|
|
SURGICAL SELECTIVES: CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
Purpose
The purpose of the fourth-year rotation of cardiothoracic surgery is to become familiar with the spectrum of cardiothoracic surgical disease and the care of the cardiothoracic surgical patient. Rather than attempting to learn the entire field in 2 weeks, the rotation will serve to expose the student to the scope of chest diseases, including the lung, chest wall, esophagus, heart and diaphragm. It will also expose the student to the care of the CT surgical patient, including preoperative evaluation and workup, intraoperative techniques and management, and postoperative care.
Because it is not anticipated that all students will be entering cardiothoracic surgery as a specialty, the rotation is geared toward increasing the knowledge base of all future physicians and thereby placing CT surgery in perspective as one of the treatment modalities available for chest diseases.
Objectives
1. To participate in the CT surgery service as a member
of the care team.
a. To "pick up" one patient who has been identified as
having surgery the next day.
b. To read about that patient's problem and become familiar
with its surgical treatment.
c. To participate in that patient's operation.
d. To follow that patient until his/her discharge or until
the rotation ends.
e. To take one night of call in the ICU with the resident on
call.
2. To learn about preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care and decision-making.
3. To review the course syllabus and become familiar with the topics contained therein.
4. To gain familiarity with fundamental problems in each
of the body systems treated by the cardiothoracic surgeon:
a. The lungs
b. The chest wall
c. The diaphragm
d. The heart
e. The esophagus
Details
Students will be required to attend morning rounds each day, at 6:30 AM in the CTICU conference room. On the first morning, they should introduce themselves and meet with Dr. McLarty after the introductory meeting with the selective director. They will receive their course syllabus and their patient assignment. They should make arrangements to attend one clinic session during the course (typically an afternoon for about 2 hours), as well as follow the physician-on-call to see one or two consults. They may choose to observe and/or participate in any operations they see fit; they are encourage to see unusual cases whenever they appear, although a grounding in the routine procedures such as coronary artery bypass and valve replacements should or course be done. Students should also be present for the Tuesday morning didactic sessions given by one of the attending physicians.
Grading
There is no formal examination. Grading will be based on participation and clinical performance.
