Pediatric cardiology
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Acceptance into the elective is by application only.
All applications must be submitted through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities™ (VSLO®)
Complex neonatal and pediatric cardiac surgery is performed in the pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery program at Janet Weis Children's Hospital, a major teaching hospital located on the campus of the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa. More than 100 congenital heart and thoracic surgeries are performed each year. These operations include complex single ventricle repair in the form of Modified Norwood/Sano operation for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), arterial switch operation for transposition of great arteries, and repair of coarctation of the aorta and Tetralogy of Fallot, among many other procedures.
Our practice is not confined to complex neonatal and infant cardiac surgery as we treat congenital cardiac surgery in all ages, including treatment of patients with adult congenital cardiac defects. Our service is comprised of a congenital cardiac surgeon, pediatric intensivists, cardiologists, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant all working in close collaboration.
The student will be exposed to the preoperative, operative and postoperative care of children undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. Patients’ clinical and hemodynamic data are discussed in detail during preoperative cardiac catheterization conferences which provide the student with a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of congenital cardiac defects and the surgical and medical treatment options. Students have ample opportunities to participate in the operating room and to care for their patients in the pediatric intensive care unit, under the supervision of the pediatric critical care and pediatric cardiovascular services.
Our practice is not confined to complex neonatal and infant cardiac surgery as we treat congenital cardiac surgery in all ages, including treatment of patients with adult congenital cardiac defects. Our service is comprised of a congenital cardiac surgeon, pediatric intensivists, cardiologists, a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant all working in close collaboration.
The student will be exposed to the preoperative, operative and postoperative care of children undergoing cardiothoracic surgeries. Patients’ clinical and hemodynamic data are discussed in detail during preoperative cardiac catheterization conferences which provide the student with a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of congenital cardiac defects and the surgical and medical treatment options. Students have ample opportunities to participate in the operating room and to care for their patients in the pediatric intensive care unit, under the supervision of the pediatric critical care and pediatric cardiovascular services.
Goals & objectives
At the end of the clerkship, students will have acquired a knowledge base, appropriate for their level of training, consisting of:
- Fundamentals of hemodynamics
- Basic principles of cardiopulmonary bypass
- Cardiopulmonary physiology of common congenital heart defects
- Repair strategies for common congenital heart defects
- Principle of postoperative cardiac care
In addition, each student is expected to give a presentation on a CVTS topic of their choice. This will occur during the last week of the rotation.