DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY

• GOAL The broad goal of the teaching of undergraduate students in Surgery is to produce graduates capable of delivering efficient first contact surgical care.
• OBJECTIVES
  • KNOWLEDGE
    At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
    • Describe aetiology, pathophysiology, principles of diagnosis and management of common surgical problems including emergencies, in adults and children.
    • Define indications and methods for fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy including blood transfusion.
    • Define asepsis, disinfection and sterilization and recommended judicious use of antibiotics.
    • Describe common malignancies in the country and their management including prevention.
    • Enumerate different types of anaesthetic agents, their indications, mode of administration, contraindications and side effects.
  • SKILLS
    At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
    • Diagnose common surgical conditions both acute and chronic, in adult and children.
    • Plan various laboratory tests for surgical conditions and interpret the results.
    • Identify and manage patients of hemorrhagic, septicaemic and other types of shock.
    • be able to maintain patent air-way and resuscitate:-
      • a critically injured patient
      • patient with cardio-respiratory failure
      • a drowning case
    • Monitor patients of head, chest, spinal and abdominal injuries, both in adults and children.
    • Provide primary care for a patient of burns.
    • Acquire principles of operative surgery, including pre-operative, operative and post operative care and monitoring.
    • Treat open wounds including preventive measures against tetanus and gas gangrene.
    • Diagnose neonatal and pediatric surgical emergencies and provide sound primary care before referring the patient to secondary/tertiary centres.
    • Identify congenital anomalies and refer them for appropriate management.
    • In addition to these he should have observed/assisted/ performed the following:
      • Incision and drainage of abscess
      • Debridement and suturing open wound
      • Venesection
      • Excision of simple cyst and tumours
      • Biopsy of surface malignancy
      • Catheterisation and nasogastric intubation
      • Circumcision
      • Meatotomy
      • Vasectomy
      • Peritoneal and pleural aspirations
      • Diagnostic proctoscopy
      • Hydrocele operation
      • Endotracheal intubation
      • Tracheostomy and cricothyreidotomy
      • Chest tube insertion.
  • INTEGRATION
    The undergraduate teaching in surgery should be integrated at various stages with different pre and para and other clinical departments.