M.D. Students
The first part of medical school is spent learning the biomedical sciences which form the foundation of the clinician’s repertoire. The human body is an intricately connected bio-organism, and as such nothing about medicine acts in a vacuum. To that end, the Department of Surgery’s chief obligation during this portion of medical education is to assist the learner in forming connections to the clinical world. Histology, gross anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pathology…these all have very real and very relevant connections to the surgeon’s craft; our job is to make these ready apparent to the students.
After the foundations are laid, the students now embark on learning within the clinical environment. All third-year students are required to spend eight weeks embedded within the Department of Surgery. During that time, students are (1) provided with a balanced perspective of surgical care, (2) given the tools to increase their knowledge of surgical pathophysiology, and (3) develop appropriate critical thinking skills within the context of surgery. We believe these goals to be fundamental to the development of the modern medical students regardless of the student’s ultimate career path.
The clerkship is divided into several blocks which highlight the strengths of the clinical site, depending on if the student is assigned to Richland or Florence. The most meaningful learning comes from patient encounters, and as such students are expected to become active and engaged members of their surgical team during the clerkship. Students will actively participate during rounds, on the wards, in the clinic, and in the operating room. All students spend some time on a general surgery service and taking call with the trauma/acute care surgery team. The students then are allowed to select multiple surgical subspecialities to rotate through. These subspecialities include surgical oncology, pediatric surgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngoscopy, ophthalmology, and vascular surgery.
A series of student-specific didactics accompanies the experiential learning on the wards. These are meant to solidify the cornerstones of surgical education as well as flush out complex areas of study – round-table discussion topics include “fluid and electrolytes,” “the acute abdomen,” and “current issues in surgical oncology.” Additionally, our students are afforded the opportunity to return to the gross anatomy lab and participate in guided reviews of common operations using the cadaver as a learning tool. Finally, we utilize the simulation center to introduce our students to the care of the traumatically injured patient. Students participate in skill training exercises as well as case-based scenarios, honing their examination and diagnostic skills, as well as newly acquired therapeutic skills (e.g., central line placement, chest tube placement and management, and surgical airway placement).
The online platform Blackboard is utilized throughout the clerkship to facilitate student learning. It contains updated schedules and contact information, as well as educational content such as journal articles and study materials.
An extensive evaluation process assures the students the best chance to be evaluated across multiple modalities. In addition to faculty evaluations of their clinical performance, the students will take one departmental written exam, one departmental oral exam, participate in a formal case presentation, and a final cumulative written exam. As is the case for all core clerkships, the students take and must pass the National Board of Medical Examiners surgery subject exam.
When students decide on surgery as a career, they must spend time doing advanced work within the specialty. The Acting Internship, or AI, is designed for just such a student.
The AI is a four-week course which places the student squarely on a busy service which runs in a traditional academic model (meaning that the team is comprised of interns and residents). Typically, students split their time into two two-week blocks, spending time on the emergency general surgery service as well as the surgical oncology/hepatobiliary service. These two services are incredibly busy and phenomenally different – this serves to expose the AI to the variety of surgical experiences one can encounter throughout surgical residency.
AI students are expected to look and act differently than third-year clerkship students. The AI will be expected to function at or near the level of an intern, and therefore will be expected to meaningfully assist in the operating room, see new consults, see clinic patients, assists with rounds and discharges, and actively teach third-year students. As part of this maturation, the fourth-year students attend the resident level educational didactics.
The AI experience culminates in a written case presentation on a patient encounter. This is to be written in the style of a case presentation that is publication worthy and is due within one week of the conclusion of the rotation.
Residents
General Surgery Residency
The Prisma Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia General Surgery Residency Program is a fully accredited five-year training program offering general surgical training in Columbia, South Carolina.
Our program offers four categorical and two preliminary residency spots each year, selected through ERAS from a wide range of some of the top medical schools across the country. Residents are taught by board-certified surgeons in general surgery as well as representative surgeons from every specialty currently certified by the American Board of Surgery.
The General Surgery Residency Program at Prisma Health in Columbia is unique in both its breadth and depth of complete general surgery training.
Situated in the heart of South Carolina, Prisma Health serves a unique role as not only an exceptionally busy community hospital serving the needs of nearly one million residents in the greater metropolitan area, but it also acts as a vital tertiary referral center for the complex surgical needs of a large portion of the state.
Plastic Surgery Residency
The Prisma Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Plastic Surgery Residency Program is a six-year program focused on producing well-rounded plastic surgeons knowledgeable in all aspects of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
The program accepts one resident into each year of training, to provide the greatest possible individual attention to the growth and development of the knowledge base and technical skills of the surgeon.
Developing the skills for critical thinking and lifelong learning are important aspects of the training and will be strongly emphasized. The first three years will focus on a broad education in principles of surgery, to include rotations in general surgery, emergency room medicine, critical care, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, orthopedic surgery, pediatric surgery, dermatology, transplant surgery, trauma and colorectal surgery. Rotations on the plastic surgery service will also occur.
During the second three years the main focus will be on rotations covering topics in plastic and reconstructive surgery to include: general plastic surgery, microvascular, hand, aesthetic, oculoplastic, pediatric, oral, otolaryngology, burns and maxillofacial surgery. Residents will also be involved in clinical or basic science research with opportunities for presentations at meetings and publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Fellows
Surgical Critical Care Fellowship
The Prisma Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program is an accredited one-year training program that accepts one fellow each academic year.
All applicants should be board eligible in general surgery or have completed three years of general surgery training, and have a letter from their program director providing assurance that the fellow may return to general surgery training following completion of the critical care fellowship.
Procedures are performed under the supervision of the program’s faculty. Gradually increasing levels of responsibility are given to fellows as their skill level improves and the fellow is deemed competent to independently provide care.
The program director and fellow meet monthly to monitor progress, in addition to a bi-annual interview session to discuss performance, review clinical caseload, documentation and other issues regarding the fellow’s training, professional or personal issues.
The surgical critical care fellow is required to take the Adult Multidisciplinary Critical Care Knowledge Assessment examination and the American Board of Surgery in-service training examination during the academic year.