Plastic Surgery Clerkship
SUR1-4020/F
Plastic Surgery
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This is a face-to-face clinical rotation offered in the fall and spring and receiving 3.5 or 7 credit hours.
This elective can be half-time (SUR1-4020/H).
Major objectives of the rotation:
Patient Care
Primary objective of the plastic surgery rotation is to introduce the medical student to the world of plastic surgery.
Medical Knowledge
By completion of the rotation, the student should have an appreciation of the similarities and differences between plastic surgery and other medical specialties.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
The rotation is intended to give the student the fundamental skills on which to build during other elective rotations.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
The rotation will place more emphasis on cognitive skills than on procedural and technical skills.
Professionalism
The student will develop an understanding of the role of the primary care physician in the care of the patient with a surgical problem.
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ATTENDANCEis expected from all medical students. Permission to be absent must be obtained from the course coordinator PRIOR to any planned absence. Absences for reasonable cause, as determined by the course coordinator will be approved.
Required Experiences: The student's primary responsibility is to acquire the essential knowledge to make him/her an effective member of the surgical team.
- Gathering data on the patient
- The surgical history and physical exam.
- Essential laboratory and ancillary testing.
- Accessing important medical intelligence related to this patient.
- Formulating your own differential diagnosis.
- Communicating
- Presenting pertinent information to intern, resident attending, or the group.
- Comparing your differential diagnosis to that of more experienced team members.
- Monitoring
- Observing the clinical course of your assigned patient.
- Daily rounds.
- Frequent un-scheduled visits.
- Chart and information system review.
- Be prepared to discuss and defend your assessment.
- Observing the clinical course of your assigned patient.
- Participating – This is expected!
- Be available to help with or watch procedures or surgeries.
- Remember, it is more important that you "learn" than "do" at this stage of your development.
- Students are expected to attend all procedures, rounds and conferences. Check with your plastic surgery resident regarding weekly conferences.
- Be present and prompt for lectures, rounds, etc.
- Be an enthusiastic, active learner.
- Read the appropriate literature and discuss it with your colleagues.
- Attend cases at all times.
- Be available to help with or watch procedures or surgeries.
- Synthesizing
- Begin to develop the ability to synthesize multiple data points into a coherent explanation for the patient's signs and symptoms.
- Duty Hours
- Students should expect to spend 40-80 hours per week.
- These hours are clinical, OR and didactic related.
- Student should expect to be on call should duty hours allow during the rotation. (1/4)
- Duty hours will be limited to 80 hours per week averaged over a four-week period, inclusive of all in-house or at-home call and patient care activities.
- Continuous on-site duty, including in-house call, will not exceed 30 consecutive hours. Students may remain on duty additional hours to participate in transferring care of patients, conducting outpatient clinics, maintaining continuity of medical and surgical care, and attending required didactic activities.
- Students will be provided with one day in seven free from all educational and clinical responsibilities, averaged over a rotation, inclusive of call. One day is defined as one continuous 24-hour period free from all clinical, didactic, and administrative activities.
- Students should be provided with a 10-hour period after in-house call during which they are free from all patient care activities.
Students have a formative assessment at the half-way mark of the preceptorship and a summative clinical assessment at the end of the rotation based on clinical performance as defined in the objectives.
GRADING SCALE (this is the College of Medicine grading scale adopted for the entire curriculum by the CUME, beginning May 2014.)
Letter Grade | Final Percentage |
A | 89.5 - 100 |
B | 79 - 89 |
C | 67.5 - 78 |
F | < 67.49 |