Thursday, July 19, 2018

LUCOM adds two new rotation sites for clinical education

Liberty University College of Osteopathic MedicineLiberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) has reached educational partnerships with two new clinical rotation sites, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, located in Chesapeake, Va., and SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital – Mt. Vernon, in Mount Vernon, Ill. Both locations will play a vital role in further training and equipping LUCOM student-doctors on their journey to becoming Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).

A dedicated effort to building stronger relationships helped the LUCOM-Office of Clinical Rotations establish the two newest core rotation sites where student-doctors will be able to perform clinical rotations. “We have two new high-quality sites opening that will provide a wide base of clinical opportunities for our students,” said David F. Klink, DO, senior associate dean of Clinical Affairs. “Lots of credit belongs to the Office of Clinical Rotations, the deans involved with rotations and everyone who put the effort in making this happen. It takes time to develop a relationship with a common vision of educating medical students as well as meeting the medical needs of the surrounding community.”

Liberty University College of Osteopathic MedicineThe addition of the two new rotation sites strengthens LUCOM’s third and fourth year training by expanding specialty training for student-doctors. The two new sites will also broaden LUCOM’s preceptor base while providing increased opportunities for student-doctors to stay in or return to the community for residency and eventually practice.

“The first thing we look for in a site is one that aligns with Liberty and LUCOM’s mission and vision,” said Teresa Henderson, director of Clinical Rotations. “Second, we look for a site that can provide all our core rotations so that our students do not have to be displaced to receive their training. If the student can receive training in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Rural Underserved, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Women’s Health, and General Surgery all in one location, that is the most ideal situation for our students.”

With one of the biggest concerns in the medical profession being burnout among healthcare professionals, the addition of the two newest core rotation sites will seek to combat that. “The significance of LUCOM having a new site in Chesapeake is that our Norfolk and Chesapeake sites can share preceptors which ultimately will reduce overload and burn out,” said Henderson. “The same holds true with our Effingham and Mt. Vernon sites, sharing preceptors will reduce overload and burn out among our healthcare professionals.”