So, you’re in clinical rotations. Whether you’re just starting off or you’ve got a couple down, we wanted to share some tips to help make rotations a little more manageable.
1.Take time to study
It may seem obvious that you need to study for your Shelf exams. But it can be hard to find time to study if you’re working long clinic days. While it might be tempting to push off studying and cram before the exam, that’s not helpful for your long-term learning and, oftentimes, not helpful at getting the grade you want in the short-term.
Even short bursts of studying can be helpful. Can you review flashcards on a bus or subway ride to or from work? If you arrive for your shift and are ready 10 minutes early, can you use that time to review notes?
Studies in both cognitive science and medical education consistently show that spacing your studying into shorter, repeated sessions helps you remember more than cramming it all at once. For example, a 2024 study of nurse anesthesia students found that breaking a single 90-minute lecture into three 30-minute segments led to significantly higher test scores and better retention weeks later. Similarly, research on
spaced education in medical students — where small chunks of material are reviewed multiple times over days or weeks — has shown improved knowledge retention even months after the course.
A systematic review in radiology education found the same pattern: spaced and retrieval-based study methods consistently produced better results than traditional, massed study. These findings reflect a well-established principle in learning science known as the spacing effect — supported by decades of research showing that information reviewed in small doses over time sticks far better than information learned in one long burst (review of distributed practice).
Even short bursts of studying can be helpful. Reviewing flashcards on your commute, watching a short video between patients, or spending ten minutes going over notes before your shift all count toward spaced practice. Every quick review strengthens what you’ve already learned and makes it easier to recall under exam pressure.
2. Be a team player
Medicine is a team effort. So go into your rotations with this mindset. Respect your fellow students on rotation. You can show your own skills and knowledge without tearing down your fellow students.
Nurses, APPs, techs, aides, and everyone else on the care team are there to do a job. Be respectful of their roles, and you may find that you learn great tips from these clinicians. Be ready to help when asked. Study your notes. If you don’t know, then ask. And then make sure you know it for next time.
Being a team player can help with potential letters of recommendation and mentorship from preceptors or residents, especially if this is a speciality you are interested in.
3. Arrive early
Ever heard the saying, “if you’re on time, you’re late?” You don’t want to be the one holding things up during your rotations. Arriving early helps account for things like traffic or getting turned around in the building, especially when starting a new rotation. If you’re rushing to get there, you will go into the work already feeling stressed, which isn’t helpful for learning or patient care.
Being early also shows that you respect other people’s time. A lot of clinical rotations are about building relationships with other people on your team, so it’s helpful to start off on a good note. A good rapport with your clinical preceptor and residents can help you get a good grade at the rotation and possible letters of recommendation.
4. Use tech to organize notes and tasks
One important thing to consider when starting rotations is how you’re going to take notes and manage your patient care tasks. You might think of some quick options – a word doc, emails, sticky notes, maybe even a text message or app on your phone. But not only are these not all HIPAA-compliant, but it makes it hard to keep track of where you put everything.
There is an easier way to organize your notes and tasks so that you can excel during your rotations.
CareAlign, our HIPAA-compliant task management platform, allows you to easily take notes, manage tasks, and organize information for presentations from your phone. And because CareAlign works with any EHR, you can use it to help you navigate patient care at all your different clinical rotation sites. And did we mention that it’s free?
5. Know your rotations are only a finite period
Maybe you got put in a rotation in a specialty/area you are not interested in. Maybe you don’t vibe with the attending. Or maybe the location sucks and you have to take a bus an hour each way. Whatever the reason, think of this: your rotation is just a rotation. At most US schools, this means it typically lasts between 4 and 12 weeks, and then you get a fresh start. Don’t let one frustrating rotation bring you down.
6. Have good shoes!
This might sound weird, but you may spend a lot of time on your feet during rotations. And some rotations have long hours. Good shoes can make the long days better (Compression socks can also be a big help!)
While shoe preference is something that comes down to the individual, we’ve wrangled up a few places that offer discounts on shoes for students. Check these out here:
- Nike Student Discount
- Asics Student Discount
- Skechers Student Discount
- On Student Discount
- Hoka Student Discount
- Adidas Student Discount
- Crocs Student Discount
7. Take Care of Yourself!
You’ve probably heard it before: taking care of yourself is important. While it may be cliche at this point, that doesn’t take away from how important it is. A meta-analysis found that about one-third of med students worldwide have anxiety. During the 2020-2021 school year, over 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health issue.
Oftentimes, caregivers focus on caring for others. But how can you care for others if you aren’t taking care of yourself? Eating nutritious food, drinking water, getting adequate sleep, physical activity, and taking care of your mental health are important throughout your life. Prioritize time for yourself. Schedule it into your calendar or add it on a to-do list if that is what will help you get it done.
If you want support, a great place to start looking is at your school. Many schools offer gym memberships, healthcare services, food pantries, and other resources for students to stay healthy. You can also look in your community. Some places will offer sliding scales or discounts for students, which can help make these resources more financially viable.
Want to start taking care of yourself now? We’ve compiled a few video options for you, whether you’re looking for a good laugh or some relaxation. We hope you enjoy 🙂