Course Directors

Lori Rubin, M.D.
(212)746-2964
lor2003@med.cornell.edu

Course Coordinators

Patricia Mack
(212)746-2809
pmack@med.cornell.edu

Klaus Kjaer
(212)746-2781
klk9001@med.cornell.edu

Course Goals

The goal of the Anesthesiology clerkship is to learn basic physiologic and pharmacological principles and clinical skills pertinent to the practice of Anesthesia as well as to the practice of clinical medicine in general.

Course Objectives

By the end of the Anesthesiology clerkship, the student should be able to:

1. Perform anesthetic pre-operative and post-operative assessments of surgical patients
2. Formulate a plan for the anesthetic management of routine surgical patients
3. Formulate a plan for safe airway management of surgical patients
4. Demonstrate familiarity with basic airway management skills including mask ventilation, direct laryngoscopy, and intubation
5. Formulate a plan for appropriate peri-operative fluid management of routine surgical patients
6. Demonstrate familiarity with intravenous catheter placement
7. Function appropriately in an operating room setting as a member of the anesthesia care team

Course Description

The Anesthesiology clerkship is a one week course taken during the third year. This clinical course builds upon the primarily didactic Anesthesiology course taken at the beginning of the third year. Most students spend the entire week at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where they are assigned to a different operating room in the Greenberg, ambulatory or obstetric operating room suites every day. A few students are assigned to Memorial Hospital for their clinical work. Under the close supervision of faculty and residents, students are actively involved in the anesthetic care of patients from all surgical services.

Student Responsibilities

In the Anesthesiology clerkship, a student’s responsibilities include:

1. Helping the resident to set up the operating room and prepare for cases
2. Maintaining a log of all cases attended, describing in detail the preoperative, intra-operative and post-operative anesthetic management issues
3. Performing procedures, under appropriate supervision
4. Attending all teaching conferences and workshops

Didactic Sessions

Students in the Anesthesiology clerkship attend two workshops and two case conferences during the week. The workshops are interactive, hands-on teaching sessions involving intravenous access, invasive monitoring and airway management. In addition, with the house staff, students attend Anesthesiology Grand Rounds and Resident Case Conference.

Evaluation and Examinations

Each student’s performance is assessed by the residents and attendings with whom the student has worked. Each student must complete a log of all cases attended. There is no examination for this course. Attendance at teaching conferences and workshops is mandatory.

Grading

Grades are determined by the course director and coordinators and are based upon resident and attending evaluations of the students and on students’ completion of the case logs. Grades depend upon the degree to which the student has met the goals and objectives of the course and the degree of active participation in clinical and didactic activities. There is no formula or curve for determining grades.