Visiting Medical Student Programs and Opportunities
Sub-Internships in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

UCSF will only be accepting applications submitted on-line through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS), available at https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/vsas/. We currently do not accept International or Canadian medical students.

Applications will be processed beginning February 3rd, and decisions will begin being made in Mid-April.

Educational Objectives

• Describe and identify surgically and clinically relevant anatomy of the musculoskeletal system
• Obtain an orthopedic history, diagnose discipline-specific common musculoskeletal problems, and describe common surgical indications
• Perform an orthopedic physical examination, including both a basic orthopedic post-operative examination and discipline-specific examination
• Identify the basic components of an orthopedic post-operative plan and management strategies for common post-operative problems and emergencies

Functional Objectives

• Investigate and present a case-based orthopedic question to the department with support of existing literature
• Take overnight trauma call and assist in preparation and execution of bedside procedures
• Understand the basic components of an orthopedic consult and identify ways to effectively contribute to the work-up and treatment of orthopedic patients
• Assist with patient-relevant data collection and clinical, perioperative, and surgical management
• Be a helpful and enthusiastic team member
• Obtain mid-rotation feedback from orthopedic team

There are six different month-long sub-internships available for medical student rotators in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, available on a first-come-first-served basis with preference given to UCSF students. Students will rotate either at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) for four weeks or two, two week block rotations at the Parnassus Campus. The first four rotations are on at Parnassus campus. These rotations have sub-specialty focus including: Arthroplasty, Spine, Sports, and Hand. Students from all four rotations will participate in a call pool with San Francisco General Hospital Trauma (SFGH) call pool (q4-7). SFGH has a sub-specialty focus on trauma, but also provides exposure to arthroplasty, sports and spine. Lastly, a broad-based, general orthopaedic surgery rotation may be completed at Veterans Hospital, a VA hospital located at Fort Miley.

As a student on the service, you will be required to complete a 10-15-minute case presentation at the end of your rotation. Details of the presentation will be distributed to you once your application has been approved and scheduled for your rotation.

Service Specific Details:

SFGH Trauma Service

Supervisor: Ted Miclau,MD
Instructors: Richard Coughlin, MD; Trigg McClellan, MD; Utku Kandemir, MD; Amir Matityahu, MD; Harry Jergesen, MD; Saam Morshed, MD; Nicolas Lee, MD; Nicole Strauss-Schroeder, MD
Number of students: 4
Location: San Francisco General Hospital

There is access to trauma, sports, hand, spine, foot and ankle, and arthroplasty. As an integral orthopaedic team member, the student will show up in time for rounds, participate actively in the care of patients seen in the operating rooms, emergency rooms, clinics, and on the floors. Most of the time will be spent in the operating room, ED, and clinic. Students will be exposed to fracture reduction techniques, application of casts and splints, and general care of orthopaedic patients.

The basic schedule begins with ward rounds starting between 5:45-6AM, followed by a fracture board review at 6:45 am where all consults from the prior day are reviewed. This is followed by teaching conferences on Monday through Friday. These conferences have a large didactic component as well as hand on learning in the Surgical Training Facility with ?saw bone? labs and wet cadeveric labs.

Spine

Supervisor: Bobby Tay, MD
Instructors: Vedat Deviren, MD; Shane Burch, MD; Sigurd Berven, MD
Number of students: 1-2
Location: Moffitt-Long Hospital at UCSF Medical Center

The UCSF Orthopaedic Spine service treats a wide variety of spine disorders ranging from spinal stenosis through complex deformity correction. As a sub-I, you will be an integral part of the team and will have the opportunity to work closely with residents, fellows, and attendings in the OR, clinic, and wards. This is a busy service often with complicated patients, and you will get the chance to see and do a great deal. Active participation and initiative are highly encouraged.

Inpatient rounds typically begin around 5:30-6AM followed by fracture conference at 6:30 or 6:45 (depending on the day of the week), afterwards we have subspecialty conferences from 7-8 with the other orthopaedic teams at the medical center. Mondays and Fridays are primarily clinic days where you will be presenting directly to attendings; Tuesdays and Thursdays are OR days where you will generally be scrubbed in with an attending +/- a fellow/resident. Every effort will be made to maximize your time in the OR and clinic. On Friday mornings before clinic there will be a short teaching session during which an attending will usually present a brief overview on a common spinal condition.

You will be expected to know basic surgical spine anatomy and the neurologic exam as well as clinical signs and symptoms of common conditions. During your 4 weeks at UCSF you will be expected to give a 20 minute case presentation to the department during subspecialty conference which can come either from your spine or other 2 week rotation.

Hand and Upper Extremity Service

Supervisor: Lisa Lattanza, MD (Chief Division of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery)
Participating Faculty: Mathias Masem, MD; Scott Hansen, MD
Number of students: 1
Location: Orthopaedic Institute and Parnassus Campus

This rotation provides a comprehensive experience in the care and treatment of orthopaedic patients with upper extremity problems. You will be exposed to and participate in all facets of care including fracture reductions in the ED and clinic, office examination and treatment, operating room and rounds on the floor. This will provide a good outpatient clinic and surgery perspective within the realm of hand surgery. In addition, there is a weekly indications conference for the hand resident, fellow and medical students. Surgical procedures are quite varied and range from tendon repair/transfer, microsurgery, fracture care, arthroscopy of the wrist and elbow, total elbow arthroplasty, ligament repair and reconstructions and nerve decompression as well as many other procedures. Fundamentals of a good upper extremity physical examination will be taught during clinic hours.

The student will be expected to attend morning fracture conference followed by the scheduled conference of the morning that ends at 7:45am. Following conference the student will either go to the operating room or office hours depending on the day. The team will assist you in selecting an interesting topic/patient to present at the end of the rotation. During your 4 weeks at UCSF you will be expected to give a 20 minute case presentation to the department during subspecialty conference which can come either from any of the 2 week rotations.

VA Rotation

Supervisor: Hubert Kim, MD
Participating Faculty: Alfred Kuo, MD; Todd Kim, MD; Alexis Dang, MD; Alan, Dang, MD
Number of students: 1
Location: VA Hospital

This rotation provides a comprehensive experience in the care and treatment of general orthopaedic patients in the VA population. The rotation provides a mix of cases. Which include: shoulder and knee scopes, primary and revision arthroplasty, foot and ankle, as well as trauma cases. You will be exposed to and participate in all facets of care including morning rounds, OR (4 days a week), clinic examination, outpatient treatments, and taking care of patients on the floor. In additions there is a weekly indications conference on Mondays. No call at the VA, but can take Trauma call at San Francisco General on a limited basis (to be worked out with other sub-interns at SFGH and Parnassus).

During your 4 weeks at UCSF you will be expected to give a 20 minute case presentation to the department during subspecialty conference which come either from any of the 2 week rotations.

Arthroplasty

Supervisor: Erik Hansen, MD
Participating Faculty: Thomas Vail, MD; Harry Jergesen, MD
Number of students: 1
Location: Parnassus

This rotation provides a comprehensive experience in the care and treatment arthroplasty patients.. The rotation provides a mix of cases: primary and complex revision arthroplasties of the knee and hip, as well as hip arthroscopy. You will be exposed to and participate in all facets of care including morning rounds (start between 5:30 to 6:00AM), OR, clinic examination and treatment, and taking care of patients on the floor. In addition there is a weekly indications conference. No call at Parnassus, but can take Trauma call at San Francisco General on a limited basis. (to be worked out with other sub-interns at SFGH and Parnassus).

During your 4 weeks at UCSF you will be expected to give a 20 minute case presentation to the department during subspecialty conference which come either from any of the 2 week rotations.

Sports Rotation

Supervisor: Benjamin Ma, MD
Participating Faculty: Christy Allen, MD; Brian Feeley, MD; Alan Zhang, MD
Number of students: 1
Location: Parnassus, Orthopaedic Institute

This rotation provides a comprehensive experience in the care and treatment of sports patients. The rotation provides a mix of cases: shoulder and knee arthroscopies, ligament reconstructions, total shoulder arthroplasty, and hip arthroscopy. You will be exposed to and participate in all facets of care including morning rounds, OR, clinic examination, outpatient treatments, and taking care of patients on the floor. In additions there is a weekly indications conference. Students may have the opportunity to assist residents and/or faculty in a local outreach program providing on field coverage of San Francisco Unified School District football games. No call at Parnassus, but can take Trauma call at San Francisco General on a limited basis (to be worked out with the other sub-interns at SFGH and Parnassus).

During your 4 weeks at UCSF you will be expected to give a 20 minute case presentation to the department during subspecialty conference which can come either from any of the 2 week rotations.

For more information, please visit the School of Medicine Electives website: https://apps.medschool.ucsf.edu/ssis/elecbrochure.asp?dept=OSURG

Deciding where to live:
Because public transportation can be difficult to arrange, we recommend that sub-interns without cars live as close to your rotation as possible. Past sub-interns have found Craigslist helpful in finding a sublet. You can also access the UCSF Housing exchange website: Off Campus Housing

For additional information please contact:
Dan Peterson
Daniel.Peterson2@ucsf.edu
415-502-2579