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Interested in learning more about this rotation? Start the process for a free introductory meeting with our team
Physician ID:
345
Hours:
Monday 9 AM to 3 PM; Tuesday 7:30 AM to 3 PM; Wednesday 9 AM to 3 PM; Thursday 7:30 AM to 3 PM; Friday 9 AM to 3 PM
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.
Location: Washington D.C.
This inpatient and outpatient US clinical experience will take place approximately 15 miles from downtown Washington, DC. The clinic and hospital are within walking distance of one another.
Inpatient/Outpatient US Clinical Experience in General Surgery in Washington D.C.
Specialties: General Surgery
Location: Washington D.C.
Price:
Hospital Letterhead: Yes
Faculty Appointment: No
Information about this clinical experience:
This is an inpatient and outpatient experience during which you will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in general surgery with several decades of experience practicing surgery and teaching medical students. The physician is on staff at hospitals within the Adventist Healthcare System. Although there are general surgery residents at the institution, this preceptor is not currently involved in the education of these residents.
You can expect to go to the operating room usually two days of the week. Several times a month, you may be able to accompany the attending to an ambulatory surgery center. Time spent in the ambulatory surgery center will allow you to observe “day cases” where the patient will go home the same day as the procedure. These will be patients who are otherwise healthy or with stable comorbidities who require surgery for non-emergent conditions. In the hospital, you will have opportunities to see more complex cases requiring surgery.
The remaining three days of the week will be spent in the outpatient clinic where you will encounter patients referred to the clinic by other providers for elective surgery or for follow-up after surgery. You will learn how general surgeons explain procedures, address potential risks and benefits, and manage expectations regarding recovery. For postoperative visits, you will be able to take note of the patient’s recovery progress, identify any potential complications, and address any concerns.
In the clinic, you may be able to observe minor surgical procedures. These are less invasive procedures that often involve superficial incisions, short duration, and local anesthesia. Examples include excisions, biopsies, and drainage of abscesses and cysts.
During your experience, you will learn the following U.S. medical practices under the preceptor’s supervision:
Taking patient histories.
Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.
Presenting patients.
Have opportunities to educate patients.
Observing a variety of surgeries in the operating room (please note that scrubbing in is not permitted).
Have opportunities to research the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.
Spending time with other healthcare professionals to understand their roles and responsibilities.
As a result of hospital policies, inpatient activities will be more observational.
Who should consider this rotation:
International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience in surgery.
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.
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.
Testimonials
Dr. X was an outstanding preceptor who ensured that I remained actively involved throughout the entire rotation. The doctor encouraged participation at every opportunity, answered all of my questions with patience, clarified my doubts, and shared a remarkable amount of clinical knowledge in a relatively short period of time. Dr. X frequently challenged me with questions during patient encounters, which kept me engaged, helped identify gaps in my knowledge, and motivated me to continuously improve my clinical reasoning.
In addition to Dr. X, I had the privilege of rotating with other doctors and physician assistants. Every member of the team was welcoming, approachable, and genuinely enthusiastic about teaching medical students. Dr. X shared valuable experiences from their clinical careers, discussing memorable patient cases, diagnostic approaches, and practical tips on effective case presentations. These discussions greatly strengthened my understanding of clinical reasoning and reinforced the importance of developing a broad differential diagnosis before arriving at a final diagnosis.
One of the greatest strengths of this rotation was the emphasis on active learning. I was consistently encouraged to obtain patient histories independently and perform physical examinations whenever appropriate. This significantly improved my confidence in history-taking, physical examination skills, patient presentations, and my ability to build rapport with both pediatric patients and their families. I also gained a deeper appreciation for how textbook presentations often differ from real-world clinical practice and how patient management frequently requires individualized decision-making based on each patient's unique
circumstances.
Overall, this rotation has been one of the most valuable clinical learning experiences of my medical training...I am sincerely grateful for the mentorship and support I received throughout this experience, and I would gladly choose to rotate here again if given the opportunity.
SM
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