Clerkship Overview
SURG 501 Junior Surgical Clerkship
The junior surgical clerkship is served in a twelve-week block in the third year of medical school. During this time students are exposed to general surgery, the surgical specialties, and the emergency medicine division at Nashville General Hospital, the Alvin C. York Veterans Administration Medical Center, Blanchfield Community Army Hospital, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The program of instruction follows this general plan:
Expectations of the student in the form of goals and objectives are delineated.
How-To instruction in the form of directed reading, lectures and seminars is provided.
Conferences and ward rounds are structured to permit students to practice communication skills and utilize new knowledge.
Feedback to stimulate improved performance is provided by preceptors.
Additionally, the department strives to foster the development of specific skills in the student, according to the following outline of major categories:
- Verbal and written communication.
- Intellectual analysis and decision making.
- Solving common surgical problems.
- Acquiring basic motor skills.
- Positive attitude reinforcement.
Principles of basic trauma life support are incorporated into the rotation. Students are exposed on a rotating basis to evening call and the emergency room. In this role, the student serves as a part of the health care team with active participation in the patient's care, under the supervision of the house staff and full- and part-time surgical specialists.
Attendance in the operating room is a critical requirement that forces exposure to sterile technique and anesthetic procedures such as orotracheal intubation, intravascular cannulations, and epidural catherization.
Comprehension of subject matter is evaluated by a series of quizzes and objective written examinations. Outstanding students are recommended for various awards and honors during fall convocation and commencement.
The department attempts to develop collegial relationships with the student so that the memory of the surgical clerkship is one of practical usefulness, enjoyment, and lasting appreciation.
For further inquiries, please contact the Surgical Academic Office at (615) 327-6342 or E-mail surgerydept@mmc.edu.
Student Reference Links
www.blackboard.mmc.edu
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