Description

Students are assigned to the intensive care nursery at Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester, Saint Marys Campus, and take part in the activities of the service. These include morning rounds, followed by a brief didactic session, work on the ward, and potential for attendance of high-risk deliveries or fetal procedures at the Methodist Campus of Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester.

Students become familiar with the wide range of newborn services used to handle complex patients, including electrolyte imbalance, respiratory failure, congenital malformations, and the problems related to premature delivery.

Specific goals

1. Acquire the ability to distinguish a newborn infant who is having difficulty from one who is normal
2. Gain a basic understanding of the pathophysiology of respiratory disease in the newborn period, including respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary immaturity, pulmonary hypertension and transient forms of respiratory distress, and have some understanding of the use of conventional mechanical ventilation for the support of these conditions
3. Learn the fluid electrolyte requirements of small premature and term infants
4. Understand the temperature and environmental support necessary to sustain small premature and term infants

Activity outline

Duties involve working along with the resident as an assistant resident. For suitably qualified, interested individuals, the specific assignment of patients, and presentation of those patients on ward rounds is acceptable. Night call is not included as part of this experience, but students may choose to stay beyond the typical workday hours for a brief period if a unique learning experience presents itself.

Students attend the general pediatric conference Thursday at noon, as well as Friday morning grand rounds. Conferences within the group are less formally arranged but happen frequently.

Students are not permitted to perform invasive procedures, including but limited to endotracheal intubation, vascular catheter placement, and thoracostomy tube placement/thoracentesis. No specific papers or presentation are required.

Method of evaluation

Students are evaluated based on their competence in the basic elements described above, as well as their interest in the field. Availability and presence in the nursery and the ability to seek and accept responsibility when appropriate is the basis for most of the evaluation. Evaluations are completed using MedHub.

Per Mayo Clinic institutional policy, faculty and residents/fellows will not complete any outside evaluations. You will be provided with an electronic performance evaluation via Mayo Clinic’s MedHub portal. A final summative evaluation will be sent to you and your school official upon completion of your clerkship.