The core clerkships in surgery are intended to expose students to a broad scope of surgical disease, allow them to develop the critical skills necessary to manage surgical patients, and to broaden their technical expertise with procedural tasks. General surgery remains the cornerstone of the core clerkship. It is supplemented by surgical subspecialty experiences. Subspecialty choices include: orthopedics, ENT, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, trauma surgery, burn surgery, plastics and reconstructive surgery, cardiovascular and vascular surgery, and urological surgery. All core clerkships are at CCOM affiliated hospitals and clinical sites. Clerkships are designed around both ambulatory and in-patient settings. Students are expected to scrub and participate in operative procedures as well as in pre-operative and post-operative management. Additionally, students should become proficient in history and physical taking, sterile technique, insertion of foley catheters, suturing, IV access, evaluation of wounds, application of dressings, bandages and splints, and removal of sutures and staples. Throughout the core eight weeks during the third year, students attend a weekly didactic lecture and procedure lab series intended to supplement the clinical experience. Students are also expected to participate in conferences offered by the hospital such as morbidity and mortality, tumor conference, and grand rounds.