Anesthesiology

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine offers a two- or four-week anesthesia elective for fourth-year medical students in Danville, Pa. This elective will expose you to the various aspects of patient care in the perioperative setting. As a Level 1 trauma center with more than 30 operating rooms, several non-operating room anesthesia sites and procedural suites for interventional radiology, interventional cardiology and endoscopy, our department provides anesthesia services in many specialties, including: 

• Advanced pediatric and adult cardiac surgery 
• Organ transplantation
• Neurosurgery
• Major abdominal surgery
• Trauma
• Pediatric and neonatal surgery
• High-risk obstetrics
• Ambulatory surgery
• Acute and chronic pain management

You’ll gain an understanding of how principles of basic sciences, such as physiology, pharmacology and anatomy, in conjunction with technical skill, apply to clinical judgment and patient care. As a member of the anesthesia team, you’ll learn from diverse faculty and residents and benefit from the robust curriculum of our fully accredited residency. You’ll participate in team-based care and educational activities to learn principles of preoperative evaluations and assessments, anesthetic plans, basic airway management, pharmacology and physiology and patient management and monitoring. Active participation during the rotation will afford you an unparalleled opportunity to gain this basic knowledge and will immerse you in the dynamics of the field of anesthesiology. 

Goals and objectives

Goal

For you to gain exposure to the skills used in the perioperative management and care of patients and develop understanding of the principles and practice of anesthesiology.

Objectives 

Objectives for this rotation are based on the ACGME Core Competencies in Medical Education. They will be implemented primarily through direct interaction and observation of residents and attendings in the clinical setting, independent learning, and educational sessions. 

They include the following:

Patient care
Demonstrate knowledge of components of the preoperative assessment and evaluation and anesthetic plan, airway techniques, ASA monitoring standards, and key phases of the intraoperative course and goals of each phase. 

Medical knowledge
Demonstrate knowledge of various anesthesia modalities, commonly used drugs used in the perioperative period and their indications, and basic organ system physiology. 

Interpersonal and communication skills
Communicate well-organized, concise assessments, plans, and presentations containing evidence-based and pertinent information.

Professionalism
Exhibit respect for self and others and cultural sensitivity and responsiveness.

Practice-based learning
Actively seek feedback from clinical preceptors, recognize limitations in personal skill and knowledge, ask for assistance when needed.
Engage in independent learning, apply medical literature and information technology to the practice of patient-centered evidence-based medicine, and communicate an expanding knowledge base.

Systems-based practice
Recognize the unique situation of simultaneous co-management of a patient by the surgical and anesthetic teams.
Recognize the contributions of all members of the care team in the perioperative setting and the execution of patient advocacy and optimization.

Your progress will be measured based on assessment and evaluation from clinical preceptors and your written and oral work.