Visiting rotations are a strange kind of travel. You need a place for about a month, you will keep odd hours, and you want something you can actually live in, not just sleep in. If you are a medical student heading to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in downtown Minneapolis, a furnished, month-to-month studio at Oakland’s on 9th was built for exactly that kind of stay.
How long is a visiting rotation at HCMC?
Take the Emergency Medicine rotation as an example. According to the Hennepin EM medical student rotation page, it is a 4-week rotation for third- and fourth-year students, with roughly 12–15 clinical shifts in the emergency department plus weekly student didactics and resident conferences. The department also offers a combined EM/IM rotation (two weeks in each) and a 4-week ultrasound rotation.
The department describes HCMC as Minnesota’s first Level 1 Trauma Center and the state’s largest provider of emergency care. In other words: busy shifts, and you will want a calm place to come home to.
A few planning details from that page are worth knowing early. Applications go through the Clinician Nexus site, and they must be submitted at least 8 weeks before your desired start date. For 2026, applications opened in early February and the rotation blocks ran from late June through November. Check the page for the next year’s dates before you book anything.
Why does a month-to-month studio fit a rotation better than a hotel?
A hotel works for a weekend. Four weeks is different. At Oakland’s on 9th, studios come fully furnished with a full kitchen, and WiFi, all utilities, heat and free laundry are included. There are no contracts: you can stay a night, a week or a month. That flexibility matters on rotations, when start dates shift or a block ends a few days early.
- A real kitchen. Cooking for yourself between shifts saves money over a month of takeout. (If you are budgeting, see what’s included in a furnished studio.)
- Laundry included. Scrubs pile up fast on a 12-shift month.
- A desk-friendly space for studying, presentations and evaluations.
- Three tiers — Good, Better and Best — so you can match the studio to your budget.
Can you get to HCMC without a car?
Oakland’s on 9th is at 215 South 9th Street in downtown Minneapolis, and HCMC is also downtown, at 701 Park Avenue. Many guests here live without a car; our guide to getting around downtown without a car covers walking, transit and parking. For late shifts in winter, plan your route ahead with the Metro Transit trip planner.
One honest note: the building is not connected to the downtown skyway. You walk a block to reach it. On a January morning that is worth knowing in advance.
What else should visiting students know about staying here?
Oakland’s on 9th is a historic 1889 brownstone designed by Harry Wild Jones and restored in 2019, so you get exposed original brick and big windows rather than a beige hotel box. Some units are pet friendly. And when you do get a day off, downtown is close to Target Center, U.S. Bank Stadium, Orchestra Hall and the Nicollet Mall Target for anything you forgot to pack.
We have written more for people working in health care downtown: see our guides to staying near HCMC and furnished housing for travel nurses. Rotating at the University of Minnesota instead? Read temporary housing near the U.
Ready to line up housing for your rotation?
Once your rotation dates are confirmed, check availability and book online, or call us at (612) 314-5124 or email info@oaklandson9th.com. We’ll have a quiet studio ready for you.
Keep reading: Where Can You Run or Skate Indoors in Downtown Minneapolis This Winter? Winter Warm-Up at U.S. Bank Stadium, Dec. 1–Jan. 28