Clinical Anesthesia
A month long program is offered to fourth year students in Clinical
Anesthesiology. Each student is assigned to an Attending Anesthesiologist on a daily basis. They will be involved in the preoperative
assessment, the administration of anesthesia, and will follow the patients to the PACU or ICU. Progressive participation and
responsibility are given to the students. Students are expected to attend all departmental educational conferences, and are exposed
to all the subspecialty areas in keeping with their individual interests. These include: cardiothoracic, obstetric, neurosurgical,
orthopedic, pediatric and pain management.
Clinical Cardiovascular Physiology
The cardiac division offers a rotation to fourth year medical
students in clinical cardiovascular and respiratory physiology. The rotation is one month of interactive, hands-on physiology.
The elective is based in the cardiothoracic surgery operating rooms where students are exposed to cardiac physiology and
pathophysiology in the adult and pediatric populations. The variety of cases performed allow the elective to cover issues
of pulmonary, cardiac, vascular and congenital heart disease. Interpretation of invasive monitors - arterial central venous
and pulmonary artery catheters - as well as clinical correlation with intra-operative echocardiography, is an important
part of the elective. Once the appropriate data is collected and interpreted, the clinical approach to treatment and
pharmacologic intervention is discussed and ultimately implemented.
Research in Anesthesiology
During a minimum of 2 months, students who elect this rotation
will participate in any of the departmental research projects. Students may choose from clinical research (there are ongoing
protocols in obstetrical anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, and neuromuscular pharmacology) or basic science research (study of
pharmacology of new agents in animals, study of mechanisms of action of anesthetics such as GABA receptors and nicotinic
receptors). During the rotation, students will work with a preceptor who will guide their reading and direct their research.
Students will be involved in data collection and analysis. Their work should end in contribution to a publication. Students
must make arrangements with sponsor or contact person in advance of registration.
