Complete surgery syllabus – checklist for final meds
Although not exhaustive, this checklist provides a list of common subjects which are core knowledge
for final year students.
Surgical principles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Fluids, electrolytes, acid-base balance
Enteral and parenteral nutrition
Wound healing
Shock
Trauma - ATLS
Surgical infections and antibiotics
Venous thromboembolism
Complications (Adhesions, arrhythmias, atelectasis, stroke, constipation, dehiscence, fever,
ileus, pneumonia, PE, renal failure, urinary retention, wound infection)
Ethics and communication skills
Pre-operative evaluation
Anaesthesia and critical care
Surgical oncology including staging and follow-up
General Surgery
a. Gastrointestinal haemorrhage (upper and lower)
b. Oesophagus
i. Functional conditions
ii. Barrett’s oesophagus
iii. Hiatus hernia
iv. Carcinoma
v. GORD
vi. Strictures
vii. Caustic ingestion
c. Stomach and duodenum
i. PUD
ii. Carcinoma
iii. Post-gastrectomy syndromes
d. Small intestine
i. Obstruction
ii. Crohn’s disease
iii. Meckel’s diverticulum
iv. Short bowel syndrome
v. Mesenteric ischaemia
vi. neoplasms
e. Appendix
i. Acute appendicitis
ii. Carcinoids
iii. carcinoma
f.
Colon and rectum
i. IBD
ii. Colitis
iii. Diverticular disease
iv. Carcinoma
v. Obstruction, pseudo-obstruction, volvulus
vi. peri-anal disease – abscess, fistulae, haemorrhoids, fissures, pilonidal sinus
g. Abdominal wall
i. Herniae – incisional, inguinal, femoral, internal, abdominal wall herniae
h. Pancreas
i. Acute pancreatitis
ii. Chronic pancreatitis
iii. carcinoma
i. Biliary disease
i. Gallstone disease – cholelithiasis, acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis,
ascending cholangitis.
ii. Acalculous cholecystitis
iii. Biliary tree tumours inc chokecdochal cyts
iv. ERCP
v. Bile duct injuries
j. Liver
i. Tumours
ii. Abscess
iii. Cysts
iv. Portal hypertension
k. Breast
i. Benign breast disease
ii. Carcinoma
iii. Triple assessment
iv. Assessment of nipple discharge, gynaecomastia, mastalgia.
v. Mastectomy, wide local excision, breast conservation surgery, sentineal
node biopsy, axially clearance
vi. Adjuvant treatment
vii. Breast reconstruction
l. Spleen
i. Trauma
m. Principles of transplant surgery
n. Hereditary tumour syndromes and genetic counselling
13. Skin and soft tissue tumours
a. Benign skin lesions
b. Malignant skin lesions: BCC, SCC, melanoma
c. Soft tissue masses
d. Sarcomas
e. Cellulitis, necrotising infections
14. Salivary gland and neck swellings
a. Neck swellings
b. Salivary gland disorders
15. Thyroid and parathyroid disease
a. Evaluation of thyroid disorders
b. Hypothyroidism – aetiology and management
c. Hyperthyroidism – aetiology and management
d. Thyroid masses
e. Complications of thyroid surgery
f. Hyperparathyroidism
g. Parathyroidectomy – indications, complications
Vascular surgery
1. Acute limb ischaemia (upper and lower)
2. Chronic peripheral vascular disease
3. Aneurysms
a. Abdominal aortic
b. Popliteal
c. Intra-cranial
4. Carotid artery disease
5. Venous disease
a. Varicose veins
b. DVT
c. Chronic venous insufficiency
d. Superificial thrombophlebitis
6. Ulceration
a. Venous
b. Arterial
c. others
CARDIOTHORACICS
1. Coronary artery disease – CABG, patient selection, peri-operative care
2. Valvular heart disease – patient selection, post-operative anti-coagulation
3. Congenital heart disease
4. Lung cancer
5. Rib fractures
6. Pneumothorax
7. Infections – abscesses, empyema
8. Pleural effusions
9. Chest trauma
TRAUMA AND ORTHOPAEDICS
1. Principles of ATLS (trauma assessment and resuscitation)
2. Fractures
a. Classification
b. Clinical features
c. Interpretation of X-rays
d. Principles of management (casts, MUA, K wiring, ORIF, Im nailing, external fixation)
e. Complications
i. Compartment syndrome
ii. Associated nerve injuries
iii. Infection
iv. Prosthetic infection
f.
Specific fractures
i. Clavicle
ii. Humerus
iii. Distal radius
iv. Scaphoid
v. Pelvis
vi. Hip
vii. Femur
viii. Tibia
ix. Calcaneus
g. Orthopaedic tumours
h. Dislocations
NEUROSURGERY
Whilst there are no dedicated tertiary referral centres in which students have clinical attachments,
head injury remains a common presentation to the Emergency Department and often leads to
admission. Students are expected to familiarise themselves with the following principles of
neurosurgery:
1. head injuries,
2. GCS,
3. intra-cranial pressure physiology and monitoring,
4. management of patient with a head injury,
5. skull fractures,
6. intracranial haemorrhage,
7. spinal cord trauma,
8. brain tumours,
9. hydrocephalus,
10. intracranial infections.
PLASTICS
1. Wound healing,
2. skin grafting,
3. Reconstruction procedures (flaps),
4. burns (assessment, resuscitation),
5. non-melanotic skin cancer,
6. melanoma,
7. hand injuries,
8.
carpal tunnel syndrome,
9. Dupuytren’s contracture,
10. pressure sores.
UROLOGY
1. Carcinoma of kidney, bladder , prostate, testicle,
2. Acute scrotal pain (causes and management),
3. scrotal masses,
4. calculi,
5. trauma,
6.
renal tract investigations with regard to haematuria, ureteric reflux, hydronephrosis
7. Incontinence
8. PSA
9. BPH
10. priapism
ANAESTHESIA AND ICU
1. Pharmacology: commonly used anaesthetic drugs,
2. physiology: shock, hypovolaemia, hypoxia, acid-base, fluid management, temperature
control, bradycardia, airway management,
3. preoperative assessment,
4. basic monitoring during anaesthesia,
5. recognition of the cirtically ill patient,
6. cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
7. organ support (renal, resp, cardiovascular),
8. nutrition,
9. sepsis,
10. acute postoperative pain,
11. management of chronic pain
Post-operative care
1. significance of monitoring vital signs, fluid balance (including bowel movements and urinary
output)
2. analgesia
3. early ambulation
4. common post-operative scenarios – confusion, hypotension, low urinary output,
hyperglycaemia, vomiting, pyrexia
5. Discharge criteria