MS4 Catalog

Neurosurgery

LOCATION: WVU Ruby Department of Neurosurgery, Ruby Memorial Hospital
PRECEPTOR: Nicholas Brandmeir, MD
DURATION: 4 week
OFFERED:  Continuously
MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT: 3
STATUS: Elective

OBJECTIVE
This elective is a sub-internship designed to help prepare students for neurosurgical residency. It will give the student a deep and broad exposure to all aspects of academic neurosurgery. Students will be integrated into the neurosurgical resident team and have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of patient care and didactic instruction.

Patient Care:

  1. Perform and accurate history and physical with particular emphasis in the neurologic exam and surgical findings
  2. Assist in surgeries and bedside procedures
  3. Assist in general service call duties during regular and on-call hours including seeing consults, patient admissions, surgical planning and optimization, and recognition of emergencies.

Medical Knowledge:

  1. Demonstrate advanced understanding of the neurologic exam and neurologic localization
  2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of radiographic and surgical anatomy of the brain and spine
  3. Demonstrate basic abilities of neurosurgical diagnosis and surgical decision making
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of general surgical principles and their application to neurosurgery

Practice-Based Learning:

  1. Recognize personal knowledge gaps and demonstrate appropriate strategies for self-directed learning
  2. Meaningfully participate and present in neurosurgical journal club

Communication Skills:

  1. Present patients in an efficient and complete manner to residents and faculty
  2. Able to appropriately participate in didactic conferences

Professionalism:

  1. Maintain professional behavior and appearance
  2. Demonstrate appropriate behavior when interacting with colleagues, allied health professionals, and patients.
  3. Arrive on-time to scheduled duties and demonstrate awareness of their personal work hours and appropriate limitations

Systems-Based Practice: 

  1. Identify how neurosurgery interfaces with other hospital services including the ED, neurology, trauma, intensive care and others
  2. Identify the various practice environments neurosurgery at both academic and community centers

METHODS TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES:

  1. Students will participate in clinical learning opportunities in the clinic, wards, and operating room
  2. Students will participate in weekly didactic sessions including working conferences, M&M, case conference, journal club, and grand rounds

EXAMINATION PROCEDURES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA:

Formative Assessment:

  1. Students will receive direct feedback about their performance from supervising residents and faculty throughout their rotation
  2. Students may ask for a formal evaluation and feedback session from the preceptor during weeks 1-3 of their rotation.

Summative Assessment: 

  1. Students will be evaluated on their ability to satisfy the goals and objectives of the rotation
  2. Specific domains evaluated will be those referenced in the Neurological Surgery Residency Recommendation Form: Patient care, medical knowledge, procedural and technical skill, research, initiative/drive, professionalism/communication, and coachability

PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF THE ROTATION:

Contact Kim Lanham, klanham@hsc.wvu.edu two weeks prior to the start date of the elective.