Welcome to College of Medicine

Clinical Clerkship Program

Overview

Safir Imam Al-Hussain Surgical Hospital is a tertiary surgical teaching hospital specializing in advanced surgical care. The hospital provides comprehensive clinical training in General Surgery and Urological Surgery, offering students supervised exposure to outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, operating theatres, emergency surgical services, and perioperative patient management. The hospital performs a high volume of elective, emergency, laparoscopic, and specialized surgical procedures, making it an ideal environment for clinical clerkship training.  

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General Surgery

Training Scope

Students will gain supervised clinical experience in:

* Surgical history taking and physical examination

* Surgical outpatient clinics

* Daily inpatient ward rounds

* Emergency surgical admissions

* Preoperative patient assessment

* Postoperative management

* Surgical case presentations

* Wound assessment and management

* Drain management

* Fluid and electrolyte management

* Principles of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship

* Operating theatre participation

* Observation of open and minimally invasive (laparoscopic) procedures

* Supervised bedside procedures where appropriate

Core Clinical Exposure

Students will encounter patients with:

* Acute appendicitis

* Gallstone disease

* Hernias

* Intestinal obstruction

* Acute abdomen

* Gastrointestinal perforation

* Colorectal diseases

* Breast disorders

* Thyroid disorders

* Soft tissue infections

* Benign skin and soft tissue lesions

* Surgical oncology principles

* Trauma requiring surgical intervention

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Urological Surgery

Training Scope

Students will gain supervised experience in:

* Urological outpatient clinics

* Inpatient ward management

* Urological emergency assessment

* Operating theatre sessions

* Preoperative evaluation

* Postoperative follow-up

* Interpretation of common urological investigations

* Urinary catheterization principles

* Basic endourology concepts

Core Clinical Exposure

Students will observe the management of:

* Urinary stone disease

* Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

* Urinary tract obstruction

* Hematuria

* Urinary tract infections

* Bladder disorders

* Renal tumors

* Bladder tumors

* Prostate diseases

* Scrotal disorders

* Male infertility (overview)

* Urological trauma

* Congenital urological conditions

Students may also observe minimally invasive and endoscopic urological procedures, including cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, laser lithotripsy, transurethral surgery, and laparoscopic urological operations, where available.  

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Operating Theatre Experience

Students are expected to:

* Observe operating room workflow

* Apply principles of aseptic technique

* Understand patient positioning

* Become familiar with surgical instruments

* Observe anesthesia induction and perioperative safety

* Participate in preoperative and postoperative discussions

* Appreciate specimen handling and documentation

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Emergency Surgical Unit

Students will gain supervised experience in:

* Initial assessment of surgical emergencies

* Acute abdominal pain

* Surgical trauma

* Urological emergencies

* Initial stabilization using the ABCDE approach

* Prioritization and referral of emergency patients

* Team communication in emergency care

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Core Clinical Skills

Throughout the rotation, students are expected to develop competence in:

* Patient-centered surgical history taking

* Focused physical examination

* Clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis

* Interpretation of laboratory investigations

* Interpretation of surgical imaging

* Oral case presentation

* Clinical documentation

* Professional communication

* Multidisciplinary teamwork

* Principles of patient safety

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the rotation, students should be able to:

* Obtain focused surgical and urological histories.

* Perform systematic surgical examinations.

* Formulate differential diagnoses and initial management plans.

* Recognize common general surgical and urological conditions.

* Understand the indications for elective and emergency surgical interventions.

* Interpret common laboratory and imaging investigations relevant to surgical practice.

* Demonstrate professionalism, ethical practice, effective communication, and teamwork.

* Appreciate the role of minimally invasive surgery and modern surgical technologies in patient care.

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Student Notes

* Attendance at all assigned clinical activities is mandatory.

* Students are expected to actively participate in outpatient clinics, ward rounds, emergency surgical services, operating theatre sessions, and clinical discussions under faculty supervision.

* Professional attire and official university identification badges must be worn at all times.

* Patient privacy, confidentiality, and ethical standards must be strictly maintained.

* Students should prepare assigned cases before each clinical session and engage in self-directed learning following patient encounters.

* Clinical procedures may only be performed under the direct supervision of the responsible consultant, specialist, or resident physician.

* Students are expected to demonstrate professionalism, punctuality, respect, and effective communication with patients, families, and all members of the healthcare team.