Another setback in a sea of setbacks
I thought that at least 1 month of my summer was worked out. There are 4 programs where I live that place medical students with preceptors for 4 month summer rotations in rural communities. Their sole purpose is to place clerkship and pre-clerkship students in rural centers so they can experience what it's like to work in a rural community. Last year I did a week in the country with my medical school through one of these organizations and the people were great. They were super organized, most of us were in great communities with great preceptors. So, I decided to try again this year with the organization that covers the part of the province that I want to go to this summer. I specified not 1 but 2 four week blocks that I was free during, I submitted a letter of good intent and proof of good standing from my medical school, and then I waited, and waited. Finally, I emailed them yesterday to see what the status of my application is.
Not yet processed. They have 3 clerks to still place for manditory rotations during the time I specified before they will try to place me. The first time slot I specified is in a month... I guess I'm not getting placed. So, I asked about the second time slot I asked for and I still haven't heard back... cross your fingers.
I really find this disappointing that an organization that's purpose is to place students for volunteer positions (the other organizations in the province reimburse students for travel expenses and living expenses while they're in the community, but not this one) can't manage to place clerks let alone pre-clerkship students. I'd heard bad things about this organization in the past, and now it's solidified, they just can't keep up with their counterparts in other areas of the province. I don't know what it is. They probably get more students than other regions, but their region also has a bigger population and therefore more doctors to canvas. Maybe doctors are tired of taking students and being asked to take students. I think that's a shame. Maybe the government should look at putting a bonus into the alternative funding agreements for taking students - maybe they need a bit of incentive to make up for the time they lose having a student. The family health teams already use an incentive-based-approach so if they government is serious about having more family doctors, maybe they should give an incentive for teaching and helping students gain exposure to family medicine.
All I know is that I'm frustrated. I'm not asking for money, I'm just asking for someone's time.
3 comments:
Hang in there. Maybe you are supposed to do something else this summer, like take a break.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for family practice. I am experiencing my own passion for the circus of family practice right now too.
I'm new to the blogging world but have been enjoying Medstudentitis for a little while.
No, that's really unfair. You made the effort and got all your forms and documents in on time, only to be messed around.
You should write them a really polite email, explaining to them how you submitted all of your forms/letters in early, and how disappointed you are that you have not been placed for the first block.
It's a little unfair on you, too. At least if you knew earlier you could have arranged something else.
Unfortunately most organisations work this way. The ones I wrote to have been equally unhelpful, if not worse (at least yours replied). Sometimes I think the monkeys in charge of management thought that the people best suited to placing clerks would be clerks, so the entire organisation must be run by clarks (except for management, of course; they prefer employees of the simian variety).
I'd do what Cal said, only MY letter would be slightly less than polite (and contain a lot of French, if you knov vat I mean, ho ho ho).
BTW: is that pic of you? A little risque, isn't it?
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