Determining if a Hospital is “Green Book” Approved for Clinical Clerkships (Clinical Rotations)

If you Google “clinical clerkship” you will find information on everything about the subject. I called ACGME about it and the representative on the phone couldn’t help me answer my question so I had no choice but to research myself. I go to a Caribbean school, and so far it’s doing well; however, it still has a long way till it matches a high-rep school such as Ross Medical University. Therefore, as an American IMG, I have to do my own research. The term “green book” is actually an unofficial term that medical students use. If a hospital is a teaching hospital that offers at least one residency, which is approved by ACGME, then that hospital is “green book” approved. Usually those hospitals will have rotations in Internal Medicine, Family Practice, etc. Now if I’m wrong, please tell me but I’m telling you based on what I’ve read.


Follow me on twitter and get updates automatically.

9 comments:

Desi786 said...

I believe that a hospital that has ACGME approved rotation for that specific area of medicine is only "green book" approved for those rotations. Ie. Jackson Parks Hospital in Chicago has ACGME approved Family Medicine clinical rotations, therefore these rotations are "green book". However, other rotations, such as Radiology, are not green book approved. Thus, to acquire green book approved rotations in all areas of study would require the student to complete their rotations in those areas that are from hospitals with ACGME approved within those specific disciplines. This may or may not be correct, but this is my understanding of it.

lovecloud said...

Hi again,
Im starting in september and I have nothing to do from now till then.. I'm wondering do you have any lectures files left from MD1 that you could send me so I can pre read...Or is there anything that u'd recommend me to study first?

Dr. J said...

Arslaan: thanks for clarifying, I plan to get into a specialty but AICM is just the basic introduction to clinical clerkship
Lovecloud: congrats again, I suggest you come a week before class starts so you can gain time to settle down. Check in to the Divi Flamingo Beach resort Hotel they are very friendly towards students and you will see a lot of new students booking there. I can give you the MD1 lectures files but the files are huge. I don’t recommend you waste your time studying those. In MD1 you will spend 80% of your studying in Histology. I spoke to someone in the Kaplan retreat, a former MD4 who graduate basic sciences last semester, and she told me the Histology is very little in the USMLE. Histology class in MD1 is actually design to train your studying in basic sciences. I suggest you study Physiology inside and out, it will help out sooooo much in MD2-MD4 and in clinical. Physiology is the foundation of medicine. And since you will be coming in September you will meet the best class and the largest class, with ~65+ students; they are very nice.

jon said...

I want to ask why you chose this school over the more "high rep" ones like Ross/AUC/SGA?

Dr. J said...

Well for many reasons I went to SJSM, the pros outweigh the cons. I personally know people who went to ROSS and SJSM

1) in ROSS I know people who failed USMLE Step 1 the first time so it’s not about the school it’s about the individual.

2) I also know two people who I know from undergrad who went to SJSM and passed USMLE Step 1.

3) ROSS is more expensive than some US medical schools, I compared the tuition rates my self.

4) More students from ROSS pass than SJSM students but more people fail at ROSS than SJSM because of their 150+ intake of students.

5) In clinical clerkships all IMGs will be working together side-by-side regardless of which medical school they went to.

6) I was more attracted to the low tuition rate and the 16 months stay in Bonaire.



Both SJSM and ROSS are “for-profit” medical schools but I know personally that SJSM faculty in Bonaire helps A LOT in getting their students to pass but ROSS doesn’t; and I just had a friend who just came back from ROSS from Dominca and he is in his 5th semester in Miami.

With SGU, it’s a great school but it’s still a Caribbean school. A foreign medical school is still a foreign medical school regardless of its reputation. When SGU students go back to USA in their 3rd year they will still be considered IMG and NOT anything else…so there’s no difference between SGU and SJSM in 3rd year. Plus SGU’s tuition is “4 times more” than some US medical schools. I’ll write a post about it soon.

jon said...

wow, thats very informative. I know that USMLE are very individualized. In fact, I just took STEP 1 on Friday 6/25 on my birthday. I hope i did well. I dont believe i failed but its a matter of doing well enough. Im at a US state medical school and have to say my tuitiion is roughly 13,500/semester. We dont really get any instructions on how to take this thing nor reviews, its kinda like, here's a month off, take it, we know you all will pass. It's based purely on faith as about 95% of our students do pass step 1. I am glad you mentioned that all IMG's do clinicals in the same place. Thats interesting so therefore it is separated only by its basic sciences!

Dr. J said...

Oh good, you just took it, I bet it's a big stress off of your shoulders. Well over 90% of US medical students pass the USMLE Steps so that's why; you shouldn't have to worry I'm sure you did fine. And yes IMGs and also US medical students do rotations together regardless of which school they are from. And yes basic science is the division portion.

IMGs have more freedom to do what they want like college so that's why there is a question of of they will pass or not.

Anonymous said...

I'm a US born and want to attend medical school (last yr in undergrad) I wouldn't be able to make the grades and attend a US school so I want to go to the carribean. However, I know I will have some problems paying for tution so Im thinking if I join the navy would they pay it if I attend SJSM. They said that the school that I attend have to be AMA or AOA approved.

Dr. J said...

I don't think any Caribbean schools are approved by either the AMA (American Medical Association) or the AOA (American Osteopathic Association). I suggest you Apply to ROSS, SGU, AUC because then your tuition and all your other expenses will be paid for by the Federal government. You can get federal loans and private loans easily to pay for everything if you go to one of those three schools.

Post a Comment