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Anesthesia Clerkship

The third-year core clerkship in anesthesia exposes medical students to the basic management of perioperative patients. With faculty physicians and residents, students participate in the anesthetic care of patients in the operating room.

Training Objectives

Upon completion of the Anesthesia Clerkship, medical students are able to complete the following tasks. These training objectives align with the IU School of Medicine MD Curriculum Competencies and Institutional Learning Objectives. This alignment enables faculty and students to understand how current student learning prepares them for the next stage in training and for their ongoing practice and maintenance of certification.

  • Patient Care 1
    Perform and interpret a relevant, anesthesia-focused history and physical examination for a presurgical patient (i.e., preanesthesia evaluation).
  • Patient Care 2
    Formulate and justify a prioritized problem list for a presurgical patient. Use the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System to classify patients based on information obtained from one or more of the following: presurgical H&P, preanesthesia evaluation, laboratory and diagnostic reports, patient encounter, and other pertinent medical records.
  • Patient Care 3
    Formulate and justify a plausible perioperative anesthetic plan for a presurgical patient that includes preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative anesthesia care. Describe the indications and contraindications of various anesthetic techniques, including general anesthesia, regional techniques and sedation management and justify the inclusion in the anesthetic plan. Describe the indications and contraindications for common anesthesia procedures, including gastric tube insertion and suction, endotracheal intubation, airway management, intravenous access, arterial access, and central venous access and justify the inclusion in the anesthetic plan.
  • Patient Care 5
    Perform Required Clinical Experiences under direct supervision: BMV, LMA/OAW/NAW, DL/VL, IV, NG/OG. Perform effective bag mask ventilation including recognizing when ventilation is ineffective as well as the need for airway adjuncts such as an oral or nasal airway. Assist or observe placement of standard patient monitors.
  • Patient Care 6
    Assist or observe a transfer of care. Describe the transfer of care of patient between providers from the operating room to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) including the components of a safe handoff.
  • Medical Knowledge 1
    Differentiate normal and abnormal structure, function, growth and/or development in patients who require anesthesia for surgery.
  • Medical Knowledge 2
    Explain the etiology, progression and/or prognosis of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in patients who require anesthesia for surgery.
  • Medical Knowledge 3
    Recognize clinical presentations and explain the underlying pathology and pathophysiology of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in patients who require anesthesia for surgery.
  • Medical Knowledge 4
    Describe the diagnosis, prevention, treatment or management of diseases, injuries and functional deficits commonly seen in patients who require anesthesia for surgery. Describe the perioperative management of a variety of patients: a normal adult patient, a patient with cardiac disease, a patient with pulmonary disease, an obstetric patient and a pediatric patient.
  • Medical Knowledge 5
    Analyze and evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic options using principles of evidence-based medicine. Describe the ASA Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring and the utility, indications and limitations of standard patient monitors: ECG, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, temperature and capnography.
  • Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 1

    Engage in self-directed learning by identifying gaps and limitations in current knowledge and performance and by using evidence-based resources to close the gaps.

  • Practice-Based Learning and Improvement 2
    Seek, accept and apply feedback to clinical practice. Incorporate performance feedback to demonstrate competence of effective bag mask ventilation, including recognizing when ventilation is ineffective as well as the need for airway adjuncts such as an oral or nasal airway.
  • Professionalism 1
    Demonstrate responsiveness to the whole patient by advocating for the patients’ and teams’ needs over their own and treating patients in a fair, unbiased, nonjudgmental manner.
  • Professionalism 2
    Act in a professional manner by demonstrating compassion, respect, honesty, integrity, punctuality, preparation and responsibility in all clerkship endeavors.
  • Professionalism 3
    Adhere to ethical and legal principles governing medical practice, including maintaining patient confidentiality, identifying unethical and unprofessional behaviors, identifying and reporting medical errors, and maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships with patients.
  • Systems-Based Practice 1
    Identify the role and contributions of and establish respectful, effective relationships with the various members of the multi-professional health care team.
  • Systems-Based Practice 2
    Identify a patient’s social context and analyze how it relates to their current state of health.
  • Systems-Based Practice 4
    Describe and comply with the ASA Guidelines for Patient Care in Anesthesiology and the ASA Standards for Basic Anesthetic Monitoring.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 1
    Communicate effectively with members of the health care team by listening attentively, asking and answering questions, and maintaining appropriate eye contact.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 2
    Communicate effectively with patients and their families by listening attentively, allowing opportunities for questions, and maintaining appropriate eye contact.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 3
    Modify communication style based upon patients’ reactions and ability to understand.
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills 5
    Construct written documents (preanesthesia evaluation) representing an organized, focused account of the student-patient interaction.