Specialty: General Surgery

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MD2B Connect Physician ID # 3

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Where will this rotation take place: This combined inpatient/outpatient US clinical experience will take place in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Foothill Ranch.  A vehicle is needed to travel to the multiple locations.

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Hours: Monday 7 AM to 7 PM; Tuesday 5:30 AM to 7 PM; Wednesday 7 AM to 7 PM; Thursday 5:30 AM to 7 PM; Friday 7 AM to 7 PM.

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Hours have been provided by the preceptor. Hours are subject to change at the preceptor’s discretion, but the minimum total hours will remain approximately the same.

 

What you will do: You will be under the supervision of a board-certified general surgeon who has been practicing for approximately 20 years. He went to medical school and completed his residency training in general surgery in the Midwest before establishing his practice in California. While training, he was named "Resident of the Year" and received recognition for the quality of his research. He has continued this level of excellence as a general surgeon in practice, and is well regarded among his peers and colleagues. He holds staff appointments at the following hospitals:

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• Fountain Valley Regional Medical Center

• South Coast Global Medical Center

• Anaheim Global Medical Center

• Chapman Global Medical Center

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After a few days of observation, you will take on an increasing role in patient encounters and learn the following under the preceptor’s supervision (please note that this experience remains within the regulations of California pertaining to the unlicensed practice of medicine. Externs will not be practicing medicine but will be learning under the guidance of the physician preceptor):

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• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Writing or entering clinic progress notes under supervision.

• Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.

• Educating patients under supervision.

• Observing a variety of surgeries in the operating room (per hospital policy, rotators are permitted to scrub in at the ambulatory surgical center but not the hospital).

• Delivering talks about important topics.

• Have opportunities to teach other team members.

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The activities above will mostly take place in the outpatient setting. As a result of hospital policies, inpatient activities will be more observational.

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You will also work on a variety of projects to improve the physician's practice. This may include the creation of patient care handouts, an orientation manual for future students who will rotate in the clinic, and quality improvement projects. You will also have an opportunity to present patients at Grand Rounds. The exact nature of the project will be determined by you and your preceptor.

 

As an example of the type of project you may be involved in, this surgeon performs radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's esophagus lesions. He has noted that many patients have poor compliance with follow-up which poses a danger to their health. He would like to study the reasons for their noncompliance and identify ways to improve compliance. 

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This will be an excellent opportunity to gain valuable skills in patient care while taking part in non-patient care-related activities that will strengthen your CV for residency.   

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Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience. IMGs seeking careers in surgery will find this rotation particularly useful. 

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How to obtain a letter of recommendation: The rotator should ask the preceptor for a LOR near the conclusion of the rotation. Dr. Desai has provided the physician with guidelines about best practices in letter writing that meet residency program requirements. In some cases, the preceptor may ask the rotator to write a letter of recommendation draft. 

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During the rotation: Our team will be checking in periodically with you to ensure that you are having an optimal experience. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions during the rotation.