Maine Medical Center
Dr. Gerding in OR

Medical Student Electives

Interventional radiology (IR) is a specialty that focuses on image-guided, minimally invasive surgery. It is one of the most rapidly evolving specialties in medicine, and plays a pivotal role in nearly every organ system of the body along with elements of longitudinal, nonprocedural patient care.

The MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC) Department of Radiology offers a two-week elective for third-year medical students and a four-week elective for fourth-year medical students to expose them to the specialty of IR. Upon completion of either course, students will learn about specific indications for procedures, protocols, potential complications, postoperative management and longitudinal care of the IR patient. Students will appreciate the role of IR in both a procedural and nonprocedural sense.

Third-Year Elective

Goals

  • Obtain understanding of indications and contraindications for common IR procedures.
  • Gain knowledge of arterial and venous anatomy important to IR.
  • Know how to perform pre-procedure evaluations for most common procedures.
  • Know indications and contraindications to common procedures.
  • Learn to perform basic vascular access procedures.
  • Participate in post-procedure management issues on daily rounds.

Objectives

  • Observe and assist in a wide variety of procedures.
  • Attend IR conferences.
  • Recite indications for common procedures.
  • Experience pre-procedure evaluations and post-procedure rounding.
     

Methods of Instruction

Clinical:

Students are expected to observe and assist in IR procedures daily at MHMMC.  IR procedures at MHMMC are performed in Vascular & Interventional Radiology within the Dept. of Radiology on the Basement Level.  The morning schedule begins at 7:30 AM, and usually ends between 5-5:30 PM.  The students will not have call responsibilities.  Resident and faculty teaching will be performed throughout the day during the procedures.

Didactic:

  • IR Morning Rounds:
    • 7:30-8 AM, M-F, MHMMC IR Reading Room (#B461).
  • IR Mortality & Morbidity (M&M) Conference:
    • 7-8 AM, typically on the 4th Thursday of the month, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
  • MMC Liver Tumor Conference:
    • 7-8 AM, 1st Thursday & 2nd Wednesday of the month, virtual on Zoom (link will be provided).
  • Conferences are also presented to medical students rotating through Diagnostic Radiology (DR).  If the IR medical student is not currently seeing patients, performing a procedure, or otherwise involved in the activities of the procedural team, they may attend these lectures with permission by the IR attending or resident. They may also attend daily DR resident conference at noon as time permits:
    • DR Medical Student Conference:
      • 8-9 AM, M/W/F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
    • DR Resident Conference:
      • 12-1 PM, M/Tu/W/F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
      • 7-8 AM, M-F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582):
        • IR medical students are typically unable to attend this conference because of IR Morning Rounds.

Student Responsibilities

  • The medical student rotating through the IR elective is expected to be a part of the procedural team with graduated responsibilities as the elective progresses.
  • Students are expected to attend 7:30 AM IR Morning Rounds, and to present that day’s cases if they are assigned.
  • Students will work with residents to be assigned at least two patients per day.  They will evaluate those patients’ charts, see those patients on the floor, and perform focused history & physical examinations.  They will then present these patients to one of that day’s attendings, and go over the indications and contraindications of the procedure being performed.  The attending will then provide feedback and teaching to the medical student regarding the case.  Students are then expected to scrub in for that case later in the day:
    • The cases assigned each day will be determined by the residents and attendings to provide the most interesting, useful, and comprehensive exposure for the student.
  • When available and based on student interest and knowledge level, the student will also accompany residents for evaluation of consults requested by inpatient teams.  When appropriate, the student may also present these cases to the attendings, and discuss treatment and management decisions in collaboration with the resident.
  • When not seeing patients or scrubbing into their assigned cases, students should choose a resident to follow throughout the day in order to observe additional procedures, discuss additional cases and patients, and get involved with basic procedures:

Students are not required but should attempt to place a central line under resident/attending supervision.  This is dependent upon student involvement throughout the rotation and interest in IR.

Students

  • Evaluations will be based on a system of “Pass” or “Fail”, for the overall course.  Criteria for Pass include:
    • Assistance in cases
    • Participation in patient care/rounds
    • Professionalism and enthusiasm
    • Satisfactory performance and demonstration of learning objectives
  • Method(s) used for formal evaluation of student performance:
    • End of course/clerkship evaluation of student:
      • Residents and faculty will be sent an online evaluation via OASIS to evaluate the student.

Course/Residents/Faculty

  • Students will be sent an online evaluation for the course and resident and faculty supervisors via OASIS:

Medical students must complete course/resident/faculty evaluations in order to receive a grade.  The identity of individual students will not be shared with the course instructors.

Fourth-Year Elective

Goals

  • Obtain understanding of indications and contraindications for common IR procedures.
  • Gain knowledge of arterial and venous anatomy important to IR.
  • Know how to perform pre-procedure evaluations for most common procedures.
  • Know indications and contraindications to common procedures.
  • Learn to perform basic vascular access procedures under direct supervision of an IR attending.
  • Participate in post-procedure management issues on daily rounds.

Objectives

  • Observe and assist in a wide variety of procedures.
  • Attend IR conferences.
  • Prepare and present a case or topic inspired by the rotation.
  • Recite indications for common procedures.
  • Experience pre-procedure evaluations and post-procedure rounding.

Methods of Instruction

Clinical:
Students are expected to observe and assist in IR procedures daily at MHMMC.  IR procedures at MHMMC are performed in Vascular & Interventional Radiology within the Dept. of Radiology on the Basement Level.  The morning schedule begins at 7:30 AM, and usually ends between 5-5:30 PM. The students will not have call responsibilities.  Resident and faculty teaching will be performed throughout the day during the procedures.

Didactic:

  • IR Morning Rounds:
    • 7:30-8 AM, M-F, MHMMC IR Reading Room (#B461).
  • IR Mortality & Morbidity (M&M) Conference:
    • 7-8 AM, typically on the 4th Thursday of the month, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
  • MHMMC Liver Tumor Conference:
    • 7-8 AM, 1st Thursday & 2nd Wednesday of the month, virtual on Zoom (link will be provided).
  • Conferences are also presented to medical students rotating through Diagnostic Radiology (DR).  If the IR medical student is not currently seeing patients, performing a procedure, or otherwise involved in the activities of the procedural team, they may attend these lectures with permission by the IR attending or resident. They may also attend daily DR resident conference at noon as time permits:
    • DR Medical Student Conference:
      • 8-9 AM, M/W/F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
    • DR Resident Conference:
      • 12-1 PM, M/Tu/W/F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582).
      • 7-8 AM, M-F, MHMMC MRI Conference Room (#B582):
        • IR medical students are typically unable to attend this conference because of IR Morning Rounds.

Student Responsibilities

  • The medical student rotating through the IR elective is expected to be a part of the procedural team with graduated responsibilities as the elective progresses.
  • Students are expected to attend 7:30 AM IR Morning Rounds, and to present that day’s cases if they are assigned.
  • Students will work with residents to be assigned at least two patients per day.  They will evaluate those patients’ charts, see those patients on the floor, and perform focused history & physical examinations.  They will then present these patients to one of that day’s attendings, and go over the indications and contraindications of the procedure being performed.  The attending will then provide feedback and teaching to the medical student regarding the case.  Students are then expected to scrub in for that case later in the day:
    • The cases assigned each day will be determined by the residents and attendings to provide the most interesting, useful, and comprehensive exposure for the student.
  • When available and based on student interest and knowledge level, the student will also accompany residents for evaluation of consults requested by inpatient teams.  When appropriate, the student may also present these cases to the attendings, and discuss treatment and management decisions in collaboration with the resident.
  • When not seeing patients or scrubbing into their assigned cases, students should choose a resident to follow throughout the day in order to observe additional procedures, discuss additional cases and patients, and get involved with basic procedures:
    • Students are not required but should attempt to place a central line under resident/attending supervision.  This is dependent upon student involvement throughout the month and interest in IR.
  • Students will also choose one patient or disease topic of interest and give a full presentation on this subject, to include a brief review of current literature, and description of expected clinical presentation, imaging findings, pathologic findings, treatment options, and expected results:
    • This presentation should be given from 8-9 AM on the 2nd or 4th Thursday of the month (whichever comes later in the rotation), in the MHMMC IR Reading Room (#B461).

Students

  • Evaluations will be based on a system of “Honors”, “High Pass”, “Pass”, or “Unsatisfactory/Fail”, for the overall course. Criteria for Pass include:
    • Case presentation
    • Assistance in cases
    • Participation in patient care/rounds
    • Professionalism and enthusiasm
    • Satisfactory performance and demonstration of learning objectives
  • Method(s) used for formal evaluation of student performance:
    • End of course/clerkship evaluation of student:
      • Residents and faculty will be sent an online evaluation via OASIS to evaluate the student.

Course/Residents/Faculty

  • Students will be sent an online evaluation for the course and resident and faculty supervisors via OASIS:
    • Medical students must complete course/resident/faculty evaluations in order to receive a grade.  The identity of individual students will not be shared with the course instructors.

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center is an academic affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) in Boston, MA.  After TUSM students have had a chance to select their clerkships, medical students in good academic standing at other schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) or American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOACOCA) may apply for clinical rotations at MHMMC.  Preference is given to medical students with an interest in IR residency and/or MHMMC, and those with ties to Maine.  Learn more.

For inquiries, please contact:

Kimberly Murphy
Medical Education Program Coordinator
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center
22 Bramhall St.5th Floor
Portland, ME  04102
(207) 662-7142
kimberly.murphy@mainehealth.org