MED - 724 Coronary Care Unit

This course is designed for students desiring advanced exposure to patients with acute cardiovascular illness. During this rotation the student functions at the sub-intern level and will be expected to admit anywhere from one to three patients per day. Although night call is not required, it is expected that the student remain until their work is fully completed and sign-out given to the intern on-call. The student then will give formal presentations of patient histories and physicals at morning rounds. The student is available for admitting and rounding six days out of seven. The student is also exposed to the full spectrum of bedside procedures performed in the coronary care unit including pulmonary artery catheterization, indwelling arterial line, and venous central catheter. Exposure to placement of transvenous pacemakers and intraaortic balloon pumps will also be part of the CCU experience. It is anticipated that the experience in the coronary care unit be rigorous. At the conclusion of the rotation the student should be able to understand the diagnosis and treatment of the full spectrum of cardiovascular illnesses including ischemic heart disease, advanced heart failure, shock, hypertensive heart disease, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease and pericardial disease. The student gains valuable experience in the diagnosis and treatment of rhythm disturbances and in 12-lead electrocardiogram interpretation. The student is responsible for all aspects of patient care under the supervision of the physician team which includes a full-time Cardiovascular Attending Physician, a Cardiovascular Fellow, as well as Internal Medicine Residents and Interns. It is also expected that the student participate in didactic conferences and attend all the Cardiology conferences throughout their rotation. This clerkship is recommended for students intending to enter a career in Internal Medicine, the Internal Medicine Subspecialties or Critical Care Medicine. Elective Retake Counts for Credit: Yes. Pass/No Pass Grading Allowed: Yes. Credit(s): 2-4