MSU-COM and CMU Students

All MSU COM and CMU requests for electives at the MSU CHM Lansing Campus should be sent to Ridge Boedeker at Ridge.Boedeker@UMHSparrow.org. Students should not reach out to programs or faculty directly or submit applications on VSLO to schedule electives. Applications from MSU COM & CMU students that are received on VSLO will be marked as ineligible and students will be directed to follow the appropriate process.

More information on the process to request electives can be found in the MSU COM Clerkship Handbook.

Some departments require prior approval before we can schedule you in their electives, and some departments also require a supplemental application. If a supplemental application is required, it will be provided when your request is received.

Our office maintains the schedules for multiple electives in the area and we are not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of any one department. So if you have specific questions about the program itself or what the day-to-day of your rotation will look like, those are best directed to the department contact who will be listed in your welcome letter.

About 6 weeks out from the start date of your rotation, you will receive a confirmation letter from our office with more information. It is critical that you review this information carefully.

For electives that occur at UMH-Sparrow Hospital, there is usually no additional onboarding to be completed unless you are scheduled for an Emergency Medicine rotation. Emergency Medicine rotations require a separate EMR training. Information about this training will be sent in your confirmation email.

For electives that occur at McLaren Greater Lansing, there is an onboarding process that must be completed ahead of each rotation. If this is a requirement for your rotation, it will be outlined in your confirmation email.

Some other offices may have additional paperwork or steps to be completed ahead of your rotation so please be sure to carefully review any information sent by our office or the department.

Scheduling

• I was denied a rotation but it’s showing as available on VSLO. Why is that?
  • Our electives remain open on VSLO even after being filled to allow for a waitlist. It is not uncommon for spaces to open up again after being filled. Blocks are closed on VSLO when there is no reasonable possibility any new applicants could be scheduled. MSU COM and CMU students can request to be on the waitlist by contacting Ridge Boedeker at Ridge.Boedeker@UMHSparrow.org
• I haven’t received my rotation schedule, what should I do?
  • The distribution of rotation schedules varies by department. Some departments send schedules the week before (often the Thursday or Friday before) and some do not provide them in advance. Anything we know about when you should expect to receive your schedule and who it will come from is outlined in your welcome letter.
  • If it is midday the Friday before your rotation and you have not received a schedule and your welcome letter does not tell you where to report on your first day, please reach out to Bryanna Powers at smit1617@msu.edu for assistance.
• I have an anticipated absence during my rotation, who should I contact?
  • Please see the “absences” section in your welcome letter and also notify the department.
• I have an unexpected absence during my rotation, who should I contact?
  • Notify the department as soon as possible, and then see the “absences” section of your student letter.

Waitlist

• How do I join the waitlist?
  • Email Ridge Boedeker at Ridge.Boedeker@UMHSparrow.org to request to join the waitlist. Please be specific about what elective(s) and date(s) you would like to be waitlisted for.
• Will I be updated about my waitlist status?
  • Our office cannot provide regular updates about your waitlist status. You should only expect to be contacted if a space has become available for you.

General

• Do I have to pay for parking?
  • Your badge will grant you access to the ramp at UMH-Sparrow Hospital, so you will not have to pay for parking there. Parking is not covered at other UMH-Sparrow ramps or on MSU’s campus. See your welcome letter for more specific parking information.
• Do I need to return my ID badge after my rotation?
  • No, there is no need to return your badge. It is deactivated at the conclusion of your rotation.

EPIC/Athena EMR

• I just completed EPIC training and I don’t have my credentials yet. What should I do?
  • Credentials are sent out once attendance at the training has been verified, usually around 4 PM on the day of the training, but sometimes the morning after.
• I have used EPIC at a different hospital before, do I have to complete the training again?
  • Yes. UMH-Sparrow Hospital prefers that their training be completed before granting access to their EMR.
• I have used EPIC at UMH-Sparrow Hospital before, do I have to complete the training again?
  • It depends. If it has been less than 90 days since you logged into EPIC at UMH-Sparrow Hospital, the training will not need to be completed again. If it has been more than 90 days, the training will need to be completed.
• Can I access the EMR at home?
  • No. Medical students are not granted remote EMR access.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure an evaluation is completed and returned to their school. Our office cannot assist with this as we often do not know who your evaluator should be. Please ensure that your campus receives the correct contact information for your evaluator.