Cardiothoracic Surgery Advanced Clinical Rotation (ACR)

4 units

This will be a four-week clinical experience focusing on evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac and thoracic surgical conditions as well as postoperative care and common on-call problems. This is a mostly inpatient experience, with some outpatient clinic. Students will learn how to preform clinical duties and responsibilities of a PGY-1. Participation will involve ICU management (beginning with reporting and interpretation), floor management, evaluation of new consultations and presenting to attendings, operating room participation at an intern level, and outpatient clinic experience. This rotation does include heavy operating room exposure, but the focus is on preparation for intern and junior resident responsibility rather than on observation. Students will spend their time 50/50 on cardiac and thoracic rotations. Students can rotate for up to one week on Congenital CT upon approval from the instructor. Patient Population: Adult Services: 50% cardiac surgery, 50% thoracic surgery Duties: Rounding on inpatients Presenting patients to senior residents/fellows and attendings Working in close collaboration with (not under supervision of) mid-level providers to enhance communication skills and teamwork Participating in service and division education conference Performing bedside procedures with direct supervision (e.g., chest tube removal, pacing wire removal) Participating in preoperative planning, following up, and evaluation of radiologic and imaging studies Actively participating as a team player in operating rooms (transfer patient, indwelling catheters, prepping and positioning patients), including supervised assistance with closures Seeing and evaluating new and established preoperative patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings under the supervision of attending surgeons, fellows, and residents