3.20: Stanford Hospitals and Clinics Surgical Procedures for Medical Students

A medical student must meet all of the following conditions and criteria in order to scrub and/or participate directly in a surgical procedure.

A.   Each Stanford medical student must:

  1. Complete the scrub training (as administered by the surgery core clerkship director and the Stanford OR Education Office)
    1. Initial training: Full course with knowledge test and scrubbing/gowning checklist.
      1. Red sticker for pre-clerkship students. Initial training valid for one year from training date.
      2. Green sticker for clerkship students.  Initial training valid for two years from training date.
    2. Clerkship students and Sub-Interns:
      1. If pre-clerkship trained (red sticker) Students will be required to complete an on-line course with medical knowledge test and scrub/gowning verification to convert to clerkship (green) certification.
    3. Students scrub training certification will require that this sticker be visible on their name badge
  2. Pre-clerkship students can only scrub with their faculty sponsor

B.    Visiting medical students:

  1. The Office of Medical Student Affairs must submit a list of visiting students on each specialty service to the OR Administration Office and the Goodman Surgical Education Center at least one month prior to the start of the rotation.
  2. Prior to being allowed entry and participation (scrubbing in on cases), all visiting students must complete a scrub and sterile procedure training with a knowledge and skills assessment to proficiency through the Goodman Surgical Education Center.
    1. Mandatory Scrub Training Video 
    2. Qualtrics Online Knowledge Test
    3. All visiting students must take the knowledge test prior to reporting for scrub training and score 100%.
      1. Multiple attempts are permitted
  3. On the first day of a student’s clerkship/sub-internship, they must report to the Goodman Surgical Education Center (H3552 third floor of the Stanford Hospital across from the F3 Ward) at 6:15 am.
    1. At that time, visiting students will be assessed on their OR attire, hand scrubbing, and sterile gowning and gloving technique. This may take until 8:15 am.
      1. If a visiting student does not pass the assessment, the Goodman Surgical Education Center will set up training and remediation for that student the end of that week.
    2. Visiting students who can provide a letter from their institution signed by the school of medicine official who oversees scrub training and sterile procedures can be exempted from the in-person assessment but not the video and knowledge test.
      1. For a student to be allowed an exemption on the in-person assessment, the letter must stipulate that the visiting student has undergone a training by OR personnel that includes:  Hand hygiene and scrubbing, sterile gowning and gloving, OR attire training, and an assessment of these skills to proficiency.
      2. These letters will be reviewed by the Goodman Surgical Education Center at the beginning of the 6:15am assessment on the first day of each rotation.
  4. The lists of names and documentation to attest meeting requirements to scrub received from each surgical division/department are kept with the Goodman Surgical Education Center. 
  5. Students may scrub and participate in surgical cases only if they has an OR-approved sticker affixed on the name badge as a proof that the student underwent appropriate training in aseptic techniques. 
  6. If a student’s name is not present on the list submitted by their respective surgical division/department, they will be denied presence in the OR and be dismissed until credentials are verified.

updated August 2023