Curriculum

As a resident in our program you'll become an active participant in your own education and learn to:

  • Refine your data gathering skills.
  • Provide excellent patient care.
  • Hone your clinical judgment.

Customized rotations are often possible in order to help residents achieve their professional goals.

PGY-1 Schedule

Total: 13 Blocks
Rotation 4-Week Blocks Call? Vacation Permitted Continuity Clinic Half Days/Block Bonus Continuity Clinics
Ambulatory Medicine - WMed Clinic 1 No No 4 8
Critical Care 2 Yes No 0 0
Electives 4 Yes Yes 3-4 0
Emergency Medicine 1 No Yes 3-4 0
General Ward Medicine 4 Yes No 4 0
Infectious Diseases 1 Yes Yes 3-4 0

PGY-2 Schedule

Total: 13 Blocks
Rotation 4-Week Blocks Call? Vacation Permitted Continuity Clinic Half Days/Block Bonus Continuity Clinics
Academic Nights - Borgess 1 No No 0 0
Ambulatory Medicine - VA 1 No Yes 3-4 0
Critical Care 2 Yes No 0 0
Electives 4 Yes Yes 3-4 0
General Ward Medicine 2 No No 4 0
VA Selective 1 Yes Yes 3-4 0
Infectious Diseases 1 Yes Yes 3-4 0
Palliative Medicine 1 Yes Yes 3-4 0

PGY-3 Schedule

Total: 13 Blocks
Rotation 4-Week Blocks Call? Vacation Permitted Continuity Clinic Half Days/Block Bonus Continuity Clinics
Academic/Ambulatory Medicine 3-4 Yes No 2 2
Academic Nights - Bronson 1 No No 0 0
Ambulatory Medicine - VA 1 No Yes 3-4 0
Critical Care 1 Yes No 0 0
Electives 4 Yes Yes 3-4 0
Scholarly Activity/CPC 1 Yes Yes 3-4 0
 
Essential Services Selective 1 Yes No  
  • Academic Medicine
  • Academic Nights
  • Ambulatory Medicine
  • Critical Care
2 0
0 0
4 0
0 0


There are no continuity clinics assigned when a resident is on an away rotation (national or international), or on a critical care rotation. Additionally, there is a longitudinal geriatric curriculum throughout the three years of residency.

Outpatient & Inpatient Rotations & Procedures

Together, we believe that experience in outpatient and inpatient settings helps our residents gain a well-rounded understanding of the disease process. At least 30 percent of our residents’ training is in ambulatory and outpatient continuity settings, where they learn how to diagnose and treat patients over time. Inpatient rotations focus on learning critical diagnostic management issues in an isolated time frame.

Foundations of Clinical Medicine

During the first eight weeks of residency, our first-year Internal Medicine and Med-Peds residents participate in Foundations of Clinical Medicine. The seven four-hour workshops, which began at the medical school in the summer of 2015, give new interns the chance to develop and hone the basic diagnostic and procedural skills they will use during residency. Faculty and senior residents from Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics, as well as community physicians, assist in teaching the workshops. Senior residents are in sessions for board review and preparation for practice while the interns are in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine Course. The last week ends with an all-day retreat for interns and seniors with faculty and staff.

Point of Care Ultrasonography Course

The Point of Care Ultrasonography Course is taught during our Simulation days throughout the year giving the residents a solid foundation in POCUS – heart, lungs, abdomen, urinary and vascular ultrasound. In addition, for those who want a broader education in POCUS there is an evening course that is offered for faculty and residents. POCUS consists of a blend of online and in-person instruction. The course includes reading, videos, ultrasound lab sessions, and group practice labs. The ultrasound lab resources include 10 ultrasound machines (five GE Venue 50 machines, one GE NexGen LOGIQ e ultrasound, two Butterfly IQ machines and four sonosite titans), two Sonosim case simulators and unlimited scanning time. Covered topics include: ultrasound physics, abdominal ultrasound, lungs and pleura, echocardiography, musculoskeletal, thyroid, carotids, lymph nodes, ocular, venous, skin, soft tissue, breast, gynecologic, testicular, and pediatric ultrasound and optional modules on obstetrical ultrasound, ultrasound in global health/tropical medicine, billing and legal issues. Those who complete the entire course and pass the knowledge and practical exams will receive a certificate of completion. CME credit is available for enrolled faculty.

Research

The Internal Medicine residency curriculum includes the principles of research design, methodology, biostatistics and analysis, and the ethical principles of clinical and translational research. Our faculty provide research mentorship with a wide variety of interests in the discipline, and also collaborate with faculty in other departments and programs. Most resident projects are presented at the annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day, which is the annual research day for the medical school. Many resident projects are also presented at other prestigious regional and national venues, and are published in peer-reviewed journals.

Residents' rotations include:

  • Outpatient rotations involving continuity and ambulatory months with WMed faculty, as well as subspecialty rotations in offices and clinics.
  • Abundant opportunities to develop ambulatory skills and procedural competence.
  • Hands-on experience with several procedures, including cardiac stress tests, point of care ultrasound echocardiography, EKG interpretation, joint arthrocentesis, office gynecology, office orthopaedics/sports medicine, office spirometry, osteopathic manipulative medicine, and skin biopsy.
  • Inpatient rotations with direct patient care responsibility.
  • Daily rounds focused on discussions of patient care plans with senior residents, as well as attending physicians. Formal and informal bedside teaching rounds occur daily.
  • Inpatient procedural experiences such as arterial line placement, chest tube placement, endotracheal intubation, lumbar punctures, paracentesis, thoracentesis, and ultrasound guided central line.

Didactics

Conference Per Week Per Month Description
Block Conference 1   A half-day conference. Lectures covering all Internal Medicine disciplines. Subspecialties lecture, as well as instruct residents in hand-on demonstrations, e.g., central line insertions.
Board Review   1 Based on MKSAP. A comprehensive review of all Internal Medicine subspecialties.
Clinical Pathological Conference (CPC)   1-2 Cases presented in a style similar to the NEJM. Residents study assigned cases and defend their diagnoses to faculty. CPCs emphasize the learning process rather than errors or omissions.
Grand Rounds   4-5 Didactic lecture series that includes nationally known speakers.
Journal Club   1 A structured, case-based literature review presented during Morning Report.
Morbidity and Mortality   1 Interactive conferences reviewing autopsy, biopsy and/or surgical pathology cases. Involves all medicine disciplines. Educational focus is positive (learning from previous cases) rather than negative (pointing out errors).
Morning Report 4   Interactive, case-based conferences presented by senior residents.
Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM)   1 Required for residents in osteopathic recognition, but available to all residents. Training sessions are provided in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).
Simulation Day   1

A half day conference held in the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus Simulation Lab. Sessions include procedural practice, case discussions, and physical diagnosis.