RotationsPlus - find your perfect clinical rotation

Timeline

May 2021 - March 2022

Client

Rotation Plus

Team

Project manager

Product Designer (Me)

UX/UI designer

background

RotationsPlus helps students gain clinical experience with US physicians and hospitals.The company wanted to create a digital solution that automates finding and applying for rotations, cutting out tedious administrative work. I worked on this project as a contractor in a team with a project manager, fellow designer and RotationsPlus representatives.

Problems

Outdated technology, lack transparency, high prices, and inefficient onboarding and approval processes make the application and search rotation complicated for students;

Complicated onboarding process, manual paperwork and back and forth communication is time-consuming for preceptors;

Cold-calling preceptors is time-consuming and requires liability insurance;

The disorganized credentialing process adds administrative costs, raising prices.

Client says

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

Solution

Online platform to search, schedule,
and secure clinical rotations with full transparency

For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance

For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.

For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.
For students:
Search, schedule, and secure clinical rotations with full transparency
Lower prices, faster onboarding and approval processes
Ability to see preceptor details in advance
For preceptors:
Easy onboarding and approval processes;
Efficiently handle multiple student requests and manage approvals and tasks, while proving quality mentorship;
Frictionless communication via built-in messaging system.
For students:
Saves money through automated workflow;
Organized credentialing process saves time.

User research

We need to discover how the current workflow works.

We had a call with the client to map out their workflow. Detailing each step was key in identifying the main issues.

User surveys & interviews

Students face unclear application processes, while preceptors find manual processing exhausting

Together with the client we also outlined the main customers categories. Later I conducted a survey using Google Forms to observe what issues users are experiencing in the current workflow. A total of 30 people responded which helped me to better understand core problems.

Our users:

•

International medical/dental students & graduates;

•

U.S. pre-med students;

•

Nurse practitioner students;

•

Preceptors (experienced doctors);

•

Admins.

Manual workflow and long approvals make the entire process complicated and time-consuming

I interviewed 7 users (3 students, 3 preceptors, and 1 admin) over the call to explore their frustrations more deeply and learn their opinions and ideas on how the process might be improved.

Key insights form the surveys and interviews:

The survey confirmed there is a need in automated digital solution to streamline the rotation process;

Students find it hard to find, select and apply for a suitable medical rotation. It’s also unclear for them how a rotation would go;

Students are worried about scam or unexpected fees as well as long waiting time for rotation approval;

Complicated onboarding process, manual paperwork and back and forth communication is time-consuming for preceptors;

Admin would like to have a centralized system for tracking applications, payments, and credentials.

competitive audit

The audit revealed that a smooth onboarding process, transparent pricing, and clear next steps are essential for building trust

To better understand the market, I conducted a competitive audit to identify key competitors, analyse their features, strengths and weaknesses, and uncover opportunities for our solution. This process helped indicate potential advantages we could leverage to differentiate our product.

analysis

After research, I needed to group and prioritise user needs and insights

I synthesized the research using affinity mapping. By clustering similar issues, we gained a clearer understanding of the biggest friction points in onboarding, rotation search, rotation process, communication, and pricing.

Key insights form the surveys and interviews:

Onboarding

For both students and preceptors onboarding process is complicated and time-sonsuming.

Find and select a rotation

Students struggle to find appropriate rotation via emails or phone calls.

Rotation process and communication

The preceptor approval process is inefficient, often involving long wait times and manual verifications. Delays in confirmations frustrate students and can lead to missed rotation opportunities.

User personas

Meet Muhammad, Shawn, and Emily

I analyzed recurring pain points and grouped users into three key personas to align our design decisions with their needs. Then, I mapped out the user journey for both students and preceptors to understand their experiences and emotions at each step.

Our success metrics:

Metric: Percentage of users who complete onboarding.

Goal: At least 70% of students and preceptors complete the onboarding process.

Metric: Reduced Administrative Costs.

Goal: Decrease administrative workload by at least 40%, leading to lower operational costs.

Metric: Average time to find and book a rotation.

Goal: Keep it under 15 minutes.

Metric: Average time for preceptor response.

Goal: Under 48 hours for most rotation requests.

ideation

Uncovering opportunities through “How might we...” and storyboards

After gathering research insights, I used the "How Might We" method to turn challenges into opportunities for innovation. I then created storyboards capturing key moments in the user journey for students, preceptors, and admins, which helped guide further design decisions. Finally, we thoroughly evaluated our ideas and selected the most impactful ones.

user flow

Building user flows and the informational architecture

The storyboards and user journeys revealed key interactions, decision points, and pain points for students, preceptors, and admins. This holistic view helped me map clear navigation paths and define the platform's structure.

prototypes and testing

Let's explore some ideas by creating wireframes

Based on the insights and ideation I moved to creating paper wireframes. It allowed us to quickly explore ideas and test layouts without getting bogged down in details.

Our core flows are: Onboarding, Search and select rotation, Rotation process.

testing Insights

Rotation Process

I created five distinct wireframe iterations for both the student and preceptor dashboards to test and explore different design approaches. Then we selected best 2 versions and I created a mid-fidelity prototype for them. We then conducted usability tests with representative users to compare these versions.

My goals were:

•

See if the dashboards address student and preceptor needs;

•

Uncover missing features the users would like to see.

Usability testing revealed the need to completely redesign the dashboard with clearer rotation tracking for both students and preceptors

Another round of testing. Preceptor request card should aggregate multiple student requests rather than generating separate cards.

This approach will maintain a compact interface, allowing preceptors to manage multiple rotations efficiently.

•

Additionally, tasks from different rotations can intermingle, so we need a clear way to differentiate them;

•

Current layout for active tasks leads to stacking, which clutters the interface.

User testing feedback

With new adjustments in place, we were ready to transition to high-fidelity designs that bring our vision to life.

Student:

"I like the new Active Tasks section. It's crystal clear what my next steps are, and I can easily distinguish between different rotations."

Preceptor:

“Now it’s easy to track and manage multiple students request in one place.”

final designs

Design system

To maintain consistency and streamline development, I established a comprehensive design system with modular UI components. The company has already had it’s branding colors, so I needed to build a design system based on existing branding.

Solution

Online platform to search, schedule,
and secure clinical rotations with full transparency

Students

Transparently search, apply for, and track rotations.

Preceptors

Efficiently manage requests and mentor students.

Admins

Streamline credentialing and rotation management, reducing costs.

Search and secure a clinical rotation with ease.

Students can easily find and apply for clinical rotations through an intuitive onboarding process, convenient search filters, and a map-based search interface. They can review detailed rotation information and access a clear price breakdown before making a purchase, ensuring a seamless and informed experience.

Simple and transparent processes to build trust with students
and decrease the workload for preceptors and admins.

Simple and transparent processes to build trust with students and decrease workload for preceptors.

Simplified approval process and communication.

After depositing, students can reschedule rotation or change a preceptor.

Preceptor profiles ensure transparency and build trust.

Outcomes

20%

We observed a 20% decrease in time spent on credentialing and coordination tasks within four months of launch, directly lowering operational costs.

25%

onboarding drop rate of approximately 25%, demonstrating a significant improvement over the manual process.

>15 min.

The median time for users to find and select a rotation was under 15 minutes.

90%

of preceptor requests were responded to within 36 hours.

Live website

Next steps

My design was approved by the client, and the product was successfully developed and launched in 2022. The customer returned to me with a highly positive feedback from the admins, who noted that transition to the platform-based service significantly improved their performance, eliminated the number of daunting tasks, and streamlined operations.  

Takeaways

Designing for multiple user roles is complicated

It might be demanding and confusing when you design a product for three types of users. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed with lots of details and design problems. You should always keep in mind how changes you make can influence on the flow of the other roles.

Iterative Process Is Essential:

Frequent testing and iterative feedback are critical. It’s more efficient to find out problems as early as possible, because later on it might be a big problem to redo all the job you’ve done.

Flexibility & Adaptability:

At the same time, you should be flexible enough. Be prepared to pivot and redesign when new insights emerge. Flexibility in the design process helps effectively address unexpected challenges.

Mistakes I made

My biases made me do more work:

Even if I collected enough research insights to make data-driven decisions I added some features without aligning with user needs. That approach eventually leads to confusion and more iterations.

Inappropriate layout choice:

My initial designs used a sidebar for navigation without any reason, which proved unsuitable for our project. Streamlining the rotation process was critical, so repurposing that space for an active tasks section would have been more effective.

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RotationsPlus - find your perfect clinical rotation

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

“ ...These inefficiencies leave students feeling exploited and frustrate preceptors with unnecessary bureaucracy.”

Online platform to search, schedule,and secure clinical rotations with full transparency

For preceptors:

For students:

For students:

For students:

For preceptors:

For students:

For students:

For preceptors:

For students:

We need to discover how the current workflow works.

Students face unclear application processes, while preceptors find manual processing exhausting

Our users:

•

•

•

•

•

Manual workflow and long approvals make the entire process complicated and time-consuming

Key insights form the surveys and interviews:

The audit revealed that a smooth onboarding process, transparent pricing, and clear next steps are essential for building trust

After research, I needed to group and prioritise user needs and insights

Key insights form the surveys and interviews:

Meet Muhammad, Shawn, and Emily

Our success metrics:

Uncovering opportunities through “How might we...” and storyboards

Building user flows and the informational architecture

Let's explore some ideas by creating wireframes

Rotation Process

My goals were:

•

•

Usability testing revealed the need to completely redesign the dashboard with clearer rotation tracking for both students and preceptors

Another round of testing. Preceptor request card should aggregate multiple student requests rather than generating separate cards.

•

•

User testing feedback

Student:

Preceptor:

Design system