The following are the courses that the MSU Department of Surgery offers for Block III Medical Students:
Required
Surgery courses:
Junior
Surgery - SUR 608
Senior Surgery
Clerkship - SUR 620
Surgery Electives:
(look at campus chart of available courses)
Anesthesiology - SUR 618
Burn Care/Surgery Subspecialty - SUR 619
Cardiovascular/Surgery Subspecialty - SUR 619
Neurosurgery - SUR 614
Ophthalmology - SUR 615
Orthopedic Surgery - SUR 613
Otolaryngology - SUR 609
Pediatric/Surgery Subspecialty - SUR 619
Plastic Surgery - SUR 610
Surgical Nutrition - SUR 621
Thoracic Surgery - SUR 616
Trauma/Surgery Subspecialty - SUR 619
Urology - SUR 611
Vascular/Surgery Subspecialty - SUR 619
The Junior Surgery Clerkship (Surgery 608) is the core clerkship in surgery required of all students in the College of Human Medicine. This eight-week clerkship emphasizes basic clinical and surgical skills as applied to a common core of presenting problems. Students will be introduced to preoperative, postoperative, traumatic, and ambulatory care of patients; psychosocial issues that are particularly relevant to surgical patients; clinical skills, and operating room procedures during the eight weeks of the clerkship. Students will use the Manual of Surgical Objectives as a self-study guide to help them think about problems as they present.
The Junior Surgery Clerkship has both structured and didactic learning experiences. Formal didactic programs have been developed to facilitate the development of students’ knowledge base. These include: (1) a day-long anatomy session that offers students a clinical approach to anatomy--an important matter in the operating room; (2) front-loaded trauma lectures to give students a foundation for managing trauma patients; (3) participation in skills labs to help develop students’ techniques in airway management, venous access, and suturing; (4) participation in SimTrauma to enable students to immediately practice the fundamental principles of trauma management in an interactive, high-drama setting; and (5) participation in twice weekly lectures/problem-solving cases.
Clinical patient care will be a significant part of students’ surgical experiences. They will be expected to make rounds in the morning and evening with residents and/or preceptors, be available for on-call assignments, attend resident conferences, and assist in the work-up of patients who present to the ER. Their trauma experience will vary by community. In some communities, students may follow trauma cases as an integrated part of the general surgery service; in other communities they may be assigned to a trauma team for a block of time. Students are expected to write daily progress notes on the patients to whom they are assigned. Additional time may be spent in resident or attending clinics. By and large, surgery will be an in-hospital experience.
Students are also expected to complete all required skills/observations in the Junior Surgery Logbook. The logbook has been developed to maximize their learning experience on the clerkship and to enhance their preparedness as residents.
The Senior Surgery Clerkship (Surgery 620) is the required fourth-year surgery. This four-week clerkship provides additional surgical experience to best meet the learning and training needs of senior students.
Note: Not all clinical options are available at every campus (see chart below for details).
All experiences must take place within the MSU-CHM system.
In this clerkship students are offered curricular options.
Those students pursuing careers in primary care and psychiatry are strongly encouraged to complete two 2-week subspecialty rotations from among the following:
| Primary Care Track | ||||||
| Specialty | Flint | Grand Rapids | Kalamazoo | Lansing | Saginaw | Upper Peninsula |
| Ambulatory GS | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Colon and Rectal Surgery | X | X | X | |||
| ENT | X | X | X | X | ||
| Neurosurgery | X | X | ||||
| Orthopedic Surgery | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Pediatric Surgery | X | |||||
| Plastic Surgery | X | X | X | |||
These rotations are preceptor-based. Students will spend time in the office with their preceptor and will also follow the preceptor and her/his patients to the OR.
The common objectives for students pursuing the primary care track are:
To familiarize students with the types of surgical specialty problems they will encounter in the primary care office.
To introduce students to the ambulatory aspects of surgical care that will be key elements of their training and practice.
To offer students the opportunity to direct their leaning in areas they are either particularly interested in or will need in order to be adequately prepared for their primary care residencies.
To offer students the opportunity to learn the intricacies of specialty exams by those best qualified to teach them, knowledge that will guide students in the primary care setting.
To teach students which conditions can be adequately cared for by primary physicians and which conditions need to be referred to specialists and why.
Those students pursuing careers in surgery or the surgery subspecialties, anesthesia, emergency medicine, OB/Gyn, and any of the medical specialties are strongly encouraged to complete one 4-week rotation from among the following areas:
| SPECIALTY TRACK | ||||||
| Specialty | Flint | Grand Rapids | Kalamazoo | Lansing | Saginaw | Upper Peninsula |
| Cardio-thoracic Surgery | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Critical Care/Nutrition | X | X | X | |||
| GS in Rural Setting | X | X | X | |||
| Trauma/Burns | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Vascular Surgery | X | X | X | |||
The common objectives for students pursuing the specialty track are:
To enable students to learn how to manage critically ill patients, emphasizing the pathophysiology and management principles commonly encountered in the care of surgical patients. These experiences will prepare students for common clinical problems encountered during their first year of residency, e.g., the recognition and management of such common problems as heart failure, respiratory failure, renal failure, closed head injury, shock, and sepsis.
To give students the opportunity to direct their learning in areas they are either particularly interested in or will need in order to be adequately prepared for their specialty residencies.
To give students the opportunity to continue to improve their technical skills.
Students are not denied the opportunity to take a specific rotation based on their residency goals, but are strongly encouraged to pursue the track that will best prepare them for their residencies.
Students will be evaluated in the following manner:
They will complete clinical skills checklist reflecting the specialty/ies in which they are involved.
They will keep a case list of patients seen in each setting.
Clinical Performance Evaluation form/s will be completed by preceptors.
There will be two final performance-based assessments (PBA). Students will be presented with patient scenarios representing each of the disciplines they followed; if they only pursued one specialty, they will take two PBAs in that area. The student will perform a complete H & P, interpret x-rays, order appropriate lab work, and diagnose the condition in each patient scenario. Students in the primary care track will determine whether this is a patient who can be appropriately managed medically or if the problems require a surgical consult.
Course
Number: SUR 609
Course Title: Otolaryngology
Location: Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Upper Peninsula
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be assigned to a physician or group. Students will observe and participate in various operative procedures and gain experience in head and neck examination as well as skills in X-ray interpretation. Opportunities will be provided to see patients in an initial evaluation and follow-up. Students will develop judgment concerning the proper time for patient referral to otolaryngologists.
Course
Number: SUR 610
Course Title: Plastic Surgery
Location: All Communities
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be exposed to microvascular and reconstructive surgery, with emphasis on wound healing and tissue repair. Studentswill be given the opportunity to participate in operative procedures and to examine and follow assigned patients.
Course
Number: SUR 611
Course Title: Urology
Location: Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Upper Peninsula
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will have the opportunity to perform basic urologic skills during the clerkship and will become familiar with the interpretation and indication of urologic disease problems. Students will be able to participate in operative procedures, and examine and follow assigned patients.
Course
Number: SUR 613
Course Title: Orthopedic Surgery
Location: All Communities
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be exposed to common, urgent, and elective muscular-skeletal disorders with emphasis on radiologic diagnostic and management skills. Students will be able to participate in operative procedures, and examine and follow assigned patients.
Course
Number: SUR 614
Course Title: Neurosurgery
Location: Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Saginaw, Upper Peninsula
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be acquainted with common emergent and elective neurosurgical problems involving the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves. Students will be introduced to appropriate diagnostic methods, and the neurological examination will be stressed. Students will be able to participate in operative procedures, and examine and follow assigned patients. Emphasis will be placed on a problem-solving approach to handling neurosurgical problems.
Course
Number: SUR 615
Course Title: Ophthalmology
Location: Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Upper Peninsula
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will become acquainted with a basic understanding of diseases of the eye, and appropriate medical and surgical treatment/management. The experience will include private office practice, surgical observations, and pre and post-operative care.
Course
Number: SUR 616
Course Title: Thoracic Surgery
Location: Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Saginaw, Upper Peninsula
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will focus on diseases of the lung, heart, and esophagus and surgery of the chest. Emphasis will be placed on techniques of diagnosis and pre and post-operative care. Students will review pulmonary and cardiovascular anatomy and physiology.
Course
Number: SUR 618
Course Title: Anesthesiology
Location: All Communities
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be taught pre-operative methods of assessment and management of patients undergoing anesthesia prior to surgery. Students will evaluate patients under the supervision of the attending staff and present a management plan. Students will be introduced to the pharmacology of anesthetic agents and will become familiar with monitoring techniques.
Course
Number: SUR 619
Course Title: Subspecialty Surgery--Burn Care
Location: Kalamazoo
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will gain experience in a variety of areas, e.g., fluid and electrolyte management, infectious disease, and the basics of plastic surgery. In addition to the inpatient unit, students will participate in an active ambulatory program. Clinical experience will be supplemented by surgical and infectious disease conferences.
Course
Number: SUR 619
Course Title: Subspecialty Surgery--Cardiovascular
Location: All Communities
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will become familiar with the basic principles and techniques of cardiovascular surgery. Cardiac and pulmonary physiology are strongly emphasized, and students will be exposed to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit. Students will learn the approach to the preoperative evaluation and preparation of a patient for cardiac surgery. Students will become familiar with the management of cardiac surgical patients in an intensive care setting.
Course
Number: SUR 619
Course Title: Subspecialty Surgery--Pediatric Surgery
Location: Kalamazoo, Lansing
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be introduced to the basic principles and techniques of pediatric surgery. Students will learn the basic approach to the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of surgical problems in the pediatric patient. An increased understanding of the unique physiology and clinical manifestation of illness in the pediatric patient will be gained by students in this elective.
Course
Number: SUR 619
Course Title: Subspecialty Surgery--Trauma Surgery
Location: Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be expected to expand their knowledge of trauma through concentrated exposure to the trauma patient. Specifically, students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of airway management, circulation, thoracic injury, abdominal trauma, pelvic trauma, head and spinal cord injuries, and stabilization and resuscitation of trauma patients. Students will be expected to develop skills related to the care of patients in the trauma setting.
Course
Number: SUR 619
Course Title: Subspecialty Surgery--Vascular Surgery
Location: Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Saginaw
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be exposed to patients requiring vascular surgery and will be expected to understand and apply basic surgical principles surrounding the care of patients with arterial disease, venous disease, vasopastic disorders, vascular trauma, and lymphatic disorders as well as diagnostic radiology in vascular disorders. Students will be expected to develop skills related to the care of patients with vascular conditions.
Course
Number: SUR 621
Course Title: Surgical Nutritional Care
Location: Grand Rapids
Prerequisite: SUR 608
Students will be expected to identify and to manage the nutritional needs of critically ill patients. They will be expected to have an awareness and understanding of the components of enteral nutrition and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to include life threatening complications of TPN and enteral feeding; calculation of respiratory quotient and determination of nitrogen balance; and the effect of stress-related variation in nutritional demands.
Elective Courses available by campus:
| Course Name (Alpha order) | Course No. | Flint | Grand Rapids | Kalamazoo | Lansing | Saginaw | Upper Peninsula |
| Anesthesiology | SUR 618 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Burn Care/Surgery Subspecialty | SUR 619 | X | |||||
| Cardiovascular | SUR 619 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Neurosurgery | SUR 614 | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Ophthalmology | SUR 615 | X | X | X | X | ||
| Orthopedic Surgery | SUR 613 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Otolaryngology | SUR 609 | X | X | X | X | ||
| Pediatric
Surgery Subspecialty |
SUR 619 | X | X | ||||
| Plastic
Surgery |
SUR 610 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Surgical Nutrition | SUR 621 | X | |||||
| Thoracic Surgery | SUR 616 | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Trauma Surgery Subspecialty | SUR 619 | X | X | X | X | ||
| Urology | SUR 611 | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Vascular Surgery Subspecialty | SUR 619 | X | X | X |