Anesthesia and Critical Care Clerkship

Elentra eLearning 

Anesthesiology Component

The Anesthesiology component of the clerkship is a 1.5-week clinical rotation. During their third year, medical students rotate at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in the Anesthesiology Department. Students learn how to preoperatively evaluate patients, assist with initiation of anesthesia, understand basic monitoring principles, observe maintenance of the hemodynamic state of the surgical patient, and transfer of patient care to the post-anesthesia care unit. The core concepts focused upon during the Anesthesia Clerkship include: preoperative assessment, airway assessment and maintenance, vascular access, cardiovascular physiology and management, pain management, and postoperative care.

Goals and Objectives

  • Exhibit suitable operating room etiquette, including proper self-introduction to OR team, appropriate dress code, and respectful demeanor.
  • Perform preoperative assessment and evaluation of surgical patients with the anesthesia team.
  • Assist in preparation of anesthesia equipment, including: anesthesia machine, pharmacologic agents, intravenous lines, airway equipment, and suction apparatus.
  • Demonstrate basic skills of airway assessment and management, including mask ventilation, oral airway placement, and intubation.
  • Demonstrate basic skills of vascular access, including placing peripheral IV lines.
  • Assess patients with cardiovascular comorbidities.
  • Identify patients with pain and modalities or intervention.
  • Identify commonly treated issues in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, including hyper/hypotension, changes in urine output, tachy/bradycardia, and agitation/delirium.

  • Critical Care Component

    The Critical Care component of the clerkship is a 1.5-week clinical rotation. During their third year, medical students rotate at HMC in the one of the ICUs.

    Students learn how to assess and manage critically ill patients. The focus of the rotation is learning the basics of resuscitation.

    Goals and Objectives

    • Evaluate a patient who is critically ill.
    • Explain circulatory physiology.
    • Outline multi-system organ dysfunction.
    • Explain severe sepsis and septic shock.
    • Discuss physiology of mechanical ventilation.


    Clerkship Co-Director: Tariq Chukir, MD

    Clerkship Co-Director: Mahrukh Rizvi, MD

    Staff Support: ocs@qatar-med.cornell.edu