Clinical Rotation Sites at ICOM

Where ICOM Students Complete Clinical Rotations

During their third (OMS-III) and fourth (OMS-IV) years, ICOM medical students complete clinical clerkship rotations at 17 core-affiliated hospital systems and affiliate clinical sites spanning Idaho and 9 other states including California, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin.

These placements give students hands-on experience in hospital and outpatient settings, working directly with credentialed, contracted physician preceptors.

Core site assignments are determined during the spring semester of the OMS-II academic year, and students are matched to a site through a structured placement process (explained below). Rotation sites are subject to change from year to year based on ICOM’s affiliation agreements. For full details on rotation structure, attendance, and evaluation policies, see the complete Clinical Clerkship Guide and Rotation Manual.

For a broader look at ICOM’s clinical education program overall, visit the Clinical Experience page.

On this page:

• What Is a Clinical Rotation?
• How ICOM Assigns Clinical Rotation Sites
• Clinical Rotation Sites Map
• Clinical Rotation Sites by State
• Core Affiliated Sites
• Affiliate Sites
• Framework of the Clinical Years
• Away and Audition Rotations
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Clinical Rotation?

A clinical rotation (sometimes called a clerkship) is a scheduled block of hands-on training during which a medical student works directly with physicians and other healthcare providers in a real clinical setting, such as a hospital, outpatient clinic, or long-term care facility, rather than in a classroom.

At ICOM, each clinical rotation runs a minimum of four weeks and students complete a structured sequence of rotations across their third and fourth years covering core specialties like Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/Gyn, and Psychiatry, along with elective rotations in areas of individual interest.

Rotations give students supervised, real-world exposure to patient care while working toward the clinical competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) required for graduation and residency readiness.

How ICOM Assigns Clinical Rotation Sites

ICOM uses a three-step process to match students with their third- and fourth-year core rotation sites:

1. Residency-Status Placement

Students with verified ties to a state where a core clinical site is located, based on prior residency history, may apply for consideration to be placed at a core site in that state. Students who qualify for this pathway are assigned to their site before the general selection process below takes place.

2. Rank-List Lottery Placement

Students who are not placed with the residency placement will participate in a lottery-style drawing. Each student ranks their site preferences from the remaining available core sites, is assigned a randomized number, and is matched to their highest-ranked available site as numbers are drawn in sequence during an open ceremony.

3. Site-Swap Opportunity

After the lottery, students have a one-time opportunity to request a mutual site swap with a classmate. If both students agree and the Clinical Affairs department approves, the swap becomes final for both students. Students placed through Residency Status Placement are not eligible to swap their site with another student.

Clinical Rotation Sites Map

Framework of the Clinical Years

Each clinical rotation runs over a four-week block. The table below outlines the full structure of the third- and fourth-year clinical curriculum. For more detail on individual rotation requirements. see the Clinical Clerkship Guide and Rotation Manual.

Away and Audition Rotations

The core and affiliate sites listed above provide clerkships for ICOM’s required third- and fourth-year training, but they aren’t the only places students can train. Fourth-year (OMS-IV) students have the option to complete elective and audition rotations at hospitals and clinics outside ICOM’s core and affiliate network, including at residency programs they’re interested in applying to (so called audition or sub-internship rotations).

Fourth-year students can schedule elective rotations through platforms like VSLO (Visiting Student Learning Opportunities) and Clinician Nexus, or arranged directly with a preceptor. Students must be in good academic standing and submit an Elective Request Form well in advance:

• Domestic elective rotations require at least 90 days notice before the rotation start date
• International elective rotations require at least 120 days notice, are capped at six weeks, and must follow additional requirements, including passing COMLEX-USA Level 1 and completing required travel documentation

At least one fourth-year elective must be in a primary care specialty (such as Family Medicine, Outpatient Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Ob/Gyn), and students may also complete a limited number of virtual rotations in select subjects. All away rotations require approval from ICOM’s Clinical Affairs Department before scheduling.

Ready to Apply?

Learn more about ICOM’s admissions requirements and how to start your application on the Admissions & Aid page, or explore where ICOM graduates match after completing their clinical training.