Surgery Clerkship

Surgery is a six-week clerkship during which students are introduced to the care of surgical patients with an emphasis on establishing a diagnosis, learning the pathophysiology of surgical diseases, participating in the treatment of surgical patients, and supporting patients before, during, and after surgery.

CLERKSHIP OBJECTIVES

Patient Care and Procedural Skills (PC)

• Formulates therapeutic management plans to address common postoperative complications (ex. shock, AKI, respiratory failure, infection, DVT, anemia, malnutrition, nausea/emesis, and wound complications), volume status and perioperative pain. (PC6)
• Demonstrates knowledge of basic procedural techniques including appropriate sterile technique, suturing and knot tying. (PC7)
• Integrates context, patient and caregiver needs, values, preferences, experiences, and structural factors into discussions of informed consent for surgical procedures. (PC8)

Medical Knowledge (MK)

• Demonstrates knowledge of basic, clinical, social and health systems needed for clinical practices in a surgical context. (MK1)

• Applies foundational knowledge in diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making in a surgical context, including recognizing indications for surgical interventions. (MK2)

• Demonstrates knowledge of research design, interpretation and application to support clinical decision-making in a surgical context. (MK3)

Interpersonal and Communication Skills (IC)

• Communicates effectively with patients and caregivers using patient-centered language, empathy and active listening to enhance the therapeutic relationship. (IC1)
• Demonstrates sensitivity and compassion in addressing difficult conversations such as delivering bad news, end of life discussions, and disclosure of errors or surgical complications. (IC1)
• Communicates and collaborates effectively with healthcare team members to enhance team function in the operating room. (IC2)
• Demonstrates skills in educating patients, caregivers, peers and team members. (IC3)

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PL)

• Recognizes personal limits of knowledge and skills and actively seeks and incorporates feedback and assessment data to develop and implement learning and improvement goals. (PL1)
• Identifies learning issues and locates, critically appraises, and synthesizes credible information to support evidence-informed, patient-centered clinical decisions. (PL2) 

Systems-Based Practice (SP)

• Assesses the impact of social factors on the care of surgical patients and propose mechanisms to reduce health care disparities to improve surgical care. (SP1)
• Evaluates the risks and benefits of using current and emerging surgical technologies in patient care. (SP3) 

REQUIRED CLINICAL ENCOUNTERS