Lets see if we can shed some light on this illusive subject. If I am correct the GREENBOOK is put out by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, also known as ACGME. Their website is http://www.acgme.org/adspublic/
Now...if one where to look up a hospital on their website, or in the book, a person can find what ACCREDITED residency programs are available at that institution. Remember, the greenbook is set up to show residency programs, and has nothing to do with clinical rotations in and of itself.
So why do they talk about greenbook in regard to clinical rotations?
Apparently for foreign medical students to become licensed in a few states there are restrictions on whether they did their clinical rotations in a "greenbook" hospital, but keep in mind that there are two possibilities here.
Take for example a facility that is a greenbook hospital...but the only greenbook residency it has is in FAMILY PRACTICE. This hospital is therefore a greenbook hospital. That is the only ACGME approved residency at the facility, and yet there may be clinical students there doing CLINICAL rotations for their 3-4th years in family practice, surgery, OB-GYN, ER, etc.
So take these two scenarios...
1) There is a student at this hospital doing his/her family practice CLINICAL rotation. This is the most technically correct greenbook reference...the hospital has an ACGME greenbook RESIDENCY program, AND the student is doing the clinical rotation in that field.
2) The student is at this hospital doing an ER rotation.....or any other that is NOT family practice. In this case the student is still doing a rotation at a greenbook hospital...technically. However, it is NOT a greenbook hospital for that specialty.
It is my understanding that this is where all the confusion lies...as many schools promise greenbook facilities for clinical rotations, but which of the above two scenarios are they giving you?
Keep in mind that there are only a few states that one needs to worry about in regard to greenbook, from what I have been told. I am not going to pretend I know which ones, as I am not going to pretend that what I have just said is fact. This is only how I understand the situation.
It is also my understanding that as an MUA student, if I want to have greenbook clinical rotations as described under scenario #1, there can be delays, as these are not easy for the school to arrange. The fact is that we ARE a foreign medical school, and many facilities do not need to cater to us, as there are plenty of US students in many areas. If this is what I desired I was told I would probably have to wait in between each clinical rotation.
How long? I got no definitive answer...mostly because I believe they can't give me one. They were vague and said it could be weeks...truthfully I would not be surprised if it took even longer. Of course, a 240ish score on your USMLE might help.
Scenario #2 is what I believe Youssef is referring to when he describes his clinical rotations as having been in greenbook facilities (Please correct me if I am wrong Youssef). In this case one IS doing their rotations in a greenbook hospital, and I believe they can move you from one clinical to another within days.
IT WOULD JUST NOT MEET THE CRITERIA IF SOME STATE REQUIRES THAT CLINICAL ROTATIONS MUST BE DONE IN A FACILITY THAT IS ACGME GREENBOOK FOR THAT SPECIALTY. There is no reason why they can't swing you from one clinical almost straight into another.
My advice is to look carefully at the requirements for any state you might want to practice in. Call the state and ask them to clarify "greenbook" rotations for you, and make sure it is not someone who has only worked there a few months....lol.
If anyone else has further info they would care to add, please jump in...or to correct me if you think I am wrong about what I have said. The only field I am expert in is cleaning up the mess my dogs leave!
Aron
Posted on Feb 26, 2003, 8:33 AM from IP address 200.50.77.96
