Formal instruction in surgery begins during Phase 2 of the MD program's Gateway Curriculum, with a required eight-week clinical clerkship. During this curricular phase, students are assigned to two general surgery clinical rotations lasting three weeks each within the Department of Surgery. These clinical experiences provide students with opportunities to participate in the care of surgical patients (both inpatient and outpatient); to spend time in the operating rooms; and to attend seminars, teaching conferences, and case-based discussions on a regular basis. During Phase 3, students may elect to participate in a variety of sub-internship rotations offered within the Department of Surgery. The sub-internships cover general surgical specialties and subspecialties, including trauma surgery, pediatric surgery, transplant surgery, vascular surgery, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, urologic surgery, and plastic and reconstructive surgery. 

Contact Info

Website:http://www.surgery.wustl.edu

Surgery Research Electives

Students at all levels are encouraged and welcomed to get involved with surgical research. Many opportunities exist within the Department of Surgery for students to participate in advanced clinical or research experiences. 

For the most up-to-date medical student research opportunities, please visit the Research page of the Department of Surgery website.

 

SURGERY 8000 General Surgery (Clinical Elective)

Students in the General Surgery Clinical Elective are placed in one of eight services. During this rotation, students take on responsibilities that closely mirror those of a first-year surgical resident, allowing them to gain hands-on experience, build essential surgical skills, and manage patients more independently under the supervision of attendings, fellows and residents. Students are involved in pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care of surgical patients the outpatient setting, operative room and hospital ward. This includes performing histories and physicals, participating in surgical procedures, and engaging in rounds. The student will also participate in affiliated conferences and in-house call with the surgical team. General Surgery services include: Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Acute & Critical Care Surgery, Colon & Rectal Surgery, Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Surgical Oncology & Endocrine Surgery, and Trauma Night Float & Emergency Surgical Consults

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 8010 Minimally Invasive Surgical Skills (Non-Clinical Elective)

The Minimally Invasive Surgical Skills (MISS) Elective is designed to provide surgery-bound MS4 learners with early, structured exposure to foundational robotic and laparoscopic surgical principles and technical skills. Through a combination of asynchronous didactic modules, in-person introductory instruction, proctored simulation sessions, and self-directed practice, MISS prepares learners to enter residency with foundational competence in minimally invasive surgery. This supports accelerated skill development, enhanced learner confidence, and earlier operative participation. Students will practice and demonstrate proficiency in laparoscopic camera navigation, Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks, robotic bedside assisting, and robotic console skills.

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 8015 Cardiothoracic Surgery (Clinical Elective)

The elective in cardiothoracic surgery is a four-week clinical rotation with two-week blocks divided between adult cardiac, pediatric cardiothoracic, and general thoracic surgery (according to the student's preference). Students will participate in morning work rounds, attend the operative procedures of their choice, and attend weekly conferences and teaching rounds. Students will be introduced not only to the surgical procedures, but also to the postoperative care of the surgical patients. On the pediatric and adult cardiac services, students will be introduced to the principles of cardiopulmonary bypass, repair of congenital heart defects, ventricular assist devices, heart lung transplantation and procurement, coronary artery bypass surgery (on and off pump), valve repair and replacement, complex aortic surgery, the MAZE procedures and others. On the adult cardiac surgery service, students will function as sub-interns under the direct supervision of a faculty member. On the thoracic surgical rotation, students will have the opportunity to perform bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, gastroscopy, and participate in surgical resections of lung cancer and esophageal cancer, as well as surgery for emphysema and for benign esophageal conditions. Students will also participate in lung transplantation surgery. Medical students are also invited to participate in ongoing research projects under the mentorship of surgery faculty. Please contact the course director if you are interested in this option.

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 8020 Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (Clinical Elective)

The period on Plastic Surgery may either be spent as a clinical clerkship or conducting a research project. The purpose of the clinical clerkship is to familiarize the student with the basic principles of Plastic Surgery. The student will have successive assignments to each of the attending staff and the ward resident services during the four weeks. This will expose the student to the breadth and depth of plastic surgery. Alternatively, if the student has identified a focus of interest, the student may participate on those services of special interest, such as hand or pediatric plastic surgery. The student will assume an active role on the plastic surgery service and will participate in the total management of a wide variety of surgical problems including congenital anomalies, microvascular surgery, surgery of the upper extremity, peripheral nerve surgery, cosmetic surgery, and general reconstructive plastic surgery.

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 8030 Urologic Surgery (Clinical Elective)

The clinical elective will offer the interested student experience with a spectrum of problems in clinical urology - both adult and pediatric. The student will learn the basic diagnostic procedures and management of surgical and non-surgical aspects of patient care under the supervision of the attending staff and house staff. Clinical conferences are held every Wednesday.

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 8050 Vascular Surgery (Clinical Elective)

This elective is designed to give students in-depth experience in the clinical management of patients on the Vascular Surgery Service. The elective will offer opportunities for students to gain experience in preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative management of patients with surgically treated vascular diseases/conditions. Students will serve as clerks and will be responsible for patient management with house staff under the guidance of the fellow and attending surgeons. There will be opportunity for students to evaluate patients, decide on a diagnostic and management strategy, and provide care under house staff and faculty guidance, as well as ample opportunity to attend and participate in conferences. Notice: If a student desires to work more closely with a specific attending, he/she must make special arrangements with the faculty member prior to beginning this elective.

Credit 2 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 9100 General Surgery Advanced Clinical Rotation (ACR)

Students in the General Surgery ACR are placed in one of the following eight services. Students may enroll in this ACR twice, with the second assignment on a different service than the first. On each Surgical service, participation will involve floor management, ER evaluation, operating room participation and outpatient clinic experience. Emphasis will be on correlating anatomy to function in normal and pathologic states and clinical management of Surgical patients. Duties: rounding on inpatients, participating in service and department wide education conference, participating/assisting in operations, seeing and evaluating new, return and postoperative patients in clinic, taking call in the emergency room. This will be done under the guidance of attendings, fellows and residents. Acute and Critical Care Surgery
The ACCS service provides experience with a broad range of general surgical problems. Typically, students encounter patients with acute traumatic injuries or burns and are exposed to many acute surgical problems such as acute abdominal emergencies, skin and soft tissue infections (including some amputations), acute appendicitis, and acute cholecystitis. Students will likely experience a combination of laparoscopic, robotic, and open operations. Students also gain experience with pre-operative evaluation and operative management of patients undergoing elective surgical procedures such as hernia repair and cholecystectomy. Colorectal Surgery
The Colorectal Surgery rotation covers all aspects of benign and malignant colorectal and anal disease. The operative procedures vary from simple anorectal procedures to large open abdominal, robotic and laparoscopic operations. Students will likely encounter both urgent/emergent and elective operations. Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery
The HPB service exposes students to a variety of surgical conditions of the pancreas, liver, stomach, and biliary tract. This includes benign and cancerous conditions. Students may also encounter surgeries for various types of sarcomas. They will encounter laparoscopic, robotic, and large open operations. Minimally Invasive Surgery
The MIS service exposes students to patients with a variety of surgical problems (including hernias, gallstone disease, gastrointestinal foregut problems, morbid obesity, and endocrine disorders). Students are exposed to basic and advanced minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic and robotic operations) as well as complex open operations. Pediatric Surgery
Pediatric surgery is essentially general surgery on children. Students are exposed to a wide variety of conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, lung, diaphragm, etc. The service handles a significant amount of penetrating and blunt trauma, burns, and other acute surgical emergencies such as appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, and perforated viscus. In addition, the student will be exposed to surgery on newborns for vascular access and intestinal and abdominal wall conditions. Students will be exposed to a variety of surgical approaches including open, laparoscopic, and thoracoscopic procedures. Surgical Oncology
The Surgical Oncology (formerly Endocrine/Oncology) service is primarily dedicated to the treatment of some of the most common cancers in adults (including breast, melanoma, and thyroid). Students will also obtain experience with many other surgeries for benign disease processes in breast and endocrine glands (thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal). Students may also encounter surgery for sarcomas and a unique operation that involves heated intra-peritoneal chemotherapy for advanced cancers (HIPEC). They will likely encounter some laparoscopic procedures (adrenalectomy). Transplant Surgery
Abdominal Organ Transplantation exposes students to a blend of medical and surgical care of solid-organ transplant patients (kidney, pancreas, and liver). Organ procurements provide the ultimate exposure to human anatomy in a heart-beating, brain-dead donor. Students will likely experience other hepato-biliary procedures (liver resection, pancreatic resection, biliary tract surgery etc) for benign/malignant conditions and vascular access procedures (AV fistula formation), providing broad anatomical exposure. Most of these operations are performed with large, open incisions but students may encounter some laparoscopic procedures (cholecystectomy). Vascular Surgery
Vascular Surgery exposes the student to a broad range of surgical vascular pathology, from varicose veins and peripheral arterial disease to the most complex thoracoabdominal and abdominal aneurysms. They may also see some amputations. Students will likely encounter a mix of urgent/emergent and elective procedures. The students will be exposed to the use of endovascular technology, in addition to the use of standard open surgical techniques.

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 9150 Cardiothoracic Surgery Advanced Clinical Rotation (ACR)

This will be a four-week clinical experience focusing on evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of cardiac and thoracic surgical conditions as well as postoperative care and common on-call problems. This is a mostly inpatient experience, with some outpatient clinic. Students will learn how to preform clinical duties and responsibilities of a PGY-1. Participation will involve ICU management (beginning with reporting and interpretation), floor management, evaluation of new consultations and presenting to attendings, operating room participation at an intern level, and outpatient clinic experience. This rotation does include heavy operating room exposure, but the focus is on preparation for intern and junior resident responsibility rather than on observation. Students will spend their time 50/50 on cardiac and thoracic rotations. Students can rotate for up to one week on Congenital CT upon approval from the instructor. Patient Population: adult
Services: 50% cardiac surgery, 50% thoracic surgery
Duties:
Rounding on inpatients
Presenting patients to senior residents/fellows and attendings
Work in close collaboration with (not under supervision) of mid-level providers, to enhance communication skills and teamwork
Participating in service and division education conference
Bedside procedures with direct supervision (chest tube removal, pacing wire removal)
Participating in preoperative planning, following up and evaluation of radiologic and imaging studies
Active participation as a team player in operating rooms (transfer patient, indwelling catheters, prepping and positioning patients) including supervised assistance with closures.
Seeing and evaluating new and established preoperative patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings. This will be done under the supervision of attending surgeons, fellows and residents.

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 9200 Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Advanced Clinical Rotation (ACR)

The period on Plastic Surgery may either be spent as a clinical clerkship or conducting a research project. The purpose of the clinical clerkship is to familiarize the student with the basic principles of Plastic Surgery. The student will have successive assignments to each of the attending staff and the ward resident services during the four weeks. This will expose the student to the breadth and depth of plastic surgery. Alternatively, if the student has identified a focus of interest, the student may participate on those services of special interest, such as hand or pediatric plastic surgery. The student will assume an active role on the plastic surgery service and will participate in the total management of a wide variety of surgical problems including congenital anomalies, microvascular surgery, surgery of the upper extremity, peripheral nerve surgery, cosmetic surgery, and general reconstructive plastic surgery.

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year


SURGERY 9250 Urologic Surgery Advanced Clinical Rotation (ACR)

The Phase 3 Urology ACR will be a clinical sub-internship. The purpose of the 4 week rotation is to provide students with exposure to the full spectrum of clinical urology and to prepare them for Internship as a Urology Resident.
   
The student will play an active role in patient management and is expected to demonstrate progressive understanding of:

  •  The basic evaluation of the urologic patient, including performing a focused urologic history and physical examination
  •  The work-up of the urologic patient, including ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests/imaging/procedures
  •  The management (both surgical and non-surgical) of urologic conditions
  •  Basic procedural skills, including suturing and bedside procedures like Foley catheter placement
    Throughout the Urology ACR, the student will be under the supervision of the attending staff and house staff.
   
Note that students have the opportunity for exposure to the spectrum of subspecialties within Urology, including Urologic Oncology, Reconstructive Urology, Endourology/Minimally Invasive Urology, Men's Health/Infertility, Female Urology, and Pediatric Urology. If a student has a specific request for distinct exposure to one or more of these subspecialties, they should reach out to the Course Director in advance, and efforts will be made to accommodate those requests.
   

Credit 4 units.

Typical periods offered: Medicine Year