Residents are scheduled in the Family Medicine Center for care of their own panel of patients for one or two half-days per week during the first year, two or three half-days during the second year, and three or four half-days in the third year.  A ratio of at least one preceptor for every three to four residents in the clinic is maintained.  Emphasis is placed on clinical decision-making in the ambulatory setting.  Residents work beside attendings, physician assistants, and medical students as well as obstetric residents who rotate with The Department of Family and Community Medicine to gain experience in ambulatory medicine.

The patient population of the FMC is maintained to provide exposure to a diverse patient mix. A mix of managed care, fee for service and indigent populations, allows exposure to all payer types.  Special attention is made to maintain a geriatric population as well as a large pediatric population (with roughly 25% pediatric visits) to ensure exposure to all ages. Finally, a culturally and ethnically diverse population is served, including a rapidly expanding Hispanic population.

Call for the family medicine patients is the responsibility of the second- and third-year residents. Backup is provided directly by faculty attendings on a one-to-one basis.

Family medicine residents follow and deliver their own obstetric patients during their second and third years.  A block system limits the OB call to a total of six weeks divided between the two years.  Extra blocks are available for those who wish to practice OB.  Teaching and supervision is under the direction of Dr. Richard W. Lord, Jr, one of our Family Medicine faculty members. Dr. Lord, assisted by several of our OB-focused faculty, ensures that all residents have the opportunity to provide family-oriented obstetric care.

There is an ongoing noon conference schedule with two to three departmental conferences per week throughout the year.  One day each month all residents gather for a resident meeting and afternoon seminar.  This provides the opportunity for “regrouping” and shared intensive learning experience.  A thirty-minute peer support session with Behavioral Science and clinical faculty proceeds one clinic session per week during the first year. Extensive one-on-one monitoring of clinical work involves videotaping, closed-circuit TV and direct observation. Additionally, each new resident is assigned a faculty advisor for the three years of training.

A monthly resident-faculty lunch meeting offers a regularly structured opportunity to exchange ideas and information. Residents also play an active role on departmental committees such as residency selection, curriculum, library, and patient education.