Clinical Education
For the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) programs, clinical externship sites are located primarily in Colorado and Utah, with a few satellite externship sites in Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona and many other states. Externship slots are determined by lottery during the second year. The externship site assignment list is issued to students prior to beginning externships each year. All regional assignments are considered final. A student may request to change their assigned externship 90 days prior to the start of the externship; however, there is no guarantee that the change will be possible. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Office of Clinical Education.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Clinical Clerkships (Elective)
The remaining elective clerkships, required to meet credit hours, are requested by the student and arranged in conjunction with the 4th year clinical coordinators, at the approval of the Office of Clinical Education, to complete students’ preparation for residency training. Elective Clerkship sites are credentialed through the Office of Clinical Education where state authorization has been granted or not required by a particular state, as RVU is not currently a member of the NC-SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement).
Sub-Internship/Audition Clerkships
Students are required to complete clinical and didactic training that best prepares them for residency. During the first half of the 4th year (OMS IV), students are required to complete a minimum of two sub-internship/audition clerkships at residency programs. The clerkships chosen must have the approval of the Associate Dean for Clinical Educations or designee.
Students may also pursue research projects and global medicine experiences, with approval of the Associate Dean of Clinical Education or designee.
Master of Physician Assistant Studies
The clinical portion of the program is designed to expose the student to patients in a variety of clinical settings. The setting, assigned tasks, and schedule will vary depending on the site. Clinical experiences will average approximately 40 hours/week on-site, in patient-related care. Some clinical experiences may involve slightly shorter (no less than 32 hours/week) or longer hours (no more than 80 hours/week), evening, holiday, weekend, or on-call responsibilities. The preceptor will determine the student’s on-site schedule and clinical responsibilities. Students must adhere to each clinical experience schedule and to all assignments developed by the preceptor. If this is not possible in any given week at a specific clinical site, the student is to notify the clinical team in advance. Patient-related care includes evaluating and treating patients, charting and appropriate paperwork (written or electronic), case presentations, discussions with the preceptor, and other duties as applicable. See specific course syllabi for objectives and goals for each rotation.
Student Suggestions for Clinical Experiences
The PA Program will acquire and coordinate all clinical rotation sites and preceptors for students. Students are not required to obtain their own sites or preceptors. Students may, however, suggest sites or preceptors to the PA Program. The Program, at its sole discretion, will review and evaluate student-suggested sites and preceptors for educational suitability before approving them for use as clinical sites. All clinical sites and preceptors must meet program expectations and policies.
Syllabi and Course Guides
Core Clerkships
| Course | Downloads |
|---|---|
| FAM 3001: Family Medicine | Syllabus Course Guide |
| INT 3001: General Internal Medicine | Syllabus Course Guide |
| PED 3001: Pediatrics | Syllabus Course Guide |
| SRG 3001: General Surgery | Syllabus Course Guide |
Required Clerkships
| Course | Downloads |
|---|---|
| WMN 3001: Obstetrics and Gynecology | Syllabus Course Guide |
| PSY 3001: Psychiatry | Syllabus Course Guide |
| BHM 3001: Psychiatry | Syllabus |
Selective Clerkships
| Course | Downloads |
|---|---|
| SRG 3002: Surgery | Syllabus Course Guide |
| INT 3002: Medicine | Syllabus Course Guide |
Electives
| Course | Downloads |
|---|---|
| General Clinical Elective | Syllabus |
Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine – SIMS and Skills Course
For the second year in a row, new 3rd-year RVUCOM students will participate in a “Boot Camp” to prepare them for their clinical experience. In May, students return to both campuses to participate in a day of SIMS and Skills, as part of the Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine course. In this intense day of hands-on simulation run by the Office of Simulation in Medicine and Surgery, students complete eight stations of experiential activities in small groups with direct faculty interaction. These challenging stations include encounters requiring critical thinking prowess with Virtual Reality modules and high-fidelity electronic manikins. Faculty oversee each scenario, helping students learn how to manage critically ill patients. These interprofessional activities provide practice assessing patients, creating a differential diagnosis, and planning an appropriate treatment regimen. In the surgical arena, students refresh their knot-tying skills and suturing expertise. They receive certification in gowning and gloving and navigating within the operating room with the correct sterile technique. Surgical Instrument identification and laparoscopy skills are also reviewed and learn to assist during an operation on a hyper-realistic Cut Suit. For 2021, extra practice is accomplished with a live actor standardized patient case.
Though exhausting, the day was viewed as an excellent experience by students in 2020 who gave rave reviews. In addition, rotation preceptors report that our students are very well prepared for their clinic and hospital rotations after completion of this innovative course.
Additional Downloads
Additional Resources
Tracks & Special Programs
Tracks & Special Programs
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine has developed several specialized educational tracks and programs to further develop the education of interested students. These range from 3.5-year-long tracks to single-semester elective courses.
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Office of Research & Scholarly Activity
Office of Research & Scholarly Activity
Student research/scholarly activity is a vital part of health provider education. Research enhances critical thinking skills and increases medical knowledge, as well as preparing students for graduate medical education. Therefore, all students are encouraged to participate in research activities while at RVU.
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Preceptors
Preceptors
Preceptors provide the experiential portion of the curriculum by supervising student physicians as they acquire clinical medical knowledge by helping to care for real patients—in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Learn moreContact Us
Colorado Campus
8401 S. Chambers Road
Englewood, CO 80112
303-373-2008
Utah Campus
255 E. Center Street
Ivins, UT 84738
435-222-1236
Montana Campus
4130 Rocky Vista Way
Billings, MT 59106
406-901-2700