LUMEN - Surgery

Surgery

Methodology of Instruction

The Surgery Clerkship has been constructed around a number of teaching modalities that, with integration, will address most basic clinical problems confronting the student. The methods are outlined below:

A. Reading Assignments:

1. There are several succinct surgery textbooks available. The two listed below are

considered suitable. One of these recommended textbooks should be purchased for daily reading, covering patient care, seminars and case studies. Before purchasing any text, make sure that the book is in its most recent edition.

a. Essentials of Surgery: Lazar J. Greenfield (Ed.)

b. Current Surgical Diagnosis & Treatment: Lawrence W. Way (Ed.)

An understanding of the assessment of patients with abdominal pain, diagnosis and therapy for the various disease processes that manifest as abdominal pain are among the most important goals of the surgery clerkship. Therefore, the following text is required reading.

Cope’s Early Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen: edited by William Silen.

Included in these textbooks is a list of core topics and disease states that will be stressed during the 12-week clerkship. A solid understanding of these areas will insure successful completion of the Surgery clerkship. With this in mind, it is suggested each student devote an appropriate amount of time to reading.

2. It is recommended, for students with a career interest in surgery, that one of the major textbooks of surgery be purchased as a reference and for expansion of your basic knowledge in surgery over the years. These include:

a. Principles of Surgery: Seymour I. Schwartz (Ed.) McGraw-Hill, Inc.

b. Textbook of Surgery: David C. Sabiston, Jr. (Ed.) W.B. Saunders

c. Clinical Surgery: John H. Davis (Ed.) C.V. Mosby Company

3. Other textbooks available in the medical school or surgical library are:

a. Current Surgical Therapy: John L. Cameron, JB Lippencott

b. Principles of Basic Surgical Practice: Edwin C. James, Robert J. Corry, John F. Perry, Jr., C.V. Mosby

c. Hardy's Textbook of Surgery: James D. Hardy (Ed.); J.B. Lippincott Company

d. Essentials of General Surgery: Peter F. Lawrence (Ed.) Williams & Wilkins

e. Basic Surgery: Hiram C. Polk, H. Harlan Stone, Bernard Gordon, Appleton-Century-Crofs

B. Rounds:

The starting time for rounds will vary with each service. Rounds provide many opportunities for learning. If you do not understand what is being done or why, ask. Questions regarding patients should be quickly and accurately answered. If a conflict between rounds and another scheduled activity arises, in the usual circumstance, the student should be excused to attend the conference or lecture.

C. Operating Room:

The student is expected to be in the operating room with his/her service and will be a member of the surgical team on any patient he/she has worked up. Absences from the operating room must be cleared through the service.

D. Lectures:

A list of formal lectures will be distributed at the beginning of the clerkship. Other lectures will be scheduled at different times at the various affiliated hospitals; lecture content is considered equivalent and the topics and material contained may be used in examinations. Lecture attendance is REQUIRED.

E. Case Management Conferences

1. Case management conferences provide an opportunity for close faculty- student interaction. A schedule will be distributed at the beginning of the clerkship. These are required sessions.

2. These conferences will consist of a number of clinical problem solving sessions between students and faculty members. They are not only designed to disseminate information about a particular topic, but to show by actual student involvement the multiple factors and rationale behind the decision making process.

3. Since the case management conference is designed as a discussion format, it is essential that the student prepare in advance the topic to be discussed. The conference schedule will be distributed by the assigned hospital where the student will complete his/her surgical clerkship.

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