Medical Student Education

Fourth Year Electives - Surgery

SUR-45042 Plastic Surgery

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 3 or 6 credit hours. The student should function with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in several of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. The Plastic Surgery Elective rotation is open to any 4th year student who is interested in pursuing a career in this specialty, or who would like to polish their surgical skills in preparation for a residency in another area. The student will be exposed to a wide variety of problems including facial trauma, head and neck reconstruction, breast surgery of all types, extremity trauma and body contouring procedures. We expect the student to function at a high level, and perform the duties of a 1st year resident. There will be close and intense supervision, and the student will work with our entire full-time faculty. This will be an energetic, stimulating, fun and educational surgical experience.
Duration: 2 or 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Joseph Chun, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-45033 Pediatric Surgery

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 3 or 6 credit hours. The student should function with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in several of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. The student will be an integral part of the Pediatric Surgical Team and will learn to evaluate and manage pre- and post-operative pediatric surgical patients including neonates and multisystem trauma victims, and will assist in their operative care. Related opportunities to learn the essentials of pediatric enteral and parenteral nutritional support, invasive and non-invasive monitoring procedures and techniques, respiratory support techniques, and a variety of pediatric vascular access procedures will be available. The student will learn to refine communication skills in dealing with patients' families and the children themselves. Patients will be assigned to the student and he/she will be responsible for daily assessment, progress notes, and execution of the therapeutic plan. Direct supervision will be provided by the Pediatric Surgery Resident and Faculty, each of who is accessible 24 hours a day. Rounds with residents or faculty will be held at least twice daily, and informal conferences will be held at least twice a week. One such conference during the rotation will be the responsibility of each student, where a researched, bibliographed and outlined presentation on a topic of his/her choice will be presented to the other members of the service.
Duration: 2 or 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: Yes
Course Director: Glaze Vaughan, MD
Contact: Amanda Samsel

SUR-45065 Transplant

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student should function with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in several of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. The students will become familiar with the care and management of kidney transplant recipient, living kidney donors and patients with end stage renal disease in need of dialysis access. The students will have responsibility for 1 to 3 patients per week. The students will be expected to function as a junior intern in care and management of transplant patients to facilitate flow of patients in the hospital and clinic as well as participate in surgical procedures at a level commensurate with skill and experience. The students will receive direct supervision by attending surgeon and PGY2 resident. The student will attend selection committee to discuss donor and recipient candidates, morbidity and mortality conference, general surgery grand rounds, and optional participation in GI tumor service. For patient care the typical procedure and activities the students will perform will be kidney transplant and vascular access. No in-house, overnight call. One weekend day rounds every other week.
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Oscar Grandas, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-40120 Junior Internship in Surgical Oncology

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student will function as a junior intern with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in all of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation.

• Broad exposure to the diagnosis, evaluation, and multimodal treatment approach to a variety of cancers.
• Intensive exposure to both the outpatient and inpatient management of patients with malignant disease.
• Outpatient: responsible for performing history and physical examinations on patients with newly diagnosed malignancies; analyzing treatment options for both new and returning patients.
• Inpatient: daily rounds under the supervision of the resident and attending staff, write progress notes, and assist in surgical procedures.
• Attend the weekly conferences of the Department of Surgery, and participate in the weekly Multidisciplinary Tumor and Breast Disease Diagnosis and Management Conferences.
• Weekly didactic session with a faculty proctor to guide the student's literature review of a particular topic in surgical oncology.
• Students' presentation of the review topic to the members of the surgical oncology division.
• One or two days may be spent with a faculty proctor in Radiation Therapy or Medical Oncology to allow the student an opportunity to understand more fully the concept of multidisciplinary cancer care from each disciplines perspective.

Objectives of Clerkship:

• Improved understanding of cancer biology, surgical treatment approaches to both primary and recurrent cancer.
• Improved understanding of the integration of other treatment modalities in the overall management of malignant diseases.

Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: Yes
Course Director: James Lewis, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-40131 Junior Internship in Trauma Surgery

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student will function as a junior intern with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in all of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. Clinical performance at the level of a PGY1 and responses to Socratic questioning form the basis for evaluation. All six core competencies are assessed through daily and call interactions with the faculty. The objectives of this senior clerkship are for the student to learn how to evaluate and treat the acutely injured patient. Each student will manage patients during resuscitation and evaluation phase. They follow patients and coordinate care through initial treatment to their rehabilitation from acute injury. The students will be expected to assume primary control of a limited number of patients and will be responsible for working with their resident and faculty advisors to come up with appropriate treatment and plans. Students are also expected to see these patients during outpatient visits in the Trauma Clinic. Students must attend all conferences regularly held in the Division of Trauma/Department of Surgery and actively participate in discussion and lectures.
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Brian Daley, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-40101 Junior Internship in General Surgery

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student will function as a junior intern with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in all of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. This junior internship offers the students an advanced clinical role in patient care including pre-operative evaluation, operative treatment and post-operative care under direct faculty supervision. It includes significant outpatient experience with one-on-one faculty involvement, evaluation of patients presenting with emergency conditions, and participation in advanced laparoscopic techniques. IV, EKG, and laboratory teams preclude the need for paramedical services by students, but students are expected to perform invasive monitoring and treatment procedures. Participation in resident conferences and rounds with house staff and faculty are expected.
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Matthew Mancini, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-40140 Junior Internship in Vascular Surgery

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student will function as a junior intern with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in all of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. This junior internship will allow students to learn the diagnosis, evaluation, and medical management as well as surgical and endovascular treatment options for patients suffering from peripheral vascular diseases. They will develop the familiarity with the noninvasive vascular laboratory and participate in all aspects of patient care for patients on the vascular service assigned. Students will participate in both open surgical and endovascular treatment of patients on the vascular service. Under supervision of the attending surgeon and surgical resident, the student will also be involved in writing notes and orders, performing history and physical, instituting care, making diagnosis, evaluating problems, plan therapy and seeing consultations. There will be one formal vascular conference per week in addition to the conferences regularly held in the Department of Surgery.
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: Yes
Course Director: Michael McNally, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-40110 Junior Internship in Surgical Critical Care

This is a face to face clinical rotation receiving 6 credit hours. The student will function as a junior intern with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in all of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. The student will learn how to manage the critically ill and injured surgical patient (both pre and post-operatively). In addition, they will learn how to use invasive hemodynamic monitoring and manage other support systems, such as ventilators, while dealing with multisystem failure and interacting with families of critically ill patients. The students will be expected to assume primary control of 1 or 2 critically ill patients during their shifts. They will perform admission history and physicals, write daily notes and orders, interact with the primary service and consulting services to help make diagnoses, evaluate problems and plan therapy. They will also see that the therapeutic plan is carried out. Rotating students may be asked to cover some call or be asked to help cover night shifts along with a mid-level resident. All of this will be done under the direction of residents who are assigned to the Critical Care Service, the Critical Care Fellow, and the attending physicians of both the Critical Care Service and the primary service. Students will be closely supervised by residents who are assigned to the Critical Care Service 24 hours a day, as well as the Critical Care Fellow and Faculty who are available 24 hours a day. They will also be supervised by the residents and faculty of the patient's primary service. Rounds with the attendings and residents are conducted at least twice daily. Critical Care Conferences to discuss management of critical care problems are conducted 2-3 times per week. In addition, there are daily Critical Care Service rounds, as well as the other conferences of the Department of Surgery, which include grand rounds, M & M conference, and x-ray conferences
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Heath Many, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-35042 Plastic Surgery CE

This is a face to face clinical rotation. This career exploration course (CE) will allow third year medical students to explore this discipline as a potential career choice. Students will be expected to display a fund of knowledge consistent with his/her level of training, demonstrate self-directed learning, thoroughness, consistency and reliability, and relate well to families, team members, and patients. The student's level of patient care responsibility will be determined based on the student's skill level, and at the discretion of the supervising attending.
Duration: 2 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Joseph Chun, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-35065 Transplant CE

This is a face to face clinical rotation. This career exploration course (CE) will allow third year medical students to explore this discipline as a potential career choice. Students will be expected to display a fund of knowledge consistent with his/her level of training, demonstrate self-directed learning, thoroughness, consistency and reliability, and relate well to families, team members, and patients. The student's level of patient care responsibility will be determined based on the student's skill level, and at the discretion of the supervising attending.
Duration: 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Oscar Grandas, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-35033 Pediatric Surgery CE

This is a face to face clinical rotation. This career exploration course (CE) will allow third year medical students to explore this discipline as a potential career choice. Students will be expected to display a fund of knowledge consistent with his/her level of training, demonstrate self-directed learning, thoroughness, consistency and reliability, and relate well to families, team members, and patients. The student's level of patient care responsibility will be determined based on the student's skill level, and at the discretion of the supervising attending.
Duration: 2 weeks
Prior Authorization: Yes
Course Director: Glaze Vaughan, MD
Contact: Amanda Samsel

SUR-45080 Introduction to Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

This is a face-to-face clinical rotation receiving 3 or 6 credit hours. The student should function with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in several of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. Students who complete this rotation will have expanded their knowledge of the musculoskeletal system and the central and peripheral nervous systems. Students will develop a beginning level of competence in management of patients with disability through exposure to an academic rehabilitation practice and the practices of other physiatrists in the community. This will include rehabilitative history, examination, and exposure to rehabilitation in several settings. By the latter part of the rotation, students will examine patients, take a rehabilitative history, and work with the attending physiatrist to develop a rehabilitative plan. They will be able to follow their patients through therapy in the Hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility settings. Students will monitor their patients and directly report to the attending physician. Students will work closely with the attending faculty. The settings are University Hospital for Consultations, a Skilled Nursing Facility with a Rehabilitation unit, outpatient practices with specialists in Pediatric Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation practices.) The primary contact person, Dr Hecht, is a member of the Surgery department. He attends 7AM conferences on Tuesdays (M&M) and Thursdays (Surgery Grand Rounds). Students will have weekends free to study and enjoy the Knoxville area. On the last week, students taking the 4-week rotation will present a short lecture on a rehabilitative topic of their choice with an outline or slides on their last week to the therapy team.
Duration: 2 or 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: Yes
Course Director: Jeffrey S. Hecht, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker

SUR-45025 Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery

This is a face-to-face clinical rotation receiving 3 or 6 credit hours. The student should function with increased autonomy in patient care and must demonstrate competency in several of the Entrustable Professional Activities required for graduation. The students will learn the fundamentals of Advanced Surgical Technologies including optics, energy sources, robotics, and staplers. The students will learn the basics of Minimally Invasive physiology and abdominal anatomy. They will gain exposure to Laparoscopic and Robotic simulators within UT Center for Simulation. The students will see 3 to 10 patients per week. The students will work with residents and faculty to care for patients. They will make daily rounds, attend operative cases and evaluate patients in the clinic for pre and post-operative care. Students are expected to work as an integral surgical team member during the rotation. Students will receive a high level of supervision from residents, faculty on the wards, in the OR, and in the clinic. Students will attend weekly MIS conference that will include lectures, video case reviews, and research activities. Subjects will focus on advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery techniques, anatomy and physiology. This rotation/elective is a "patient care" elective.
Duration: 2 or 4 weeks
Prior Authorization: No
Course Director: Gregory J. Mancini, MD
Contact: Jody Huffaker