Community-Based Surgery Sub-Internship

Department of Surgery and Surgical Specialties

  • Course Information

    Course Number: RSRG680

    Prerequisites: Completion of all Phase 2 clerkships

    Length of Time: 4 weeks

    Available for Phase: Phase 3

    Credit Type: Physician Assessed Patient Facing (PAPFE), Sub-Internship (Sub-I), Acute Care, or Open

    Call: Yes

  • Contact Information

    Program Director: Michael Masteller, MD

    Coordinator/Scheduling: Allison King (aking75@uic.edu)

    Location: Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital (8201 E Riverside Blvd, Rockford, IL 61114)

Narrative Description: Intended for 4th year students applying for residency in general surgery, allowing them to develop more in-depth procedural experience and a more intensive focus on perioperative and intraoperative skills that will be important during the surgical intern year. Students will work directly with the on-call surgeon, seeing new consults in the ED and on the floors. Students will have appropriate autonomy and ownership of admission and daily notes and orders, working with consulting services, discharge summaries, handoffs and pre- & post-operative notes. Students will maintain continuity with patients during the course of the rotation. Emphasis will be placed on central line placement, chest tube insertion, trauma evaluation/management, initial radiologic interpretation, first assisting in general surgical cases, advanced suturing techniques with appropriate suture material, and common acute surgical procedures.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the course students will be able to:

  1. Perform detailed clinical assessments of patients with complex surgical problems.
  2. Identify the appropriate laboratory, radiological, and other diagnostic tests (e.g. FAST, CT C/A/P, CXR, PXR etc.) for the appropriate workup for the surgical problem and accurately interpret the results.
  3. Evaluate and manage complex post-operative complications.
  4. Develop skills in performing surgical consultations, surgical treatment plans, and assisting in complex surgical operations.
  5. Discuss and perform the following procedures under direct supervision:
    1. Chest tube placement and management
    2. Central line placement: internal jugular, subclavian, and/or femoral
    3. Closure of fascia

Learning Activities:

  1. Inpatient rounds with a focus on surgical intern-related tasks including initial evaluation, notes, appropriate DVT prophylaxis, wound care/dressing changes, discharge criteria, and recognition of complications.
  2. Assessment and presentation of new consults on inpatient floors and in the ED.
  3. Management and placement of central lines, chest tubes, and other important procedures essential for a surgical intern.
  4. Active participation in both basic and complex acute surgical
  5. Initial assessment of a trauma patient in the ED.
  6. Perform a FAST exam in indicated patients.
  7. Multisystem assessment of ICU general surgery and trauma patients.

Daily Responsibilities:

  1. Daily independent and faculty-led rounds on surgery, trauma, ED, and ICU surgical patients.
  2. Select and follow assigned patients with surgical problems throughout the patient’s course by becoming the primary student doctor in charge under the supervision of the faculty.
  3. Write patient care and diagnostic test orders under the supervision of the faculty.
  4. Participate in selected operative procedures under the supervision of the faculty preceptor.
  5. Attend weekly surgical didactic lectures as designed by the course director.

Method of Assessment: Student will be evaluated utilizing the standardized UICOM Sub-Internship Assessment Form

Required Reading: None

General Scheduling: Example schedule provided below. Average week is 60-80 hours approximately 5-6 days/week. The call schedule is determined by the Course Director.

  • Monday- Friday
    • Morning
      • Attend morning sign out
      • Pre-round on selected patients
      • Rounds with attending, procedures, consults, complete notes
    • Afternoon
      • Consults
      • Perform surgeries and procedures, as scheduled
    • Evening
      • Night call (when applicable)
  • Weekend
    • The surgeon is on call 24-hours. Student will be on daytime call with the attending with occasional night and weekend hours depending on weekly hours and need.

During this elective, the student will be on surgery call and will evaluate any acute surgical consults in the ED and the floor. Any urgent or emergent surgical cases or procedures will take precedence over the above schedule as students will be heavily involved in these cases.

Additional Resources:

  • Lange Current Diagnosis and Treatment – Surgery by Gerard Doherty
  • Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery, Trauma by Ken Mattox
  • Top Knife by Ken Mattox

Miscellaneous Information: None