Medical Students

The Department of Surgery is dedicated to providing a comprehensive educational experience for medical students.  Our curriculum offers broad exposure to general surgery and surgical subspecialties while fostering the development of clinical knowledge, technical skills, and professional growth.  Students actively participate in patient care by evaluating patients, performing physical examinations, assisting in the operating room, and collaborating with residents, faculty, and surgical teams.  Through these experiences, students gain the knowledge, skills, and the confidence needed to care for surgical patients and build a strong foundation for their future careers.

The Third-Year Surgical Clerkship is an eight-week rotation designed to provide students with a broad foundation in Surgery.  The clerkship includes four weeks of core General Surgery (includes 2 weeks of general surgery and either 2 weeks of colorectal or surgical oncology), one week of Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), one week of Night Float, and two weeks on elective surgical subspecialties.  The curriculum is enhanced through a variety of educational experiences, including interactive lectures, hands-on skills workshops (suturing and lines and tubes), simulation-based training (central line, robotic surgery, acute patient care, ventilator management, and endoscopy), surgical rounds, and departmental conferences.  Students also receive mid-block formative feedback and ongoing performance evaluations to support their clinical and professional development throughout the clerkship.

Fourth-Year Medical Students also have the opportunity to participate in elective surgical rotations designed to further enhance their surgical knowledge, refine technical skills, and expand their clinical experiences in General Surgery.

Additionally, the Department supports a Surgical Interest Group that provides first and second year Medical Students with early exposure to the diverse surgical specialties and opportunities to begin developing foundational surgical skills. Through participation in interactive lectures and hands-on workshops, students gain valuable introductory experiences that foster interest and engagement in the field of surgery.