One fellow is assigned to each clinic each day and sees all patients before or with the attending. Postoperative care, preoperative planning and new admissions are reviewed together and unusual cases or problem cases are presented to all the fellows and attendings present in the office at that particular time. Unusual or challenging cases are presented to the weekly division conference. The Microsurgical Laboratory is the first teaching and training ground for new fellows. Basic microsurgical skills are taught to them by an experienced laboratory director who reports directly to the program chairman on the fellows' performance.
Fellows are the first to see all patients, acute, routine and emergency.
They then present their findings, their diagnosis and recommended treatment to the attending and other members of the resident and fellow staff present. One fellow is appointed as chief fellow for three to six months and is responsible for the organization and running of daily rounds, the operative schedule and clinic coverage. Routine and complex cases are researched by the fellows from an historical and contemporary standpoint using the department library, the hospital library and computer access to the National Medical Library in Washington. This information is presented by the fellows to the department on rounds, at the weekly division meeting, and when appropriate serves to initiate publications and formal reports. Each attending continually monitors their activities in the clinic, on rounds, in the operating room and in the research laboratory.