Electives by Department
Medical Student Fourth Year Electives - Surgery
SUR2-3010/F JI ANY - CLERKSHIP IN ADVANCED GENERAL SURGERY - KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Sperry Nelson
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 2
This clerkship offers the students an advanced clinical role in patient care including pre-operative evaluation, operative treatment and post-operative care under the 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.
SUR2-3020/F JI ANY - VASCULAR/TRANSPLANT SURGERY-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Michael Freeman
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center (Knoxville)
Max Size: 2
This clerkship 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 of 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.
SUR2-3030/F JI ANY - TRAUMA SURGERY - KNOX
Course Coordinators: Dr. Blaine L. Enderson
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 2
The objectives of this senior clerkship are for the student to learn to deal with the acutely injured patient. Each student will learn how to effectively manage patients during the resuscitative and evaluation phases of care. They will also follow patients through treatment and their rehabilitation from acute injury. The students will 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 the appropriate treatment and rehabilitation plans for the patients. The students will work under the direct supervision of the resident and faculty members of the trauma team. Students will be expected to attend all of the conferences regularly held in the Department of Surgery.
SUR2-3031/F JI ANY - SURGICAL CRITICAL CARE-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Blaine L. Enderson
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 2
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. All of this will be done under the direction of residents who are assigned to the Critical Care Service 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 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.
SUR2-3040/F JI ANY - SENIOR CLERKSHIP IN SURGICAL ONCOLOGY – KNOX
Course Coordinators: Dr. James Lewis
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 2
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Broad exposure to the diagnosis, evaluation, and multimodal treatment approach to a variety of cancers
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Intensive exposure to both the outpatient and inpatient management of patients with malignant disease.
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Outpatient: responsible for performing history and physical examinations on patients with newly diagnosed malignancies; analyzing treatment options for both new and returning patients.
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Inpatient: daily rounds under the supervision of the resident and attending staff, write progress notes, and assist in surgical procedures.
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Attend the weekly conferences of the Department of Surgery, and participate in the weekly Multidisciplinary Tumor and Breast Disease Diagnosis and Management Conferences.
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Weekly didactic session with a faculty proctor to guide the student’s literature review of a particular topic in surgical oncology.
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Students’ presentation of the review topic to the members of the surgical oncology division.
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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:
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Improved understanding of cancer biology, surgical treatment approaches to both primary and recurrent cancer.
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Improved understanding of the integration of other treatment modalities in the overall management of malignant diseases.
SUR2-4011/F ORAL AND MAXILLARY SURGERY
Course Coordinator: Dr. Eric R. Carlson
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 1
Note: This elective can be half-time (SUR2-4011/H).
The student will learn about the surgical management or oral and head and neck pathology and the correction of congenital and traumatic deformities. Acute trauma care is a major component of this service. The student will have some responsibility for inpatient care each week. Students will have the opportunity to perform minor procedures in the clinic, as well as the emergency room. Operating room activity is encouraged. All activities are supervised by the chief resident and attending. All activities are supervised. Management decisions are made only after being discussed with the resident and attending. A minimum of four (4) conferences occurs each week. Grand rounds occur on Monday and Friday mornings, and didactic lectures occur on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The enthusiastic student will be encouraged to take first call with the resident. On-call activities will be predominantly related to management of head and neck trauma patients.
SUR2-4014/F RURAL SURGERY ELECTIVE
Course Coordinator: Henry S. Nelson, Jr., MD
Location: Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, Roane Co. Med. Ctr. and Claiborne Co. Hospital
Size: 1-3
This elective will provide students with diverse and challenging aspects of the practice of rural surgery by participating in clinics as well as outpatient and inpatient surgical cases experiences. The number of patients per week with whom the student will have some responsibilities is 20. The students are expected to evaluate patients presenting with emergency conditions and to perform invasive monitoring and treatment procedure. There will be direct one-on-one supervision by faculty and residents. There will be weekly feedback from the local faculty member and an exit interview with course coordinator at the end of the rotation. The student will participate in daily rounds with faculty. The student will attend a monthly tumor conference when held at Morristown-Hamblen. Call schedule to be determined by the local faculty. Morristown-Hamblen will be one night and one weekend. There will be no call or weekend duty at Roane Co. Med. Ctr.
SUR2-4020/F PLASTIC SURGERY-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. James Taylor
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 1
The student will serve under the preceptorship of the staff and will be exposed to a wide variety of surgical conditions including cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, facial trauma, and tumors of the head and neck. The student will scrub with the staff when permitted or when at UTMCK and develop skills in wound management, healing, and surgical infection.
SUR2-4024/F ADVANCED LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY - KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Gregory J. Mancini
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 3
The students will learn the fundamentals of Advanced Surgical Technologies, optics, energy sources and staplers. The students will learn the basics of Laparoscopic physiology and anatomy. They will gain exposure to Laparoscopic simulator and dry lab skills experience. 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 have a weekly lecture given by the participating (4 total lectures) faculty. Subjects will focus on advanced laparoscopic techniques, anatomy and physiology. This rotation/elective is a “patient care” elective. Additionally students will be given access Laparoscopic Laboratory facilities and will be provided with faculty teaching to learn basic Laparoscopic operative skills. Call will not be required for participation in this rotation.
SUR2-4070/F PEDIATRIC SURGERY-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Alfred Kennedy
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center and East TN Children’s Hospital
Max Size: 1
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. Students will be on call every fourth night. 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 and 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.
SUR2-4150/F INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
Course Coordinators: Dr. Jeffrey S. Hecht
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Size: 1
Note: This elective can be half-time (SUR2-4150/H)
Students will expand their knowledge of the musculoskeletal 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. This will include rehabilitative history, examination, and treatment procedures such as trigger point injections. The students will have some responsibility of 4-6 patients per week. By the latter part of the rotation, students will examine patients, will be able to follow their patients through therapy in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Students will monitor their patients and directly report to the attending physician. Students will work closely with the attending faculty. Only in rare cases will they be supervised by a resident. The settings are University Hospital, the Rehabilitation Center at Baptist Hospital of Tennessee, and Physician’s office. The attending physiatrist is Chief of the Division of Surgical Rehabilitation and a member of the Department of Surgery. As such, he attends the Morbidity & Mortality conference on Tuesdays and Surgery Ground Rounds on Thursdays. Other meetings include multidisciplinary team conferences Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Baptist to discuss the rehabilitation patients. The students will not be on call during this rotation. Students will have weekends free to study and enjoy beautiful East Tennessee.
NSG2-4010/F NEUROSURGERY-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. James A. Killeffer
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 1
The student will work under the preceptorship of the faculty of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine. The student will become proficient in taking a history, performing a neurological examination, and differential diagnosis in neurosurgical patients. The student will participate in the formulation of treatment plans in neurosurgical patients. The student will participate as an assistant in the performance of operative neurosurgical procedures and participate in post-operative care. The student will be introduced to neurosurgical problems including intracranial and spinal tumors, neurovascular disease, congenital and aquired hydrocephalus, trauma, trigeminal neuralgia, benign spine disease, and surgical peripheral nerve disease. The student will be introduced to socioeconomic issues and technological advancement issues as they pertain to the care of neurosurgical patients.
ORS2-4010/F ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY-KNOX
Course Coordinator: Dr. Scott Smith
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 1
Serving the tenure on orthopedics, the student will attend several weekly orthopedic conferences of varying types as well as attend the general orthopedics and fracture clinics at the UTRMH. Rotation in the office of an attending staff with participation in patient care will be required during the clerkship. The student will be given the opportunity to develop diagnostic skills and participate in active treatment of patients, including case application, manipulation of simple fractures, attending surgery and helping with post-op cases.
URO2-4010/F UROLOGICAL SURGERY-KNOX
(NOT AVAILABLE IN BLOCKS 7 & 8)
Course Coordinator: Dr. Frederick A. Klein
Location: University of Tennessee Medical Center
Max Size: 1
The student will act as an Intern on this service and be exposed to all aspects of a University based Urology Service. The student will be responsible with one house staff member for approximately 25-30 patients and will assist in surgery. The student should obtain good 'hands on' diagnostic urological skills and be given duties commensurate with demonstrated ability, knowledge and skills. The student will attend Surgery Grand Rounds, and the weekly M & M and Cancer Meeting Conferences. In addition, the student will participate in the monthly GU Radiology Conference.
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine
Office of Student Affairs
1924 Alcoa Highway, U94
Knoxville, TN 37920
Phone: (865) -305-9618 or
(800)-596-7249
students@utmck.edu