"Experience and Excellence" are truly exemplified at Summa Health System. Providing quality education and outstanding service to the community have always been the goals of both institutions. The faculty have been trained at some of the finest institutions, bringing with them a unique mix of medical knowledge, background and philosophies to the teaching of residents and medical students. We feel that with our past successes, we will continue to excel as we combine to expand the resources available to our residency programs and the community.
Please click here to view our Senior Elective Catalogue in PDF format.
Summa Health System accepts visiting student applications through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunity (VSLO) website. You can view our current elective offerings on the VSLO website, linked here. Note that students must be an M-4 at the time of rotation and be in good standing at an LCME- or COCA-accredited medical school. Below is a listing of documents required during the application process:
If you have any questions regarding senior elective applications, please contact Medical Education at (330) 375-3107 or medicaleducation@summahealth.org.
Summa Health System offers an extensive array of over 50 senior electives for medical students. These electives introduce students to the practice of medicine in a community hospital. Working directly under the supervision of the elective director, medical students strengthen their skills in various areas including physical diagnosis and problem-solving. Also, students enjoy the benefit of hands-on experience with a diverse patient population offering extensive pathology. Summa Health System consistently receives high ratings from medical students for the desirability and quality of elective and clerkship rotations. Your educational experience will include the following:
Summa Health System is an 963-bed nonprofit healthcare delivery network created by the 1989 merger of Summa Health System – Akron and St. Thomas Campuses in Akron, Ohio. The educational environment at Summa Health System combines the positive aspects of a high quality community hospital system with the academic strengths of a major teaching and research hospital system affiliated with the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). Dedicated to quality patient care, community outreach, and excellence in medical education and research, Summa Health System has established regional centers in cardiology, behavioral health, orthopaedics, women’s health, oncology, ophthalmology and renal services. Notable services include cardiac surgery, kidney transplantation, and cancer care, as well as perinatal care, regional trauma and emergency care, and the country’s first hospital-based treatment center for alcoholism. Summa Health System is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Affiliations: Summa Health System is a major teaching institution of NEOMED, a community-based state medical school that awards the medical degree and, through consortial arrangements with the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Kent State University and Youngstown State University, offers a combined B.S./M.D. program and Ph.D. programs in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.© NEOMED and its 18 associated hospitals cosponsor graduate and continuing medical education programs for residents, physicians and allied health professionals. The majority of active staff physicians at Summa Health System have appointments to NEOMED’s clinical faculty.©
Summa Health System ranks among the nation’s top 50 hospitals in U.S. News & World Report’s 10th annual "America’s Best Hospitals" guide. In fact, we earned standings in four key areas: Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Respiratory Disorders and, for the second year in a row, Orthopaedics. Summa was also recognized as the healthcare leader in the Akron area when the Cleveland Clinic Health System accepted us as a member of their healthcare delivery system for Summit, Stark and Portage counties. Recognition like this doesn’t come easily. But it should make your decision about where to get a quality medical education quite a bit easier.
