Overview

Welcome to the Surgery Clerkship.  We anticipate that this will be an exciting learning experience.  You will be challenged, but your efforts will be rewarded with a memorable and invaluable experience that you will carry with you, regardless of your eventual field of medical practice.

Goals

The educational goals of the surgery clerkship are to provide the third year medical student with an exposure to common surgical problems, and the basic clinical decision-making skills in this patient population applicable to their future practice.

Learning Objectives

1. Upon completion of the surgery clerkship all students are expected to have seen patients undergoing:

a. Evaluation of abdominal pain

b. Gastrointestinal surgery

c. Cancer surgery

d. Hernia repair

e. Resuscitation from shock

2. Upon completion of the surgery clerkship all medical students should be able to:

a. Recognize common surgical problems and construct appropriate diagnostic and management algorithms for each condition.

b. Assess the suitability for surgery of patients referred with common surgical problems.

c. Recognize the most common surgical emergencies that require urgent surgical consultation.

d. Apply the principles of resuscitation to a patient in shock.

e. Demonstrate professional attitudes and values towards, colleagues, and patients.

f. Approach patients in a non-judgmental and patient-centered manner with empathy and professionalism.

Curriculum

The surgical curriculum will be taught by a combination of didactic and clinical teaching.  However the greatest opportunities for learning surgery will take place in the operating room, the clinic and at the bedside. We would strongly encourage you to consider these clinical activities a priority.  All students should try to attend formal lectures (7.00am MR5 Conference Room 3005). Other important learning opportunities include Morning Report (Camp Heart daily at 6.30am), Resident Teaching Conference, Mortality and Morbidity Conference and Surgery Grand Rounds (Camp Heart on Wednesdays beginning at 6.00 am). There are also many rotation specific conferences and you should obtain a schedule of these from the chief at the beginning of each rotation. The curriculum details are summarized by clinical rotation in the Student Handbook. 

Textbook

The textbooks that will serve as the foundation of the lecture series and examination are Essentials of General Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties by Dr. Peter Lawrence. These books have been highly recommended by the Association for Surgical Education. They are available at the Student Book Store on the corner or at Cavalier Computers across from the hospital

Feedback

We wish to make the surgery clerkship a worthwhile experience for you and to improve our teaching; therefore we will ask you to complete an evaluation after each rotation. Please feel free to provide us with any feedback or suggestions for improvement at any time. More importantly, please contact us immediately if you experience problems with your rotation.

Clerkship Directors

Gene McGahren, M.D. (924-5643)

Clerkship Coordinator

Sylvie Moore (924-5771)