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Medical Student Clerkship

UC San Diego School of Medicine Clerkship

The Department of Anesthesiology offers a myriad of clinical educational opportunities to medical students. Contact Sara Mendenhall for further information on the following medical student clerkships.

ANES 227 – Introduction to Clinical Pain Management (Winter Quarter)

Prerequisite: Medical Student
Preceptor: Farshad Ahadian, M.D.

  • Hand on, interactive course – both patient and faculty interaction
  • Learn to perform a pain history and physical
  • Develop a differential diagnosis and treatment plan
  • Daily pain mechanisms and management didactics
  • Offered during fall, winter, and spring quarters

ANES 229 – Practical Pharmacology and Physiology in Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine

Prerequisite: 2nd Year Medical Student
Preceptors: Daniel Lee M.D., Ph.D. and Lawrence Weinstein M.D.

  • Clinical elective with emphasis on respiratory and cardiac physiology
  • Hands-on operating room experience with normal and physiologic events and pharmacologic therapy
  • Offered during fall, winter, and spring quarters

ANES 401 – Anesthesiology Clerkship

Prerequisite: 4th Year Medical Student
Preceptor: Mark Greenberg M.D.

  • Four week elective
  • Participation in all activities of the Anesthesia Services
  • Team provides anesthetic patient care
  • Faculty-student conferences held on daily basis
  • Emphasis on clinical management of unconscious patient
  • Physiology of oxygenation, acid-base balance, and electrolyte disturbances discussed in depth
  • Airway problems, oxygen therapy, and drug therapy in resuscitation reviewed
  • Basic knowledge and skills of emergency resuscitation
  • Physiology, diagnosis, and treatment of respiratory failure emphasized
  • Topics include pre and post operative care, long term respirator treatment, and pain and its treatment
  • Exposure to anesthetic management during cardiac and thoracic surgery, obstetric emergencies, infant resuscitation and pediatric surgery
  • Effects of anesthetics and other drugs on respiration, circulation, and neuromuscular function are reviewed
  • Offered during all quarters

ANES 402 – Pain Medicine Evaluation and Interventional Clerkship

Prerequisite: 4th Year Medical Student
Preceptor: Greg Polston, M.D.

  • Four week elective
  • Student interactions with attending physicians, fellows, residents and staff
  • Student expected to perform a minimum of 2 history / physical exams/day, including formal presentation to attending
  • Required daily attendance at clinic, interventional procedures suite and/or inpatient rounds with fellow or resident
  • Student is required to attend the Pain Medicine Grand Rounds every Wednesday morning
  • Student is required to attend weekly student/resident lectures and do the assigned readings in the pain rotation syllabus
  • Student is required to do an informal presentation to an attending or fellow during their fourth week of the rotation on a topic of their choosing
  • Offered during all quarters

ANES 403 – Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine Clerkship

Prerequisite: 4th Year Medical Student
Course Director: Angela Meier, M.D. Ph.D.

  • Hands on elective where students get integrated in a team taking care of the most complex patients
  • Exposure and training in procedural skills (including emergent airway management, arterial and central line placement)
  • Exposure and training in management of the critically ill patient
  • Exposure and training in management of the ventilated patient
  • Exposure of management of codes (such as cardiac arrest etc)
  • Basic training in cardiac resuscitation