Surgery and Perioperative Care Clerkship (SPCC)
MS-3

 8 weeks

Course Director
Peter F. Ferson, MD
Professor
Department of Surgery
fersonpf@upmc.edu

Course Director
Samuel A. Tisherman, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Critical Care Medicine
tishermansa@upmc.edu

Course Director
Michael Mangione, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
mangionemp@anes.upmc.edu

 

Course Description

This 8-week clerkship covers the disciplines of general surgery and anesthesiology. Students are assigned to general surgery (3 weeks each on two different services) and to anesthesiology services (2 weeks). Teaching with attending physicians and residents occurs in conferences, on rounds, in the operating room, at the bedside, and in small groups.

The goals of the clerkship are for students to:

1. develop skills to evaluate patients in the perioperative period and to optimize patients’ medical conditions in preparation for surgery.

2. learn the natural history of common surgical diseases and the proper operative management and postoperative treatment for these diseases.

3. assist in the determination of correct diagnoses and management of the surgical patient, radiology and pathology services are utilized.

Additional goals include developing skills in the management of acute pain and postoperative complications. Overall the course is primarily designed to prepare students to assume the role of a primary care physician and to become familiar with the clinical presentations and management of common surgical problems.

Clinical sites include Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, UPMC Montefiore, UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Shadyside, UPMC South Side, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Every student participates in hands-on simulation sessions at the WISER Center, where they gain experience in airway management and trauma resuscitation.

Educational Methods

	Clinical experiences		Lectures		Workshops		Simulations
	Oral presentations		Conferences		Ward rounds

Evaluation

Evaluation is based on surgery evaluations by faculty and residents (60%), anesthesia evaluations by faculty and residents (12.5%), a National Board subject exam for the surgery portion (15%), and an in-house exam for the anesthesiology portion, composed of multiple-choice and essay items (12.5%).

Grading: The clerkship is graded Honors, High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, Unsatisfactory.

Faculty Note

Samuel Tisherman, MD; Franklyn Cladis, MD; Peter Ferson, MD; Giselle Hamad, MD; and William McIvor, MD, are recipients of the Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award. Peter Ferson, MD, and Rita M. Patel, MD, are recipients of the Sheldon Adler Award for Innovation in Medical Education. David Steed, MD, is a recipient of a Clinical Golden Apple Award. In addition, the following faculty are members of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Academy of Master Educators: Samuel Tisherman, MD; Michael Mangione, MD; Peter Ferson, MD; Kevin Garrett, MD; William McIvor, MD; and Rita M. Patel, MD.