Minimally Invasive General Surgery 4-Week Elective

(4 Credits)

This is a 2-week or 4-week elective to provide the student with an overview of the field of general surgery (non-bariatric) with a focus on the minimally invasive approach to a broad spectrum of general surgery conditions including inguinal and ventral hernia, complex incisional hernia, gallbladder disease, diseases of the appendix, and foregut diseases (GERD, hiatal hernia, paraesopahgeal hernia, achalasia, epiphrenic diverticulum, gastroparesis). As an introductory elective, the student will gain a broad understanding of the core principles, foundational knowledge, and essential skills relevant to the treatment of these common diseases. Hernia surgery and foregut surgery are rapidly becoming highly specialized fields in general surgery and our service will give an in-depth exposure to these exciting and fast-growing fields. Students will be introduced to a breadth of clinical experiences, in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and encounter a diverse range of cases reflective of this specialty. Students will have one on one exposure to patient care with attending preceptors in clinic and will independently evaluate pre and post-operative patients in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.