4th Year Medical Student Rotation: Pain Relief in Childbirth
About Our Rotation in Childbirth Pain Relief
The goal of this rotation is to introduce the theory and practice of pain relief during childbirth and the medical management of high risk obstetrical patients. Emphasis will be placed on the interaction between obstetric anesthetic techniques and maternal/fetal physiology.
Learning Objectives
During the rotation, the student will gain an understanding of:
- The theory and clinical application of various options for labor analgesia, including parenteral narcotics, intravenous narcotics, epidural and combined spinal-epidural analgesia
- The acute changes in maternal physiology that occur during labor and delivery and how those changes may affect the parturient
- The theory and clinical practice of anesthesia for cesarean delivery, including regional anesthesia and general anesthesia
- The options for post-cesarean pain relief
- The complications of labor analgesia and anesthesia
- How to differentiate anesthetic from obstetric complications
- The process of birth of the neonate, with emphasis on the transition from fetal to neonatal circulation
Activities
The student will participate in activities in both the clinical and non-clinical settings.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
|
Clinical |
The student will work closely with the obstetric anesthesia team in the daily activities, including providing analgesia for labor and anesthesia for cesarean delivery. He/she will:
Overnight and weekend call is optional at the discretion of the student. |
|
Non-clinical |
The student will attend daily lectures on either obstetric or general anesthesia. He/she is expected to take part in discussions after thorough literature reviews. |
Evaluation
The student will be observed and evaluated daily. In addition, feedback will be provided at the end of the rotation.