Surgery Education - Medical Student Programs
Download Student Education Brochure
The Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is committed to providing the best educational environment for its students. To this end, we have created several unique programs for exposure to the various aspects of surgery. These include clinical, research, and mentorship opportunities.
Electives
Clinical knowledge and surgical skills - MS2 elective
Contact: Patrick Nguyen, MD | Email
The Clinical Knowledge and Surgical Skills elective is for second year medical students who wish to gain extra insight and experience with the basic skills required for the third year clerkships. The goals for the course are to ease the student's 'fear of the unknown' when they first start their surgery clerkship and to improve the educational experience by giving students the framework on which to learn, allowing them to hit the ground running on day one of the surgery clerkship. The course consists of technical skills sessions, surgery case presentations, didactic sessions, and a student and resident panel.
- Session 1 — Introduction
- Summary of Suture Methods
- Session 3 — Preparing for an OR Case
- Session 6 — OR Sterile Technique
- Session 7 — Clinical Tasks
MS-2 Clerkship Readiness Elective
Second year medical students are often anxious about embarking on their 3rd year surgery clerkships. To help prepare students for these experiences, we developed two MS2 electives. 'Clinical Knowledge for the Surgical Clerkship' (ELEC 5046) includes 10 didactic sessions that cover case presentations, preparing for a case, pre- and post-op care, rounding, writing notes, working in the trauma resuscitation room, and student and resident panel Q&A. 'Clinical Knowledge and Surgical Skills' (ELEC 5045) includes these 10 didactic sessions plus 4 technical skills sessions that cover suturing, knot-tying, sterile technique, central lines, airway management, and laparoscopic camera navigation.
Senior Boot Camp Elective
Contact: Matthew Sideman, MD | Email
Once the surgical internship begins, the overwhelming number of responsibilities and requirements placed on the intern often make learning new information and tasks difficult. For 4 weeks during the fourth year, a surgical "Boot Camp" provides students an opportunity to learn and develop basic surgical skills under a less stressful environment and prepare for their surgical internships. In addition, students can increase their confidence in basic administrative, technical, and patient care skills before the surgical internship.
ER/OR Elective (Student Surgical Society)
Contact: Michael Corneille, MD | Email
The ER elective serves to expose MS1s and MS2s to the emergency department by rotating within the division of Trauma & Emergency Surgery; the OR Elective provides an opportunity for MS1s and MS2s to observe the workings of the operating room and see surgical procedures. The mission of these programs is to provide clinical exposure prior to the third year so students are best prepared for clerkships.
Additional medical student programs
Stewart M. Johnson Student Surgical Society
Contact: Michael Corneille, MD | Email
The Stewart and Hugh Johnson Student Surgical Society is an educational association which exists to foster the development and growth of medical students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The Society serves to disseminate pertinent information among the membership and to further the interests of the membership by promoting participation in departmental affairs. Activities include, but are not limited to, invited guest speakers, suture workshops, 3rd year preparation, scrub workshops, residency interview preparation, and social events.
Sponsored trip to the American College of Surgeons Conference
Contact: Matthew Sideman, MD | Email
The Department of Surgery will provide a $1000 stipend for one MS4 to attend the October ACS conference each year. Students will be chosen based on an essay and recommendation of a faculty member. Please visit the surgery faculty mentors webpage for additional information about faculty research interests.
Medical Student Summer Stipend
Contact: Michael Corneille, MD | Email
Medical Student Research website: http://som.uthscsa.edu/Research/
The Office of the Medical Dean provides funds to support medical students engaged in research projects with UTHSCSA faculty during the summer break after the first year. Summer stipends will be awarded for 5-8 weeks of full-time research in an amount equal to $250.00 per week. The Department of Surgery website lists faculty areas of research interest and can be consulted to find a mentor: http://surgery.uthscsa.edu/education/mentors/index.asp
Senior Awards
The Department of Surgery offers four awards to MS4 students pursuing surgical careers. These awards are presented at the awards ceremony prior to graduation. The J. Bradley Aust, MD award is presented to the student who has the highest shelf exam score during the MS3 clerkship. The Basil A. Pruitt Jr., MD award recognizes one student for outstanding research achievement during his/her medical school career. The Department of Surgery Merit Award is offered to the all around outstanding medical student who pursues a surgical career. The Virginia Johnson Award is offered to an exceptional female medical student who seeks a surgical career. The recognition comes with a certificate and a monetary award.
