about the rotations about a month in advance. With the top students and students with families, they tried to keep them together in one location, but really, moving around isn't bad at all. I did my cores in Baltimore, Louisiana, Chicago and St. Louis, so I had a chance to see parts of America that I hadn't yet visited.

Setting up electives was pretty easy. Basically, I just had to ask my preceptors if they wouldn't mind me tagging around for four weeks. Plus, by the time fourth year rolled around, I had gotten my residency spot. So, it's not bad at all. Good luck.

Tony