Acting Internship-Transfusion Medicine

Catalog Description: The acting intern will function as an integral part of the Transfusion Medicine service. Responsibilities will go beyond that of the general medical student clerkship (LAMP 7184), and will align with the expectations and goals of pathology residents on this rotation. These enhanced responsibilities will include:

• Coverage of the daytime service pager. This will greatly enhance the acting intern's ability to function as an integral part of the health care team. These calls include interactions with laboratory staff as well as clinical teams.
• Primary responsibility to collect, evaluate, and present assessments of blood bank evaluation forms and transfusion reactions.
• Develop the skills to perform clinical consultations for apheresis patients, beginning with stem cell collections, and moving on to therapeutic apheresis procedures. Write consultation notes to document these interactions and activities.
• Write orders for upcoming apheresis procedures.
• Take 1 week of overnight call with a University of Minnesota Transfusion Medicine physician. Plan for this during week 3 or 4 of the acting internship.
• Seek out independent learning on transfusion medicine topics. Physical textbooks are available onsite; additional suggestions for online materials and resources can also be made available.

Sites:  

View site addresses by clicking on the site name below or visiting the site codes table.

Required session attendance: Daily Blood Bank Huddle call, Tuesday CP conference, LMP Grand Rounds (academic year only), option to join resident didactics, Coagulation Education Series, weekly Transfusion Breakfast Meeting, and weekly Transfusion didactic session

Typical weekly schedule/Delivery Mode:  M-F, 8:00am – 5:00pm. Students will also engage in one week of pager call.

Direct patient care: Yes

Consent Requirement: Arranged. Please submit a request to schedule using the form linked below.

LAMP Arranged Electives Form

Course Objectives:

1. Work with consultant physicians to ensure that blood components are used appropriately – balancing risk, benefit, and availability
2. Evaluate transfusions and transfusion requests that are out of established guidelines
3. Explain the clinical reasoning in the methods used to manage blood shortages (i.e. ABO and Rh+ switches)
4. Ensure appropriate recognition and management of transfusion adverse outcomes and document these findings in transfusion reaction work ups
5. Compare and contrast the clinical significance of blood antigens (i.e., ABO, Rh, Kell, Duffy, etc.) in transfusion or pregnancy
6. Explain the major aspects of administration of blood component therapy including storage, identification, pooling, and issuing
7. Summarize the uses of various blood components including red blood cells, platelet concentrates, apheresis platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate, and granulocytes
8. Assess the importance of the safety check prior to transfusion
9. Outline the basic concepts of various apheresis procedures and stem cell collection
10. Determine the appropriate indications for therapeutic apheresis and the appropriate replacement fluids to be used in various situations
11. Demonstrate proficiency in evaluating and preparing patients for therapeutic apheresis, including discussion with the patient of the risks and benefits associated with apheresis procedures
12. Communicate effectively with clinicians and housestaff regarding emergent or scheduled therapeutic apheresis procedures through conversations and writing of consult notes
13. Develop a treatment plan and write physician orders for apheresis procedures including appropriate selection of replacement solutions as applicable
14. Explain the basic principles of hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant from the perspectives of collection, processing, and storage/cryopreservation
15. Interpret the key components of coagulation testing to evaluate bleeding or thrombotic disorders

Graded Components:

• Regular and timely attendance at worksite and conferences as scheduled
• Participation in conferences and discussions
• Professionalism in interactions with transfusion faculty and staff as well as clinical teams
• Delivery of end of rotation presentation to faculty, residents, and staff
• Observation of clinical interactions with patients and evaluation of appropriate documentation (consult notes, transfusion reaction write-ups, etc.)
• Review of Transfusion Medicine quiz

Grading Scale: P/N

Allow repetition of course: Repetition not allowed

Course equivalency: Does not apply