Clerkship Responsibilities
Procedures students are expected to do without direct supervision:
- History and physical examination (excluding pelvic)
- Daily examination for progress notes
- Scrub at operations and deliveries
- Withdraw blood for lab determinations (exclusive of jugular and femoral withdrawal)
- Begin peripheral intravenous infusion (excluding transfusions and only in adults)
- Apply skin tests
- Perform urinalysis
- Obtain electrocardiogram
- Do gram stains and cultures
- Urinary catheterization (adult males only)
- Insertion of nasogastric tube (adults only)
- Removal of sutures
- Change of wound dressings
- Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
- External cardiac massage
The following may be done only with the help and direct supervision of a physician:
- Lumbar puncture
- Transfusions
- Thoracentesis
- Paracentesis
- Marrow aspiration
- Closure of skin lacerations (never on face)
- Obstetrical delivery
- Administration of anesthetic agents
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Pelvic examination
- Inserting central venous pressure lines
- Arterial puncture
- Writing of orders to nurses
The following may not be done by the student:
- The independent treatment of patients without approval by a physician
- Dictation of admission history and physicals and discharge summaries.