Critical Care away rotation

[albe]

I'm a medical student entering my 4th year, and I'm looking to do an away rotation in Critical Care, as I was not able to work it into my 4th year schedule at my home institution. I'd be pretty open to anywhere in the country, as long as it is a really good learning experience for a 4th year student. Mainly, I want to be more comfortable managing really sick patients, electrolytes, abnormalities in vital signs, etc in preparation for intern year. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

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[bigdan]

Not sure what your eventual path will be (i.e.: What specialty are you going into?), but if you have anesthesiology or surgery on your list, or are willing to be open minded about things, PLEASE look at Cleveland Clinic Foundation's SICU experience, run by the department of anesthesiology. I did it as a 4th yr student, and it was EXTRAORDINARY.
- GREAT teaching every single day
- GREAT hours, if you're into that sorta thing. There was no mandatory call (I was looking for a letter so I took call), and the hours were something like 7-4.
- They will let you place lines
- They let you manage your own patients (to a degree) by placing you "on the board" as an intern, so you get pts like everyone else does.
- Unreal pathology and exposure; I actually saw hyperacute organ rejection of a small bowel while the lady's abdomen was still open

Oh yeah - free housing is provided and they have a free gym membership for you too.

G'luck!

dc

 

[albe]

Awesome, that's exactly the type of info I'm looking for.

I do have a question. Is there a big difference as to the types of medical problems that one encounters in a SICU vs MICU? I'm considering a surgical subspecialty, but I was wondering if MICU would be a better 4th year rotation for someone who might have SICU as a rotation during intern year. The reason I say that is because I would rather focus on learning as much internal medicine-type of diseases so that I would be more comfortable with that.

 

[bigdan]

Wait.

You want MEDICAL ICU to better prepare you for SURGICAL ICU as an intern?

It's up to you - you'll learn either way. To answer your question, you'll get good carryover from MICU to SICU and vice versa in regards to reading CXR everyday/drips/vents/codes, but indeed they are different animals. I saw a guy die of mastocytosis in a MICU - you'll never get that kind of medical pathology in a SICU; you will see rapid expansion hematomas causing airway compromise after neck surgery, organ transplant rejection, etc (you get the picture) in SICU that you won't get in MICU.

Total package of awesomeness - experience, cost, friendliness - is why I recommend what I did. There are likely other places that are as good, I just haven't been there...

dc