The elective is designed to provide an opportunity for the student interested in a surgical or medical career to gain experience in the management of medical problems in the surgical patient. Students spend one month on the Medical Consult Service and work under the direct supervision of two senior medical residents and the medical attending. He/she will actively participate in completing inpatient consultations including generation of management plans, daily work rounds and twice a week didactic sessions. The student is expected to work Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. There is no overnight call. The student will also participate in two half-day sessions per week in the Pre-Procedure Clinic, located in Shapiro Lower Level, where patients scheduled for elective surgery are assessed by providers from both Surgery and Anesthesia departments. Students considering surgery including orthopedics, anesthesia, or internal medicine careers have found this elective valuable. The interactions of medical and surgical illness are complex and may complicate management in the perioperative period. Many questions commonly arise. What are the risks of surgery and general anesthesia in patients with a given set of medical illnesses? What are the predictors of these risks? Can they be reduced by preoperative measures? How should medical problems be managed before and after surgery? What complications might be expected? It is hoped at the conclusion of this elective, the student will have an appreciation of how medical problems in the perioperative period should be approached diagnostically and therapeutically. The Medicine Consult service is also the primary care team for patients admitted to Boston Medical Center with acute hip fractures, as the patients have many medical comorbidities that make their preoperative and postoperative management challenging. Students should contact the Medicine Consult service director, Dr. Henry Trier, via email (Henry.Trier@bmc.org) in the week prior to starting service for more information as well as link to educational supplemental materials. A core syllabus of articles from the medical, surgical and obstetrical literature relevant to medical consultation is available and should be picked up from the coordinator one week prior to beginning the rotation.

Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.