Surgery at Night & Organ Procurement Program

Surgery at Night

Surgery at Night is an opportunity for current SKMC medical students to shadow a night shift with the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery service at TJUH! Night shifts with the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery team start at 6pm. The night team consists of an intern and a chief resident. You may see a wide range of trauma and acute care cases, including trauma evaluations, emergent operations, and consults for appendectomies, cholecystectomies, small bowel obstructions. Whether you are eager to start diving into surgery or simply want to learn a little more about the field, Surgery at Night is a great way to gain valuable experience in the OR and on the floors. 

Requirements

Because these programs involve active participation in patient care, only current SKMC medical students are eligible to sign up. Unfortunately, other professional students, including those in postbaccalaureate programs, are not eligible to participate. If a student from a different program is found to be participating, the student will be reported to their program leadership.  

• You must have completed scrub training hosted by the Gibbon Surgical Society before signing up for a shift. 

• Sign-up’s are released via email on the 15th of every month. Please refer to the sign-up deadline specified in that email.

• If you sign up for a shift after the deadline has passed, you must contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu). Scrub access and participation in Surgery at Night or OPP is not guaranteed if you sign up after the deadline.

• You will receive a confirmation email from Sign Up Genius after you sign up for a shift. If you need to cancel your shift for any reason, use the same sign-up link to delete your sign-up.

Your shift may NOT interfere with any JeffMD curriculum requirements such as CBL, preceptorship, etc.

Trauma Night Call Overview

• Night call shift is from 6PM until 6AM. You are encouraged to stay as long as you would like to.

• 6pm: Report to the “Fishbowl” located in the Surgical ICU (SICU) on Gibbon West 4th Floor. The Fishbowl is located behind the nurses’ station in room G-4103. Tell them you are a medical student and ask for the Trauma/Acute Care resident. 

• What to wear: surgical scrubs and closed-toe shoes

• What to bring: stethoscope, Jefferson ID, dinner/snacks, study material for downtime, white coat (optional)

• In the OR, you will wear a surgical mask (these are different than the regular masks found throughout the hospital), head covering, NO WHITE COAT OR JACKETS.

• Scrub Training slides with photos are provided at the very bottom of this page to help you navigate to the SICU and to the student scrub machines, or if you need a refresher on scrubbing, gloving, and gowning.

How to Obtain Surgical Scrubs

You must wear surgical scrubs for your shift which are obtained from the student scrub machine. These are different than the Jefferson-provided scrubs with the Jefferson logo. 

There are two steps to obtaining your surgical scrubs A) Gaining ACCESS to scrubs and B) Retrieving scrubs. 

Gaining ACCESS to scrubs

Before you are able to retrieve scrubs from the scrub machine, you must first gain access to scrubs by emailing Kathy Hammond, the Aramark scrub company representative. Details below.

• Go to the student scrub machine BEFORE 12PM the day before your shift. For example, if your shift is scheduled for Wednesday 6pm, please go to the student scrub machine on Tuesday before 12pm.

• If your shift occurs on a Saturday or Sunday, you must go to the student scrub machine BEFORE 12PM on THURSDAY. Aramark representative is not available on Fridays thru Sundays.

The student scrub machine is located in the basement of Pavilion building. There are multiple ways to get to the student scrub machine:

• Enter Pavilion Building from either Walnut x 11th Street or Walnut x 10th Street. Take the elevator to G level.

OR

• Enter College Building. Go to the basement. Walk towards College Building student lockers rooms. You will see a door that says DePalma Auditorium and Custodial Services. Enter the door and take the stairs down. Follow the tunnel over to Pavilion basement. Keep walking until you see the Morgue. Turn left. Scrub retrieval machine is blue. Scrub return machine is gray. 

1. At the student scrub machine, swipe your ID card. You will see an 8-digit number show up on the screen. WRITE DOWN or TAKE A PICTURE of the 8-digit number on the screen. Once you keep a record of this number, you may skip the steps in section A for any subsequent Surgery at Night or OPP shifts. If you lose your student ID and get a replacement, you will need to repeat this process because a new 8-digit number will be associated with your ID.

2. Send an email with the following information to Kathy Hammond from Aramark (kathy.hammond@vestis.com):

Subject Line: Scrub Access Request [DATE OF SHADOWING]

Hello, I am [First and Last Name]. I am a medical student on the list of approved students sent by Sherry Weitz. My campus key is [...] and my 8-digit scrub number is [...]. My scrub sizes are a [TOP SIZE] top and [BOTTOM SIZE] bottom.

It may take a few minutes to receive a response. If you do not receive a response from Kathy Hammond within one hour please contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu). 

RETRIEVING scrubs

You may retrieve your scrubs from the student scrub machine the evening of your shift. 

1. Go to the student scrub machines

2. Swipe your ID

3. Move the sliding door so that it aligns with the blinking green arrow. Once you hear the first click, open the door to retrieve your scrub top.

4. Move the sliding door so that it aligns with the next blinking green arrow. Once you hear the second click, open the door to retrieve your scrub bottoms. 

Please give yourself enough time to change into your scrubs and locate the SICU before your shift starts at 6pm. Once you retrieve your scrubs, you may bring them with you and change in the College Building locker rooms or restrooms. Then bring your belongings and head over to Gibbon building 4th floor where the SICU is located. You will be able to leave your belongings in the “Fishbowl.” However, please note that this room may be left unattended. Do not bring any valuables to your shift. 

You MUST return your scrubs within 24 hours of your shift. These scrubs may not leave the hospital setting. It is a professionalism violation if you fail to return your scrubs promptly.

Additional Information

During your shift and especially in the OR, be clear that you're a pre-clinical student and do not have clinical experience yet. You should still participate in patient encounters and be as involved as possible, even if there are no surgeries that night. However, you may NOT be left alone at any time. Stay with the intern or the chief resident. If they need to leave you, please tell them you will wait for them at the SICU trauma “Fishbowl” on Gibbon West 4th floor. Even if they tell you that you may go off on your own, explain to them that you are explicitly not allowed to do so. If you need to go use the restroom or eat a snack, ask your resident for clear instructions where to meet them afterwards. This is very important and will avoid issues with other hospital staff!

If you are invited to scrub into a case, please explicitly tell the scrub nurse, circulator, residents, attending etc. that you have watched a video of the scrubbing, gowning, and gloving process but you've never actually scrubbed in before! This way, they will teach you and walk you through everything. 

Do NOT wear jewelry, especially rings, bracelets, and watches. If you wear nail polish, the polish cannot be chipped. No artificial nails allowed.

Please remember to eat a full meal beforehand and bring snacks and water. Your call shift may last anywhere from a few hours to the next morning, but you are free to leave at any time. There's absolutely no shame in speaking up if you feel lightheaded, nauseous, or unwell. If you start to feel unwell while you are scrubbed in, simply back away slowly from the operating table and excuse yourself. You can break scrub, go out to the hallway, get a snack or drink, and return whenever you feel comfortable. The OR staff will thank you for speaking up because it helps maintain the sterile field and protects patient safety!

If any issues arise with sign-ups, scrub access, and/or scrub retrieval, please immediately contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu).

Organ Procurement Program

Organ Procurement Program (OPP) is an opportunity for current SKMC medical students to shadow a 48-hour call shift with the Transplant Surgery service at TJUH! Whether you are eager to start diving into surgery or simply want to learn a little more about the field, OPP is a great way to gain valuable experience in the OR and on the floors. 

Requirements

Because these programs involve active participation in patient care, only current SKMC medical students are eligible to sign up. Unfortunately, other professional students, including those in postbaccalaureate programs, are not eligible to participate. If a student from a different program is found to be participating, the student will be reported to their program leadership.  

• You must have completed scrub training hosted by the Gibbon Surgical Society before signing up for a shift. 

• Sign-up’s are released via email on the 15th of every month. Please refer to the sign-up deadline specified in that email.

• If you sign up for a shift after the deadline has passed, you must contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu). Scrub access and participation in Surgery at Night or OPP is not guaranteed if you sign up after the deadline.

• You will receive a confirmation email from Sign Up Genius after you sign up for a shift. If you need to cancel your shift for any reason, use the same sign-up link to delete your sign-up.

Your shift may NOT interfere with any JeffMD curriculum requirements such as CBL, preceptorship, etc.

48-Hour Transplant Call Overview

• You will sign up for a 48-hour call shift. You do NOT have to be located in the hospital during those 48 hours. 

• Your phone number will be shared with the Transplant Surgery team. If they receive a procurement or a transplant surgery occurs during those 48 hours, you will be notified and given instructions with where and when to meet the team at TJUH. 

• There is no guarantee that a procurement or surgery will occur during your 48 hour window. M3 and M4’s who are currently rotating on the Transplant Surgery service are given priority. Therefore, you may not end up receiving a call at all during your 48-hour call shift.

• You may sign up for any 48 hour shift that fits with your schedule. However, you may NOT miss any JeffMD curriculum requirements such as CBL, preceptorship, etc. if you receive a call from the transplant team to join a procurement or surgery. For example, if you receive a call in the middle of the night and you have a JeffMD curriculum requirement the next day, you must show up for your required JeffMD session on time. If you receive a call anytime in the middle of your JeffMD curriculum activities, you may not leave until your required sessions are finished. Please plan accordingly.

• If you receive a call from the transplant team and cannot make it, you are welcome to (politely) decline. 

• What to wear: surgical scrubs and closed-toe shoes

• What to bring: stethoscope, Jefferson ID, dinner/snacks, study material for downtime, white coat (optional)

• In the OR, you will wear a surgical mask (these are different than the regular masks found throughout the hospital), head covering, NO WHITE COAT OR JACKETS.

• Scrub Training slides with photos are provided at the very bottom of this page to help you navigate to the student scrub machines, or if you need a refresher on scrubbing, gloving, and gowning. 

How to Obtain Surgical Scrubs

You must wear surgical scrubs for your shift which are obtained from the student scrub machine. These are different than the Jefferson-provided scrubs with the Jefferson logo. 

There are two steps to obtaining your surgical scrubs A) Gaining ACCESS to scrubs and B) Retrieving scrubs. 

Gaining ACCESS to scrubs

Before you are able to retrieve scrubs from the scrub machine, you must first gain access to scrubs by emailing Kathy Hammond, the Aramark scrub company representative. Details below.

• Go to the student scrub machine BEFORE 12PM the day before your shift.  Shifts for OPPs are midnight to midnight.  For example, if your shift begins at Thursday 12:01am, go to the student scrub machine on Wednesday morning before 12PM. 

• *If your shift is scheduled to begin on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you must go to the student scrub machine BEFORE 12PM on THURSDAY. Aramark representative is not available on Fridays thru Sundays.*

The student scrub machine is located in the basement of Pavilion building. There are multiple ways to get to the student scrub machine:

• Enter Pavilion Building from either Walnut x 11th Street or Walnut x 10th Street. Take the elevator to G level.

OR

• Enter College Building. Go to the basement. Walk towards College Building student lockers rooms. You will see a door that says DePalma Auditorium and Custodial Services. Enter the door and take the stairs down. Follow the tunnel over to Pavilion basement. Keep walking until you see the Morgue. Turn left. Scrub retrieval machine is blue. Scrub return machine is gray. 

1. At the student scrub machine, swipe your ID card. You will see an 8-digit number show up on the screen. WRITE DOWN or TAKE A PICTURE of the 8-digit number on the screen. Once you keep a record of this number, you may skip the steps in section A for any subsequent Surgery at Night or OPP shifts. If you lose your student ID and get a replacement, you will need to repeat this process because a new 8-digit number will be associated with your ID.

2. Send an email with the following information to Kathy Hammond from Aramark (kathy.hammond@vestis.com):

Subject Line: Scrub Access Request [DATE OF SHADOWING]

Hello, I am [First and Last Name]. I am a medical student on the list of approved students sent by Sherry Weitz. My campus key is [...] and my 8-digit scrub number is [...]. My scrub sizes are a [TOP SIZE] top and [BOTTOM SIZE] bottom.

It may take a few minutes to receive a response. If you do not receive a response from Kathy Hammond within one hour please contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu). 

RETRIEVING scrubs

You may retrieve your scrubs from the student scrub machine the evening of your shift. 

1. Go to the student scrub machines

2. Swipe your ID

3. Move the sliding door so that it aligns with the blinking green arrow. Once you hear the first click, open the door to retrieve your scrub top.

4. Move the sliding door so that it aligns with the next blinking green arrow. Once you hear the second click, open the door to retrieve your scrub bottoms. 

Please give yourself enough time to change into your scrubs and locate the SICU before your shift starts at 6pm. Once you retrieve your scrubs, you may bring them with you and change in the College Building locker rooms or restrooms. Then bring your belongings and head over to Gibbon building 4th floor where the SICU is located. You will be able to leave your belongings in the “Fishbowl.” However, please note that this room may be left unattended. Do not bring any valuables to your shift. 

You MUST return your scrubs within 24 hours of your shift. These scrubs may not leave the hospital setting. It is a professionalism violation if you fail to return your scrubs promptly.

Additional Information

During your shift and especially in the OR, be clear that you're a pre-clinical student and do not have clinical experience yet. You should still participate in patient encounters and be as involved as possible, even if there are no surgeries that night. However, you may NOT be left alone at any time. Stay with the intern or the chief resident. If they need to leave you, please tell them you will wait for them at the SICU trauma “Fishbowl” on Gibbon West 4th floor. Even if they tell you that you may go off on your own, explain to them that you are explicitly not allowed to do so. If you need to go use the restroom or eat a snack, ask your resident for clear instructions where to meet them afterwards. This is very important and will avoid issues with other hospital staff!

If you are invited to scrub into a case, please explicitly tell the scrub nurse, circulator, residents, attending etc. that you have watched a video of the scrubbing, gowning, and gloving process but you've never actually scrubbed in before! This way, they will teach you and walk you through everything. 

Do NOT wear jewelry, especially rings, bracelets, and watches. If you wear nail polish, the polish cannot be chipped. No artificial nails allowed.

Please remember to eat a full meal beforehand and bring snacks and water. Your call shift may last anywhere from a few hours to the next morning, but you are free to leave at any time. There's absolutely no shame in speaking up if you feel lightheaded, nauseous, or unwell. If you start to feel unwell while you are scrubbed in, simply back away slowly from the operating table and excuse yourself. You can break scrub, go out to the hallway, get a snack or drink, and return whenever you feel comfortable. The OR staff will thank you for speaking up because it helps maintain the sterile field and protects patient safety!

If any issues arise with sign-ups, scrub access, and/or scrub retrieval, please immediately contact Gibbon M1 reps Madeline Rosato (mcr010@students.jefferson.edu) and Juan Garcia (tzh4203@students.jefferson.edu).

Scrub Training Slides