The Department of Surgery

Clerkship Overview

I.      ASSIGNMENT OF SERVICES  

The Phase II Surgery Clerkship is an 8-week block, consisting of one team assignment (VAMC, UNMH General Surgery A Team, and UNMH General Surgery B Team), and one, two-week sub-specialty selective. In addition, everyone will be required to complete a mandatory week of Anesthesia. The clerkship director is Libby Watch, MD; the assistant clerkship director is Anthony Vigil, MD. The Clerkship Coordinator is Maggie Klappauf and she can be reached at 272-0434 or by cell phone at 261-5936..

II.      STUDENT RESPONSIBILITES 

A.        Students will attend all morning work rounds and be prepared to present their patients. 

B.         Students will attend all teaching rounds by attendings and be prepared to present their patients. 

C.        Students will attend evening work rounds if done before 6:00 PM.  The on-call student will make rounds if after 6:00 PM; however, the off-call students should sign out their patients completely to the on-call student or intern to provide for continuity of care. 

D.        Students are expected to attend all lectures on Friday from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (see attached schedule). THIS IS MANDATORY! 

E.         Students are encouraged to attend the surgery conferences as follows: (M & M and Surgical Grand Rounds are MANDATORY)

Mondays - 12:00-1:00pm - SCR - GI Conference (Teams A and B only)

Tuesdays  – 4:00-5:00pm - CRTC Rm 240 - UNM Tumor Conference

Fridays - 7-9:00am – Domenici Bldg. Rm 2112 - Surgical Ground Rounds followed by Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conference

F.         Assigned students must attend weekly Tutorials.  Please see schedule. 

G.        Everyone will do a mandatory week in anesthesia, which will be broken down over the course of the rotation (see attached anesthesia schedule).  

H.        Students are expected to work up patients as assigned in clinic and at least one patient on their call day.  If asked to do so by the Chief Resident, students will also work up patients on their off-call days.  Students will follow each of their patients, write daily progress notes on those patients, be in the OR during their patients' operations, and be prepared to present their patients during work rounds and teaching rounds. 

I.                    Students are expected to attend all surgery clinics unless instructed otherwise. 

J.           At least one student should be present for every operating room case unless dismissed by the attending.  Specifically, the students should be involved in operations involving their patients.  If you will have to leave during an operation to attend a required event (example: lecture), let your resident and attending know at the start of a case so they can plan accordingly. REMINDER:  Lectures take priority over OR cases/Clinic.

III.      ON-CALL RESPONSIBILITIES 

A.        Included in this orientation packet is a call schedule for students at UNMH.  The student on-call will attend evening work rounds if done after 6:00 PM and will be able to present the off-call students' patients.  The student on-call will stay until the work is completed and the resident dismisses the student or 10:00 PM, whichever comes first. The students should give their call schedule and phone numbers to their residents. 

B.         The student on-call MUST go home by 10:00 PM in order to return in time for rounds the next morning. THERE WILL BE NO IN-HOUSE NIGHT CALL. 

C.        Please note that students are dismissed from clinical responsibilities, unless on-call, at 6:00 PM on weekdays and after 12:00 NOON on Saturdays. 

D.                 Students who are not on call on Sundays do not need to come into the hospital.

 IV.      GRADING POLICY 

A.                 50% of the grade will be on clinical performance as evaluated by attendings and residents on the service.

B.         25% of the grade will be based on the shelf exam in surgery

C.           25% of the grade is based on tutorial grade and H&P grades.

V.      TEXTBOOKS 

The following textbooks are recommended during your surgical rotation:  

            Essentials of General Surgery, Peter F. Lawrence’s, third edition

Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment, Lawrence W. Way’s

Surgical Recall, Blackbourne’s, (easily carried with you and has focused explanation of surgical issues)

Surgery, Scientific Principles and Practice, Greenfield third edition

            Available on: http://hsc.unm.edu/library/custom/surgery/

Mastery of Surgery, Baker and Fischer, fourth edition

Principles of Surgery, Schwarts and Shires

Rush University Review of Surgery, second edition

Sabiston: Textbook of Surgery, Townsend editor

This is also available via MD Consult on the web.

VI.      LOG BOOKS 

Each student will be required to complete and turn in a log book (“passport”) at the end of the rotation.  The student will perform procedures under the supervision of housestaff or faculty.  Following completion of the procedures, the student will need to have his/her log book signed/dated by the supervising physician.  The student will also be required to turn in 2 complete History and Physical Examinations for review by the clerkship director/assistant director. 

VII.      PATIENT ENCOUNTERS 

Each student will be required to log at least 5 patient encounters (1 patient with GI tract disease, 1 patient with biliary tract disease, 1 patient with oncologic disease, 1 patient with trauma, and 1 patient with vascular disease.) The student is responsible for inputing the patient data on STROLS . 

VII.      DUTY HOURS

Each student will be required to log no more than 80 hours per week. For assurance purposes, weeks 2 and 6 will be entered into STROLS. The student is responsible for inputting his or her duty hours on STROLS. 

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