Medical Student Externship
Welcome to the OU Health Anesthesiology Medical Student Externship! There are few departments in the nation that offer this type of program to medical students. It was developed to provide medical students an opportunity to gain more experience in the field of anesthesiology, interact with the residents and faculty one-on-one, and be financially compensated in the process.
The externship involves rotating evening shifts (starting at 1700) where students function as an anesthesia technician – helping to restock OR supplies, assisting with cases, and assembling hotline, airway, and arterial line kits. But the main advantage of the externship is the opportunity to spend quality time with the department of anesthesiology to gain insight into what the field encompasses and be involved in the ‘unscheduled OR action’ that takes place in the evening hours of a busy trauma center or high risk obstetric unit. Externs work in either the adult ORs, labor unit, or pediatric ORs during their shifts. The assigned shifts are flexible and our chief externs are able to accommodate for busier clinical rotations.
Most students who’ve worked as an extern and gone on to residency have noted the early advantage of knowing how to setup lines efficiently and effectively. It is also a hot topic for discussion during interviews!
Responsibilities of Externs:
Restock OR supplies
Setup airway management equipment
Assemble hotline tubing setup
Assemble arterial line tubing setup
Assemble PIV and artline kits
Assemble ‘airway bluetrays’ for emergency cases
Assist anesthesia team with cases
There are a limited number of extern positions, prioritized for 3rd and 4th year medical students interested in pursuing a career in anesthesiology. The hiring process is through OU Health Human Resources, with required credentialing paperwork and background checks. Hiring occurs quarterly throughout the year, with many students ending up on our waitlist.
If interested, please send the following info to our chief externs:
Kevin Ngo:
2024-2025 Chief Extern
kevin-ngo-1@ouhsc.edu
Chase Coley
2024-2025 Co-Chief Extern
chase-coley@ouhsc.edu
Include the following information in your email:
Name:
Graduation year:
Cell phone:
Email:
Date of Submission:
Briefly describe why you have chosen to apply for the Anesthesiology Externship:
Expectations you have of the Externship experience:
List any skills/experience, which would make you a valuable member of our team:
Medical Student Externship