The Department of Anesthesiology welcomes fourth-year medical students for a dynamic and educational month-long experience with our department. Our program strengths are borne in our diverse faculty and housestaff, all of whom place special emphasis on teaching and mentorship.
Our comprehensive elective engages the student in the entirety of perioperative patient care; thorough preoperative evaluation, formulation of an anesthetic plan, interpretation of intraoperative monitoring, proficiency in airway management and venous access, maintenance of anesthetic, care in postoperative period and critical care settings. Experience will expose each student to the full breadth of anesthesiology practice – pediatrics, regional anesthesia, thoracic, neurosurgical, transplant and vascular surgery. One week will be spent at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the nation's leading regional and orthopedic institution. Subspecialty experience in Critical Care, Pain Management and Cardiothoracic Anesthesia can be arranged on request.
In addition to attending the weekly Grand Rounds, the student will participate in the daily departmental resident lecture: Introduction to Anesthesiology. Daily meetings with core faculty will further augment the clinical experience. Educational series focus upon basics of pharmacology, organ system pathophysiology, and hemodynamic monitoring.
6:45 – 7:00 am Meet assigned resident, assist in operating room setup and patient evaluation.
A four-week elective in Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology is offered to fourth year medical students from both Weill Cornell Medical College and students visiting from outside institutions. Building on the foundations of anesthesiology garnered during the third year subspecialty rotation, this elective offers an opportunity to expand knowledge and skills in anesthesiology with a focused exposure to the subspecialty of cardiac anesthesiology. By the end of the rotation, the student will have an understanding of basic cardiovascular physiology and the anesthetic considerations for a patient undergoing cardiac surgery. Medical students interested in applying for an anesthesiology residency will have repeated exposure to and be observed by a small group of cardiac anesthesiologists, giving them the opportunity to form a meaningful mentor relationship throughout the ensuing interview process.
A typical day begins with the resident assigned to the room, preparing for the day's cases before the patient arrives to the operating room. The student will participate in discussions with the residents and attendings regarding patient management and have the opportunity to place intravascular catheters, manage the patient's airway, and administer medications as appropriate. At the conclusion of the case, the student will accompany the patient and anesthesia team to the intensive care unit and participate in the transfer of care. By the second week, the student is expected to prepare for the next day's cases by performing a history and physical exam on the patient he or she will be following the next day.
Teaching occurs daily on an informal basis in the operating rooms, and the student will be encouraged to attend any lectures given to residents throughout the four-week period. Additionally, the student is welcome to attend daily lectures on the fundamentals of anesthesia given to categorical interns rotating through anesthesiology. The student will report to the rotation directors for additional targeted lectures, and is asked to give a short verbal presentation to one or both course directors in the fourth week of the rotation.
Students may participate in the elective by contacting the Office of the Registrar at registrar@med.cornell.edu or 212-746-1050. Space is limited to two students per rotation.
For questions before or during the rotation, please contact Dr. Meghann Fitzgerald at mmf9003@med.cornell.edu.