The eight-week surgery clerkship is a clinical experience that introduces students to basic principles of surgery. The clerkship is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills relevant to surgical management that all physicians should possess. In addition, it emphasizes teamwork and professional behavior as essential qualities for young physicians to develop.
Students rotate on the Surgical Teams at both Elmhurst Hospital Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center. At Elmhurst, clerks spend three weeks gaining exposure to Trauma and General Surgery. Clerks also spend three weeks at Mount Sinai, choosing* from the following Surgical Subspecialties:
- Vascular Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Laparoscopic Surgery
- Oncologic Surgery
- Head and Neck Surgery
The remaining two weeks of the clerkship are spent on exposures to various other subspecialties, also of the student's choosing*.
During their rotations, students learn pre-, peri-, and post-operative evaluation and management of surgical diseases and participate in surgical procedures. Time is spent on the wards, in outpatient clinics, and in the Operating Room.
*The Clerkship Program makes every possible effort to match students with the subspecialty of their choice, though this cannot be guaranteed.
