Phoenix | General Surgery Observerships & Externships

phoenix general

surgery

inpatient/OUTPATIENT EXternship

IN General surgery

Specialty: General Surgery

MD2B Connect Physician ID # 173

Where will this rotation take place: This hands-on and combined inpatient/outpatient rotation will take place in Phoenix. Students will split time between the preceptor's outpatient clinic and two surgery centers (all within 2-3 miles of the clinic)

Hours: Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM (typical clinical time is 30 hours per week)

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 30 years. The attending physician is actively involved in the education of international medical students and graduates, as well as general surgery residents from St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. These residents may spend time in the operating room or visit the attending's clinic for their outpatient experience. The preceptor is an Assistant Professor at Creighton University School of Medicine.

Among the procedures and surgeries that may be performed include the following:

Cholecystectomy
Bowel surgery
Mole removal
Hernia repair
Port placement
Breast biopsy
Excision of breast tumor
Mastectomy
Lymph node biopsy or excision

Please note that most cases will involve breast disease and pathology.

During this rotation, you will split your time between the preceptor's clinic and operating room. You will be able to observe surgeries in the operating room at two surgery centers. Of note, the attending physician has cases in the operating room nearly every day.

This preceptor feels strongly that students learn best by doing. After a few days of observation, you will take on an increasing role in patient care under physician supervision (please note that this is not a shadowing observership; you will be actively involved in patient care):

You will take patient histories.
You will perform physical exams under the physician's supervision.
You will present patients.
You will research the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.
You will observe (scrub in) a variety of surgeries.
You will have opportunities to teach other team members.

You will receive regular feedback on your performance.

This preceptor typically has 4-6 students at a time.

Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking hands-on patient care experience. IMGs seeking careers in surgery will find this rotation particularly useful.

Will a letter of recommendation be offered: Yes, assuming that the IMG meets the expectations of the rotation. Dr. Desai will provide the physician with guidelines which will improve the quality of the letter.

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.