The Role of a Subintern

Abstract

The purpose of the subinternship (some institutions may refer to this as Sub-I, acting intern, or AI) is to allow fourth year medical students to assume a greater role in the direct care of patients in IR. Taking on increased responsibility empowers medical students to more actively engage in the care of their patients, as well as to demonstrate their decision-making and patient management skills to the medical team. A subintern’s responsibility includes performing consultation, rounding on IR patients, pre-procedural workup and evaluation, understanding of relevant pathophysiology, assisting in procedures, and post-procedural and longitudinal care. The subinternship is an opportunity to spend time reading about and becoming familiar with expert-level anatomy, the various pathologies encountered and indications for intervention, as well as the vast array of tools that will be encountered on the back table. A subintern should maintain a professional attitude and espouse team work at all times. Included in the below chapters are a range of questions that provide only a sample of the breadth of knowledge and curiosity that should be sparked within the IR rotation.