Surgery

History and Physical Examination Requirements for

Surgical Clerkship

The performance of an appropriate history and physical examination of a surgical patient is one of the skills students are expected to acquire during the surgical clerkship. Students will perform several history and physical examination of surgical patients throughout their rotation. However, formal evidence of meeting this requirement must be presented using the following process:

H&P (written by the student) 1-2 page review of topic

1. Identify a patient. An appropriate patient for your history and physical examination should be identified within the first two weeks of your first general surgery (not subspecialty) experience. You are encouraged

to seek advice and guidance on this from your residents or attendings.

2. Perform a thorough history and physical examination on the patient, completing the entry in the patient’s medical record, including a resident or attending countersignature. Be sure to include the pertinent positives and negatives on the history (including the components of the past surgical history, past medical history, medications, social history, family history, etc.) and the physical examination. Your evaluation will depend upon your ability to cover the pertinent positives and negatives.

3. Photocopy (Xerox) the history and physical examination, leaving the original in the patient’s chart.

4. Write a concise monograph 1-2 pages about the patient’s disease, including its’ etiology, natural history, presenting symptomatology, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, including surgical approaches, and outcomes.

5. Minimum of 3 original articles from the literature (excluding textbooks, MD consult or similar sources)

6. Make an appointment to meet with the surgical attending responsible for the patient. Bring your copy of the

H&P and your monograph. The attending is responsible for reviewing the H&P with you and providing comments

that will be used in the evaluation of your performance of this requirement.

This should be done during your General Surgery rotation at either Loyola, Hines or Resurrection

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