Physician Assistant Rotation Opportunities

Highland Hospital, an affiliate of University of Rochester Medical Center, offers an exceptional learning environment for Physician Assistant (PA) students to gain hands-on clinical experience. Under the guidance of experienced clinicians, PA students will participate in patient care, develop diagnostic and procedural skills, and collaborate with an interdisciplinary healthcare team to deliver compassionate, evidence-based care.

Some of the core rotational experiences available at Highland include the following:

Surgery (General and Subspecialty)

The student will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of surgical disciplines including general surgery, bariatrics, colorectal surgery, breast surgery, urology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and thoracic surgery, working with experienced PAs and attending preceptors and supervisors in an academic community hospital setting. This rotation will help provide the student with the core knowledge and skills to evaluate and prepare a patient for surgery, assist in surgery, and provide post-operative care and education to patients. Skills learned may include basic wound closure, wound care (including debridement, abscess drainage, etc), NG tube insertion, bladder catheterization, chest tube management and drain removal.

Emergency Medicine

Students rotating in our community emergency department will gain comprehensive, hands-on experience in managing a wide range of patient presentations across all acuity levels.  Working alongside experienced physicians and advanced practice providers, students will gain exposure to various skills including wound management, orthopedic care, venous access, obstetric and gynecologic complaints.  The rotation provides exposure to both high- and low-acuity cases, emphasizing clinical decision-making, procedural competency, and effective team-based care in a fast-paced, supportive environment.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

The student will have an opportunity to participate in a wide variety of hands-on experience in caring for patients seeking well-person gynecologic care, reproductive healthcare, gynecologic concerns and prenatal care alongside all members of the health care team in the ambulatory setting.  Students will learn to conduct well-person annual exams, contraceptive counseling, STI screening/risk evaluation, menstrual disorder management, menopausal symptom management and routine prenatal care of the low and high-risk pregnancy.  At the end of the clinical rotation, the student will be prepared to perform speculum exams, bimanual pelvic exams, clinical breast exams,  auscultation of fetal heart rate with external doppler, obstetrical fundal height measurement, identify risk factors for hormonal contraceptive use, identify common causes of menstrual disorders, and provide appropriate patient education and anticipatory guidance.  Depending on the student's program goals and requirements, an inpatient rotation in labor and delivery, postpartum and GYN OR are also accommodated.  For inpatient rotations, the student would be working closely with our URMC residents, Highland attendings and midwives.

Emergency Observation Unit

In this rotation, the student will gain hands-on experience in the Emergency Observation Unit, where patients typically require short-term hospitalizations (24–48 hours) for conditions such as surgical concerns, cellulitis, cyclic vomiting, chest pain, and other acute but stable presentations. Working alongside experienced APPs, the student will be actively involved in managing patient care, coordinating further diagnostic workup, initiating symptom-directed treatment regimens, consulting appropriate specialties, and contributing to comprehensive discharge planning. This rotation emphasizes clinical decision-making, multidisciplinary collaboration, and effective patient communication.

Internal Medicine

APP students rotating through Highland Hospital medicine will have an opportunity to be exposed to patients with a wide variety of ailments – cardiac, renal, neurological, pulmonary, infectious disease, or surgical.  You will be given the chance to work side by side with multiple consulting services and be exposed to a variety of procedures.  There are multiple educational opportunities – Grand Rounds, noon conferences with residents and medical students, and APP focused education.  APPs at HH work regularly with FM, IM, Med Peds residents, surgical and sub specialty fellows, nursing students, and pharmacy residents.  There are also opportunities to participate with the APPs and attendings in Radiology, the ICU, and Interventional Radiology. You will also become acquainted with EPIC, how to write History and Physicals, coordinate discharges, and Progress notes.

Orthopedics

The HH orthopedics APP group primarily works with total joint replacement patients (hips, knees, and shoulders) as well as geriatric fracture patients.  We are involved in the management and treatment of fractures/extremity injuries that come in through the Emergency Department. We perform several bedside procedures.  Some of the common bedside procedures that we perform are joint reductions, splint/cast applications, joint aspirations, and I&Ds.  We work closely with residents, fellows, and attendings to establish appropriate treatment plans for patients that come in through the Emergency Department. Some of these patients are then admitted to the orthopedic service and managed are primarily managed by the orthopedic APP team with geriatrics co-managing. The APPs in our group work exclusively inpatient at HH with a mix of assisting in the OR, covering patients admitted to the orthopedics service and seeing consults. 

Primary Care

The UR Primary Care Network offers a variety of clinical experiences to students. The Primary Care Network has 38 offices in the greater Rochester area, 8 of which are affiliated with Highland Hospital. Depending on placement, the student may work in either an Internal Medicine or Family Medicine practice. The student will get experience with evaluation and management of acute/chronic illnesses, ordering/interpreting/communicating diagnostic tests and results, complete physical exams, Wellness visits, hospital/ED follow-ups and Transitional Care Management, collaboration with network based physicians and medical team regarding patient care, facilitating appropriate referrals to specialists or community-based agencies, opportunities for office based procedures, and patient education/counseling intended to maintain or restore physical/emotional health and function. APPs within the network have established team-based patient panels and function as the primary care provider for their patients. Students will get unique insight into how APPs function in the PCP role.

Geriatrics

Skilled Nursing Facilities

During a clinical rotation in Geriatrics, the preceptee would have the opportunity to participate in older adult patient care in the nursing home setting.   Actively participate in the duties of the medical staff as well as that of the other members of the interdisciplinary team.  The student will be working with experienced APP preceptors to provide primary care to elderly and chronically ill patients. Assessment and diagnostic skills will be developed with this challenging population whether they are at a nursing home for rehabilitation or long-term care.   This rotation will help provide the student with core knowledge, such as appreciating the limitations within facilities for treat in place, medication management, utilizing Beers criteria, discussing goals of care while also learning core medical knowledge and skills for assessing and treating geriatric patients.

Independent/Assisted Living Facilities

URMGG Assisted and Independent Living practice’s goal is to help provide primary care to the often-complex residents of Assisted and Independent living facilities. The focus of our practice is to manage aging related disorders in addition to chronic health conditions.  Visits can vary from performing an annual health assessment, a post hospital discharge visit, or more complex needs

In addition to core rotations as described above, we have many opportunities in other fields including surgical and medical subspecialties.  Once the student or clinical coordinator has verified rotation dates and your preceptor, final verification is completed through ACEMAPP software.  Please reach out with any questions.