Department of Surgery

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

All osteopathic physicians must be trained to understand surgical diseases as presented in a clinical setting. They must master pre- and postoperative assessment of patients so they can function in any medical setting as an important and integral part of the patient care team. Family practice physicians should also be able to perform ambulatory procedures in an office setting as well as understand all aspects of wound management.

The members of the surgery department are committed to CCOM's precepts of teaching, healing, and serving. The academic mission of the department is to provide didactic and clinical training in the surgical arts. The members of the department provide comprehensive, osteopathic surgical care for the patients in CCOM's affiliated clinical facilities. The members of the department serve not only as mentors for all medical students but also seek to identify those students who have the ability and interest to become osteopathic surgeons in order to provide them with additional personal and professional guidance and assistance.

Students are required to complete an 8 week core general surgery block during their third year, and 4 week core general surgery block during their fourth year. Additionally, the department of surgery offers elective surgical clerkships during the 3rd and 4th year. Clerkships are commonly four weeks long, but select sites offer two week experiences. Selective and elective surgery clerkships are offered in anesthesiology, orthopedics, general surgery, burn surgery, trauma surgery, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, surgical cardiac care, cardiovascular surgery, ENT, urologic surgery and neurosurgery.

Students are expected to attend all department educational seminars, case presentations and grand clubs. Successful completion of the clerkship is dependent upon the preceptor evaluation, daily attendance and completion of patient care logs.

All clerkships are offered at CCOM affiliated or MWU OPTI affiliated hospitals, surgi-centers and clinics.