Surgical Intensive Care Unit 2-Week Elective

(2 Credits)

This is an introductory 2-week elective that seeks to introduce the student to critical care in the perioperative setting. As an introductory elective, the student will be expected to gain a broad understanding of the core principles, foundational knowledge, and essential skills relevant to the specialty through encounters with a diverse range of cases reflective of this specialty. The students will also learn what it means to be a part of a multidisciplinary team and how to act within the health system as they encounter patients from numerous specialties. Students will gain this experience by following and actively participating in the care of 1-2 ICU patients at a time. Student participation will include pre-rounding on their assigned patients in the morning, presenting patients on rounds in a systems-based approach, and then helping with patient management throughout the day including assisting with any procedures that may be required. Throughout the day, the student will have educational sessions that will address the principles of physiology and critical thinking skills. Education surrounding interpretation of radiology studies, use of ultrasound for diagnosis, and exposure to advanced mechanical circulatory support is expected.