Surgery

Updated on May 15, 2023.

SURG*801. Surgery Clerkship. Introduces the students to the care of surgical patients. Emphasis is placed on establishing the diagnosis, learning the pathophysiology of surgical diseases, participating in the treatment of surgical patients, understanding the means to support patients before, during, and after surgery, and understanding the impact of surgical illness on the patient and family. Students engage in direct patient contact with house staff and faculty supervision. Experiences are supplemented with learning materials, conferences and small group discussions. Prerequisite: successful completion of preclerkship curriculum and a passing score on Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam. 8 s.h.

SURG*801J. General Surgery. This selective introduces the student to the care of surgical patients. Emphasis is placed on establishing the diagnosis, learning the pathophysiology of surgical diseases, participating in the treatment of surgical patients, understanding the means to support patients before, during, and after surgery, and understanding the impact of surgical illness on the patient and family. 2.5 s.h.

SURG*801K. Intro to Surgery. This 1-week rotation will introduce students to aspects of peri-operative patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, including on rounds, in the clinics, and in the operating room as available. Students will be exposed to all aspects of the complex medical and surgical care of patients on one of the following assigned subspecialties: trauma surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, bariatric surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, burn surgery or transplant surgery. Student experience will vary based on the particular surgical practice to which they are assigned.  1 s.h..

SURG*802J. Gen Surgery Subspecialties. Students will participate in all aspects of patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, including on rounds, in the clinics, and in the operating room. Students will be exposed to all aspects of the complex medical and surgical care of patients on one of the following assigned subspecialties: trauma surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, bariatric surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, or transplant surgery. Student experience will vary based on the particular surgical practice to which they are assigned. 2.5 s.h..

SURG*803J. Gen Surgery Subspecialties. This is a 4 week, 5 credit Junior Selective course. Students will participate in all aspects of patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, including on rounds, in the clinics, and in the operating room over a 4-week period. Students will be exposed to all aspects of the complex medical and surgical care of patients on one of the following assigned subspecialties: trauma surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, bariatric surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, or transplant surgery. Student experience will vary based on the particular surgical practice to which they are assigned. 5s.h.

SURG*830. Adult Cardiac Surg Ext ASE. Students will be assigned to an attending on the cardiac surgery service and may serve as subinterns on the cardiac surgery service. This is a good opportunity for one on one time with an attending surgeon. Recommended for students interested in Intensive Care, Cardiology, General or Cardiac Surgery, Internal Medicine. Expect long hours but these are more than rewarded with an outstanding educational experience. 5 s.h.

SURG*832. Night Trauma Surgery ASE. Students will participate in the Night Emergency Trauma Service as members of the night float team. Students will remain in house from 6 PM until 6 AM nightly from Monday through Friday nights. This service is recommended to students interested in general surgery, as well as students interested in emergency medicine and primary care. 5 s.h.

SURG*833. General Thoracic Surgery ASE. Students will work with patients cared for by the thoracic surgeons within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and see patients in inpatient, ambulatory and OR settings. Recommended for students interested in careers in Surgery, Internal Medicine, Radiation Oncology, and adult primary care. 5 s.h.

SURG*834. Pediatric Surg Externship ASE. Students will serve as members of the patient care team for patients on the pediatric surgical service interacting with the attendings and residents from the pediatric surgical service on a daily basis. Students will participate in outpatient clinics, the operating room, and rounds with residents and attending surgeons. Students will also participate in the management of inpatient consults and assessment of pediatric burn/trauma patients. 5 s.h.

SURG*835. Plastic Surgery Externshi ASE. Students will participate in plastic surgery patient care including the inpatient and outpatient setting with one of the fulltime plastic surgery faculty. The student146s daily activities will be assigned by the academic chief plastic surgery resident. And will include activities such as plastic surgery didactic case and visiting professor conferences as well as inpatient and ambulatory patient activities. Recommended for students interested in Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Dermatology, ENT, Ophthalmology, and Orthopedic Surgery. 2.5 or 5 variable credit hours.

SURG*837. Surgical Oncology ASE. The student will shadow an attending surgeon in the division of surgical oncology and participate in evaluation and care of patients in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. The student will attend the appropriate tumor board conferences. This rotation is recommended for patients interested in general surgery, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, geriatrics, radiology, and primary care. Overall, the rotation affords the student with a fascinating educational opportunity. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*838. Transplant Surg Externshi ASE. Students will be assigned to an attending surgeon in the Division of Transplant Surgery. Student will be exposed to all aspect of renal and hepatic replacement therapies as well as the care of patients with renal and liver failure. Opportunity for outcome research is available. Recommended for students interested in Surgery, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and other Primary Care Specialties. 5 s.h.

SURG*839. Trauma & Acute Care Surg ASE. Students will serve as active care givers on the trauma and emergency surgery service. Supervision will be provided by upper level housestaff and attending surgeons. This service is recommended for students interested in emergency medicine, primary care, orthopedic surgery, and general surgery. 5 s.h.

SURG*840. Peripheral Vasc Surg Ext ASE. This externship offers students the opportunity to function as a member of the team and be responsible for many of the duties of an intern under the direct guidance and supervision of house staff and attending staff. Depending on clinical volume and anticipated training opportunities, the student may be assigned to either the vascular service at RH Johnson VA or at Ashley River Tower. In addition, if a student manifests a high level of interest in vascular surgery and communicates with the coordinator well in advance of the rotation, 3-5 days of the rotation may be arranged to interact primarily with MUSC clinical faculty at Roper Hospital. This course is designed primarily for students interested in surgery who are considering post-graduate training in general surgery or vascular surgery residencies. 5 s.h.

SURG*841. Community General Surgery ASE. Students will work one on one with a local community surgeon. A wide variety of practice types are represented by the surgeons with whom our students rotate. All hold clinical appointments in the Department of Surgery. This rotation is recommended for students interested in primary care fields, internal medicine, and other non-surgical disciplines. Overall, the rotation affords the student with a fascinating educational opportunity. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*845. Vascular Surgery ASE. Students will spend time with vascular surgeons as they perform their daily functions. Students will participate in patient care based on their level of competency and at the direction of their surgery attending. Students will see patients with vascular surgeon in the office, cath lab, hospital wards and operating rooms. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*846. Surgical Trauma ICU. Students will be assigned to serve as externs in the surgical intensive care unit and will be the primary care provider for assigned patients. Very close supervision will be provided by the surgery residents assigned to the unit. Daily teaching rounds are given by attending surgeons who are board certified in critical care. Students will become familiar with the basics of mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluids, shock and vasoactive medications, surgical emergencies, procedural indications and end-of-life care issues in the ICU. Students will observe and potentially perform invasive procedures. Students will participate in a mandatory orientation day to cover essential critical care subject matter. Participation is expected at all simulation-based procedural skills modules unless absence is excused. Students will be expected to work at least 20 shifts. Make-up dates for unexcused absences will take place the final weekend of the rotation and then at the discretion of the unit director. There is no expectation of night call, but it can be offered by the unit director as an integral learning experience or as make-up for unexcused absences. This rotation is recommended for students with an interest in anesthesia or in any surgical field including ENT, orthopedics. 5 s.h.

SURG*848. Surgery Elective ASE. Surgery Elective ASE. 5 s.h..

SURG*849. Periph Vasc Surg Virtual Elec. This virtual elective is designed to create a much-needed substitute for the in-person clinical experience that accounts for a significant portion of the evaluation for Match Rank lists. The student will be assigned to the vascular service at Ashley River Tower. Students will be treated as members of the clinical team, participating in rounds via webconference, clinic via telehealth, and weekly education conferences via webconferencing. This course is designed primarily for students interested in surgery who are considering training in a vascular surgery residency. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*851. Plastic Surgery ASE. Students will participate in plastic surgery patient care including inpatient and outpatient settings with the assigned attending physician. Students will be involved In operative cases on a daily basis with exposure to all aspects of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. 2.5 s.h.

SURG*852. Community Surgery ASE. Students will work one on one with a local Anderson community surgeon participating in his clinical practice in both the office and the operating suite. The student will actively participate in the surgical care of patients. This course is designed to allow students interested in a surgical career to get more exposure to general surgery. 5 s.h.

SURG*853. Burn Surgery Externship ASE. Students will become an integral part of the multidisciplinary burn team and will provide longitudinal patient care for acute and complexed burn surgery patients throughout the patient care continuum in all aspects of patient care, including participating in daily rounds of critically ill patients, bedside ICU procedures, dressing changes, clinic visits, and the operating room. Students will assist with surgical techniques including grafting components and wound closures. Students will participate in initial comprehensive burn assessments, daily patient management, formulation of treatment plans, and discharge arrangements with the appropriate supervision and corresponding documentation. 2.5 - 5.0 variable credits.

SURG*853J. Plastic Surgery. Plastic Surgery Selective will allow third year students to explore plastic surgery as a potential career option. Students will be involved in operative cases daily either in the surgery center and/or the hospital at AnMed Health. Student will observe plastic surgery patient care in the inpatient and outpatient settings. 2.5 s.h.

SURG*868. Colorectal Surgery ASE. This two-week elective will offer 4th year students the opportunity to work on the colon and rectal surgery service. Students will be actively involved in the office evaluation, operative management, and postoperative care of patients with benign and malignant diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. They will be expected to take call with the staff surgeon on assigned call days (1 per week). The elective component of this practice is almost purely colon and rectal surgery; however the service does include some general surgical experience through on-call responsibilities. This elective will take place with AnMed Health Piedmont Surgical Associates, located at 2000 East Greenville St., Suite 2500, Anderson, SC. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*873. GI Surgery Externship ASE. This course prepares students for a career in surgery with emphasis on clinical skills and judgment. Students have the opportunity to complete this rotation on GI surgery, trauma surgery, surgical oncology or vascular surgery. 5 s.h.

SURG*884. Bariatric Surgery ASE. Severely obese patients who have lost substantial amounts of weight following bariatric surgeries have experienced significant improvement of obesity-related conditions, but the procedures are not entirely without risk. The purpose of this 2 week course is to educate fourth year medical students about the role of bariatric surgery in the treatment of obesity, with particular attention to identifying candidates for surgery, surgical procedures available, and outcomes for obesity-related diseases. Discussion and activities will focus on the pros and cons of surgery, how surgery success is measured, and cooperating with other professionals (nutritionist, etc.) in the care of bariatric surgery candidates and patients. Participation in a Tuesday evening community seminar will be required. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*900A. Surgery Elective. This rotation includes all non-MUSC pre-approved electives for 4th year students. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*900E. Surgery Externship. This rotation includes all non-MUSC pre-approved externships for 4th year students. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.

SURG*970E. Surgery Research. Individualized research. 2.5 or 5.0 variable credit hours.