The curriculum of the Primary Care Track allows for the residents to spend expanded periods of time in ambulatory practice while still receiving rigorous training in inpatient medicine. Primary Care residents are responsible for providing primary care for their panel of patients in collaboration with other team members.
The curriculum was developed by the following guiding principles:
- Primary care general internists must be well trained in all areas of internal medicine.
- The clinical practice of ambulatory general medicine needs to be learned in real-world settings with progressive responsibility, graduated autonomy, and expert coaching.
- The vast knowledge base of internal medicine allows both generalists and medical specialists to gain proficiency in managing patients with complex and chronic disease states.
- Training in general internal medicine demands lifelong learning and dedication to excellence in clinical practice, education, and research.
The overall structure of our Primary Care Track is as follows:
PGY 1
- Traditional schedule (similar to categorical medicine program)
- 8 month inpatient + 2 month outpatient (one month ambulatory, one month elective)
- Continuity clinic: 1 half-day per week at VAMC
- 2 week Primary Care immersion rotation to ambulatory medicine and continuity clinic, starting on July 1
- Introduction of primary care curriculum
PGY 2
- “4+4” block schedule (alternating inpatient and outpatient rotation)
- 6 months outpatient (ambulatory + outpatient elective)
- Continuity clinics (total 3 half-days per week, no clinics during inpatient rotations):
- Primary Care clinics: 2 half-days per week at VAMC
- Second site community based clinic: 1 half-day per week of resident choice
- 3-month longitudinal subspecialty clinic
- Continuation of primary care curriculum
PGY 3
- “4+4” block schedule (alternating inpatient and outpatient rotation)
- 6-7 months outpatient (ambulatory + outpatient elective)
- Continuity clinics (total 4 half-days per week, no clinics during inpatient rotations):
- Primary Care clinics: 2 half-days per week at VAMC
- Second site community based clinic: 1 half-day per week of resident choice
- Longitudinal specialized clinic of interest: 1 half-day per week
- 3-month longitudinal subspecialty clinic
- Continuation of primary care curriculum