Inpatient/Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Orthopedic Surgery in Chicago

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. Following residency training, this physician completed fellowship training in spine surgery. This preceptor is currently on staff in the Methodist Hospital System as well as several other hospitals.

Rotators will see a wide range of presenting symptoms, including back, neck, hip, knee, ankle, hip, and elbow pain. Therefore, this will be an excellent opportunity to gain proficiency in the evaluation of these common orthopedic complaints, form diagnoses, and work with the preceptor to establish treatment plans. To make the most of your learning opportunities, we recommend that you read the following primer written by Dr. Laurence Dahners. This is an excellent guide to ensure you have covered the core concepts in orthopedic surgery.

Orthopedic Clerkship: Mini-Text

Learners will also be able to observer surgeries in the hospital and the surgery center. Procedures that may be performed include arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, joint replacement (e.g., shoulder, knee, hip), lumbar and cervical fusion, arthroscopic knee surgery, meniscus surgery, and ACL reconstruction. Facet, epidural, and joint injections are also performed. Given the preceptor’s expertise in minimally invasive techniques, rotators will also be exposed to cutting-edge and innovative techniques.

During your experience, you will learn the following U.S. medical practices under the preceptor’s supervision:

• Taking patient histories.

• Performing exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Writing or entering clinic notes (IMS EMR)

• Observing procedures and surgeries in the operating room.

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

• Educating patients.

• Teaching other team members.

• Understanding roles and responsibilities of other healthcare professionals

The activities above will mostly take place in the outpatient setting. As a result of hospital policies, inpatient activities will be more observational. Please note that hospital policies do not allow rotators to scrub in.