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Physician ID:
249
Hours:
Monday – Friday 8 AM to 6 PM (On Wednesday, the preceptor is on call so it is possible that the day could end well after 6 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: Houston
This combined inpatient/outpatient US clinical experience will take place two hours southwest of downtown Houston.
Inpatient/Outpatient US Clinical Experience in General Surgery in Houston
Specialties: General Surgery
Location: Houston
Price:
Hospital Letterhead: Yes
Faculty Appointment: No
Information about this clinical experience:
You will be under the supervision of a board-certified general surgeon who is a dedicated teacher. Every year, the general surgery residency program at McGovern Medical School at UT Health Science Center sends a resident to rotate with this attending for a period of two months. This attending also teaches and mentors premedical students and PA students.
Although this attending has multiple hospital staff appointments, 90% of the work is performed at a single hospital in Victoria, Texas. This hospital serves not only the patient population of Victoria but serves as a catchment area for the approximately 200,000 patients spread throughout the region surrounding the city, an area that has limited access to surgical care.
Rotators will have the opportunity to spend time in the outpatient clinic, operating room, and on call with the attending. Typical OR cases include laparoscopic cholecystectomy, hernia repair (inguinal, incisional, umbilical), breast biopsy and other procedures, thyroid surgery, and colon resection. Every Wednesday, the doctor is on call. What this means is that the attending is available for emergency cases (e.g., cholecystectomy, colon perforation). While on call, new patient consultations will also be performed, a wonderful opportunity for the rotator to learn how to perform an evaluation of urgent surgical issues. The surgeon is also on call for acute care and trauma cases.
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.
Accessing the EMR to review the patient chart (Meditech Expanse)
Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.
Spending time with other healthcare professionals to understand their roles and responsibilities.
Observing a variety of surgeries in the operating room (rotators will be permitted to scrub in).
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.
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
Because this rotation takes place at a teaching hospital, I had the opportunity to join attending rounds while spending much of my time working alongside the residents. One of the greatest strengths of this rotation was the residents’ enthusiasm for teaching. They created a very welcoming and low-pressure environment where I felt comfortable asking questions, discussing cases, and learning throughout the day.
During attending rounds, I was able to present new consults as well as follow-up patients and receive feedback on my presentations and clinical reasoning. There were also opportunities to become more involved depending on the student’s initiative, such as sharing short teaching points or giving presentations to the team.
The attending was very approachable, energetic, and enjoyable to work with. Because of the doctor's significant responsibilities within GME, the preceptor was understandably very busy, which sometimes limited the amount of one-on-one time available. However, whenever I specifically asked for feedback - whether regarding my rotation performance, personal statement, or presentations - the attending was very willing to take the time to provide thoughtful and constructive guidance.
I think this rotation may be particularly rewarding for students who have already completed one or two U.S. clinical rotations and are comfortable taking initiative. For those students, there are many opportunities to engage with the team and make the experience as educational as possible.
EK
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