Griffin Hospital

THE CLINICAL OBSERVERSHIP PROGRAM

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
For US medical Students:
? Students must have finished their core clerkships in Internal Medicine
? Those students who have passed USMLE step 1 will be preferred.
? Be in good standing at the school
For Foreign Medical Students:
? Students in 5 year program:
o Must have finished 3rth year successfully
o Preferably should have passed USMLE step 1 and/or Step 2
o Be in good standing at the school
? Students in 4 year program (such as Caribbean schools-only applying for sub-internships)
o Must have finished core internal medicine clerkships
o Must have passed USMLE step 1
o Be in good standing at the school

APPLICATION PROCESS:
A formal application shall be submitted to the COP Committee well in advance of the start date. Standardized applications such as ERAS application is acceptable. In the event that an ERAS application is not available the following needs to be submitted to the Committee for consideration at least 4 weeks prior to the proposed start date:
Please mail: Griffin Hospital, Medical Education
130 Division St
Derby, CT 06418
? A cover letter detailing desired rotation
? A completed Application (such as ERAS) or standard application
? C.V.
? At least one letter of reference from student’s clinical supervisor or advisor or an attending physician
? USMLE score reports
? ECFMG certificate (if available)
? TOEFL score report
? Health insurance documentation
? A recent photograph (optional- to help with writing reference letters)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
A completed application must be received at least 2 weeks in advance of start date. Formal start date is 1st working day of a calendar month.

APPROVAL PROCESS:
Applications will be formally reviewed once a month. If an application is received after the Committee’s meeting date but before the start date of a block rotation, the Committee chair can review and approve applications to expedite the process. However, such decisions must be ratified in the full committee meetings.

SELECTION PROCESS:
The COP committee meets once a month. Each application is carefully reviewed. There are 2 slots for General Medicine Observership/Sub-internship each month. We do not offer ICU and Telemetry experience at this time. Selection for Observership/Sub-internship is based on following criteria, where no single criteria can guarantee acceptance:
? USMLE board scores
? Reference letter
? Performance in medical school
? Interest in Griffin Hospital Internal Medicine Residency program in future and
? Prospects of becoming a resident at Griffin Hospital
Selection is based on a simple majority of votes of the committee members.

SCREENING PROCESS:
? Griffin Hospital reserves the right to screen any worker for drug abuse.
? Candidates may be asked to undergo drug testing.
? Griffin Hospital also reserves the right to do background checks on its employees.
? The sub-intern or observer is required to pay for this background check and/or drug testing. If they are mandated, additional costs will incur.

ROTATION FEE:
GENERAL MEDICINE/SPECIALTY ELECTIVES: As of May 2003, a non-refundable application fee of $400 will be charged for the first month of rotation. Fee is paid in advance before the start of the rotation.

I-20 FORM:
Griffin Hospital is approved by INS to issue the I-20 student visa form. Applicants who plan to come to Griffin Hospital Observership Program on a student visa must include a one time non-refundable additional application fee of $50 for the process of the I-20 form, once they have been admitted to the program.

POLICY ON ADDITIONAL ROTATIONS:
It is generally the policy of the Griffin Hospital NOT to extend the duration of sub-internship or Observership more than a month. Under certain circumstances, we will allow a person to extend the duration:
? When there is an empty slot available which has not been filled with a new candidate
? If the candidate demonstrates satisfactory performance during the month at Griffin.
? If the candidate chooses to do an available elective that is unfilled by regular students or residents (these electives are offered in various clinical specialties such as cardiology, endocrine, pulmonology, rheumatology, preventive medicine/research etc.)
In the event that a slot is available due to lack of candidate, a candidate shall make a formal request to the Committee for extension. If a request is received after the monthly meeting of the COP Committee but before the start date, the Committee chair will have authority to grant the permission to extend the rotation. All fees must be paid in advance again. Decisions to extend rotations must be ratified in the full committee. In the event that a present observer and a new applicant compete for a slot, preference will be given to the new candidate.
NO MORE THAN 3 ROTATIONS OR 3 MONTHS WILL BE ALLOWED FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL IN ANY COMBINATION.

AVAILABLE SLOTS
At this time, we have following slots available:
? General Medicine 2 positions each month One each in General Medicine Team A and B.

REFERENCE LETTER:
Candidate may request letters of reference from the teaching attending on the team. Additional letters can be requested from attendings who the candidate has had significant interaction. The Committee on Students and Sub-interns is NOT responsible for soliciting such letters. It is the candidates’ responsibility to obtain such letters.
Observers may request a certificate of completion of observership which will simply state and attest the completion of the observership.

PARKING:
Free parking is provided in the lower lot across from the Griffin Hospital on Seymour Ave. parking lot. Sub-interns are NOT expected to park in the upper parking lot in front of the hospital’s main entrance.

FOOD:
Candidates are not provided with food or food coupons. Sub-interns and observers can use cafeteria and will be charged employee rate for meals when they show their hospital ID card.

IDENTIFICATION CARDS:
Candidates will be given a picture ID which must be carried at all times while in the hospital.

LOGDING:
Griffin hospital does not make arrangements for lodging or rental of apartment. Candidates are directed to local newspaper (www.connecticupost.com or www.newhavenregister.com) in order to find suitable accommodation.

EQUIPMENT:
Sub-interns and observer will be a given a temporary beeper which must be returned at the end of the rotation. We do not provide white coat, on-call gowns, stethoscope, tendon hammers etc.

APPLICATION FOR RESIDENCY:
Being a sub-intern or observer at the Griffin Hospital does not automatically result in an invitation for an interview or enhance the chances for acceptance in to our residency program. Applications for residency program are strictly accepted via ERAS.