4th Year Surgery Experience
Surgery is a broad discipline encompassing many sub-specialties. Exposure to these specialties is limited in the third year of medical school. Further experience in the fourth year of training is designed to enhance students' knowledge of surgery and also expose students to an inter-disciplinary environment that will prepare them to enter and successfully complete residency training following graduation.
The 4th Year Surgery Experience is required of all 4th year medical students and consists of 2 weeks of Orthopedic Surgery and 2 weeks of a surgical sub-specialty of the student's choosing. Students will participate in both inpatient and outpatient settings with the emphasis on outpatient experience, particularly in the orthopedic rotation.
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SE Campus SURG 9298 |
SW Campus SURG 9197 |
NE Campus SURG 9395 |
NW Campus SURG 9497 |
Objectives
A. Surgical Sub-Specialties
- To expose the student to a learning environment that will prepare the student for residency training.
- To gain a perspective of a surgical sub-specialty as it relates to other disciplines, particularly primary care.
- Gain experience in the recognition of surgical diseases and their management.
- Expose the student to technical aspects of surgery and improve their basic surgical skills.
- Expose students to the management aspects of a surgical practice.
B. Orthopedic Surgery
- Provide an experience in orthopedic surgery that will help the student understand the relationships of orthopedics with other areas of medical practice.
- Familiarize the student with the recognition, diagnosis and management of common orthopedic and musculoskeletal problems.
- Participate in the care of orthopedic problems in the outpatient, inpatient and emergency room.
- Enhance the technical skills of students, particularly as it applies to the management of orthopedic trauma.
Recommended Textbook: "Musculoskeletal Medicine" by Joseph Bernstein, MD, MS
Orthopedic Clinical Director (all campuses)
Bruce Piatt, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Criteria for Grading
Criteria will include the following:
- Assessment of clinical skills of the student in the clinic and hospital, including the operating room.
- Evaluation of professionalism and team collaboration when interacting with patients, surgical staff, nurses, and other medical personnel.
- Ability to perform basic surgical and orthopedic procedures.
- Ability to perform preoperative histories, physical examinations and musculoskeletal examinations.
- Evaluation of skills in diagnosis and management of patients
Grading will follow recommendations of the School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
Awards
The outstanding student award in surgery will be based on a recommendation of a selection board to the department Chair, who will make the final selection. The selection board will be composed of the Director of Surgical Education, surgical clerkship directors for each campus and a surgical chief resident chosen by the Director of Surgical Education. Only students who qualify for an Honors grade in their third year are considered for the outstanding student award.
Each student is ranked according to their evaluations in 3rd year: the clinical evaluations by faculty, their NBME percentile ranking (must be at or above the 90th percentile) and their oral exam score. The 4th Year Surgery Experience evaluations and any evaluations taken in other surgical electives are ranked.
All clinical evaluations are ranked in each of the areas evaluated on the clerkship form and on the 4th year form.
The four students who receive the highest ranking by number (i.e. the lowest number added together) will be considered by the board.
Example:
| Clinical Score | NBME %ile | Oral Score | 4th year Al | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student A | 4.28 | 94 | 8.5 | 4.75 |
| Student B | 4.38 | 96 | 9.0 | 4.25 |
| Student C | 4.00 | 97 | 8.0 | 4.0 |
Ranking of scores:
| Student A | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | (equals 8 points) |
| Student B | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | (equals 6 points) |
| Student C | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | (equals 10 points) |
The selection board will meet and review the candidates. In addition to the ranking the selection board will consider strength of faculty comments, evidence of scholarly activity, community service and other factors considered by the board to be significant. The board will then make a recommendation (with written justification) to the department Chair who may accept or reject the recommendation.
Since 2011 this award will be given every other year. The next award will be in 2019.
The recipient will be recommended to the Department Chair by a selection board. The board will be composed of the Director of Surgical Education, the past two Swenson award recipients, and a fourth year medical student chosen by the Director of Surgical Education.
All surgical faculty involved in 3rd and 4th year medical student education are eligible for the award, with the proviso that an individual may only win the award once in a 10 year period.
The Director of Surgical Education and department administrators will screen evaluations of surgical faculty by medical students and solicit nominations from students, local surgical clerkship leaders and campus Deans. The Director of Surgical Education will select four candidates for consideration by the selection board. The board will meet and review the four candidates. Factors to be considered by the board:
- Numerical evaluation scores (minimum 5 evaluations)
- Student comments
- CV with emphasis on recent academic achievement and community service
- Evidence of other teaching award
- Written nominations
- Others factors considered by the board to be significant
After review the board will make a recommendation to the department Chair, who may approve or reject the recommendation.
The department desires that an award be given every two years, but it is not mandatory that the award be given, if a qualified recipient is not identified.