Curriculum

Overview

Our curriculum is designed to provide each resident with a broad range of learning experiences in a variety of teaching venues in inpatient and ambulatory settings. We hope to provide the means necessary for our trainees to acquire the medical knowledge, clinical skills/judgment, professional attitudes, humanistic qualities and interpersonal skills to achieve this goal. Emphasis is on the resident as a primary care physician. Residents are given extensive first contact experience with patients with a diverse array of medical illness. On the inpatient wards, residents are directly responsible for patient care. The program is designed to provide a system of graded responsibility for residents as they progress through their residency. The role of the attending is that of education, mentoring and supervision, ensuring patient safety and evidence-based medical care.   

The curriculum contains competency-based goals and objectives for each assignment at each educational level where appropriate. By more clearly defining the competencies, the curriculum provides a clearly structured learning experience throughout the residency. In addition, teaching methods, mix of diseases, patient characteristics and types of clinical encounters are described for each rotation.

Formative feedback and summative evaluation are critical elements of learning. The core competencies for each rotation have been incorporated directly into the resident evaluation program for every rotation. 

The curriculum is structured to provide each resident with a series of learning opportunities in a variety of venues, following a competency based curriculum. The curriculum incorporates the six general competencies which have been outlined by the ACGME. In addition, the curriculum includes formalized instruction of components of these general competencies as well in the form of lectures and self-directed reading and computer based instruction. These competencies are categorized as follows:
 

1)   Patient care

2)   Medical knowledge 

3)   Practice based learning and improvement

4)   Interpersonal and communication skills

5)   Professionalism

6)   Systems-based practice

Each resident is expected to demonstrate scholarly activity, i.e. preparing various conferences, including Morbidity and Mortality conference, participating in clinical research, etc. Residents also develop teaching skills by interacting with medical students and students from other paramedical disciplines during their rotations.

Protected Educational Conference Time

·               Daily Morning Report Conference

o        Overnight in-patient case presentations

o        Multiple subspecialty and ambulatory case presentations

o        Monthly board review prep exam based on required rotations 

·               Noon Didactic Conferences

o        Full didactic faculty presentations

o        Resident presented case conferences

o        Monthly evidence based journal club

o        Monthly ICU case conferences

o        Research didactic lectures and project updates

·             Grand Rounds

o        Presentations by faculty and visiting professors - various CME level programs held weekly

o        M&M Conferences

·             Teaching Rounds

o        Weekly scheduled rounds with a faculty member with all residents assigned to inpatient services