Clinical rotations are where everything you’ve learned in the classroom comes to life. After the didactic phase, you’ll enter real-world healthcare settings — caring for patients, working alongside preceptors, and developing your clinical skills. It’s an exciting phase of PA school, and each rotation has its own learning curve.
Here’s what to expect, how to prepare for clinical rotations, and small steps you can take to make a significant impact as you begin your clinical training.
How to Prepare for Your Core and Elective Rotations
Before you start your clinical year, knowing what kinds of rotations you’ll complete and how to begin preparing is helpful. Clinical rotations in PA school include core and elective experiences, each designed to build your knowledge through hands-on patient care in real-world settings.
Core experiences are part of the PA clinical rotation requirements set by accredited programs and ensure you’re exposed to a broad range of patient care. As you review your upcoming schedule, take time to learn the specifics of each rotation. Look up common conditions, procedures, and medications. Use expert-curated clinical resources to read up on how the setting might differ (inpatient vs. outpatient), and think about any specific skills you’d like to strengthen during that rotation.
By the time you graduate from an accredited PA program, you’ll complete more than 2,000 hours of supervised clinical training. So, it’s worth taking the time to understand what each rotation involves. While core rotations are standard across programs, the clinical sites, patient populations, and daily workflows can vary, making it even more important to prepare in advance.
| Rotation | Focus |
| Internal Medicine | Diagnosis and management of adult medical conditions |
| Family Medicine | Comprehensive outpatient care across the lifespan |
| Pediatrics | Medical care for infants, children, and adolescents |
| Emergency Medicine | Acute care for urgent and emergent conditions |
| General Surgery | Pre-, intra-, and postoperative surgical care |
| Women’s Health (OB-GYN) | Prenatal care, labor and delivery, and gynecological management |
| Psychiatry/Behavioral Health | Diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions |
Many programs offer elective rotations in specialties such as dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics, and oncology. These are opportunities to explore areas of interest, strengthen your resume, and gain experience in a field you may want to pursue after graduation. Electives also allow you to tailor your clinical rotation plan based on future goals and interests.
To prepare, start by thinking about your long-term goals. Choose electives that align with the type of work you’re curious about or want to learn more about. If you’re unsure, talk to faculty, mentors, and practicing PAs for insight.
Once your electives are scheduled, review common conditions, procedures, and patient populations for that specialty. If you know the site, look into the setting so you can walk in with a sense of what to expect. Planning ahead will help you get the most out of each experience.
| Rotation | Focus |
| Dermatology | Diagnosis and management of skin conditions |
| Cardiology | Care for patients with cardiovascular disease |
| Orthopedic Surgery | Musculoskeletal evaluation and surgical procedures |
| Oncology | Management of cancer diagnoses and treatments |
| Infectious Diseases | Diagnosis and treatment of complex infections |
| Neurosurgery | Surgical care for neurologic conditions |
| Pulmonology | Respiratory disease management in outpatient or inpatient settings |
| Rheumatology | Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases |
Tips to Help You Prepare for Clinical Rotations
Clinical rotations will challenge you in new ways, but a little preparation goes a long way. These practical tips can help you walk into each rotation feeling empowered and ready to learn.
Reach Out to Your Preceptor Early
If your program provides preceptor information in advance, take a moment to send a short, professional message. Introduce yourself, express your excitement about the upcoming rotation, and confirm when and where to arrive.
This outreach helps set a tone and ensures you're aligned on expectations from day one. Your preceptor is likely busy, so keep your message brief, polite, and appreciative.
Get Your Logistics in Order
Take care of the little things before your first day so you can focus on your patients and learning experience when rotations begin. Plan your route to the rotation site so you’re not scrambling with traffic. Lay out your white coat, pack snacks and a lunch, and make sure you have comfortable shoes, your stethoscope, and any pocket references you like to carry. Being organized helps reduce stress and demonstrates that you’re taking the experience seriously.
Brush Up on the Basics
You don’t need to know everything before you start, but reviewing high-yield topics for each specialty will help. Look over developmental milestones before pediatrics, brush up on suturing techniques before surgery, and review psychiatric medications before your behavioral health rotation.
Targeted review with a trustworthy QBank beforehand can help you feel fully prepared when rotations begin. Consider even just setting aside a few minutes a day to review. Consistent effort, even in small doses, can make a noticeable difference.
Talk to Students Who’ve Been There
Connecting with someone who’s already completed the rotation can give you a level of insight that no syllabus or study guide can. Ask your peers what to expect from the preceptor, the clinic flow, and any common challenges. They can share how the preceptor prefers to field questions, what kind of patient presentations work best, and which parts of the rotation tend to be the most demanding.
Hearing about their experience can also help you avoid common missteps and get a sense of your preceptor’s personality or teaching style. A short conversation with a classmate who’s been in your shoes can make the entire experience feel more approachable.
Set Personal Learning Goals
Going into a rotation with a few personal objectives can help you stay motivated. You might want to improve your patient communication, practice writing clearer notes, or gain experience performing certain procedures. If your preceptor asks what you hope to get out of the rotation, having a few goals in mind will show initiative and self-awareness.
Make a Strong First Impression
Much of what you’ll encounter during rotations is out of your control, but how you show up isn’t. Arrive early, introduce yourself confidently, and treat everyone on the care team with kindness and respect. Be an active listener, take notes, and stay engaged. Preceptors notice when students are curious, prepared, and eager to learn.
Starting clinical rotations marks a major milestone in your PA journey. While you can't prepare for every situation, doing what you can ahead of time will help you show up more confident, curious, and ready to grow.
