Internal Medicine Residency Curriculum
The educational program of the Florida Atlantic University Internal Medicine Residency combines traditional didactic teaching with case-based learning, small group activities including journal club, and simulation scenarios. We believe that this combination of strategies encourages the development of life-long learning and critical thinking skills while covering the vast assortment of knowledge that must be mastered for patient care.
Education is a very important aspect of your training, so we protect Thursday afternoons for Academic Half Day (everyone except the admitting senior is excused from clinical duties). Additionally, we have added an Ambulatory Academic Half Day on Friday afternoons to do clinic didactics, journal club, geriatric modules, and more.
Didactic Teaching
Morning Report
Held twice a week, residents present an interesting case to their peers, medical students, and attending physicians. There is a specific focus on developing skills necessary for building a strong differential diagnosis, appropriate use of labs and imaging as well as strengthening clinical reasoning skills. After the presentation, the presenter discusses clinical pearls or other materials pertinent to the case such as new treatments or clinical trials. Faculty are present to facilitate discussion.
Educational Didactics
Formal lectures occur during our dedicated Academic Half Day on Thursday afternoons. These sessions will prepare residents for in-service and board exams as well as patient care by providing a comprehensive curriculum by organ system to allow dedicated focus on each of the core areas of internal medicine. Additionally, there are sessions focused on our research curriculum that fosters scholarly inquiry. Our hospital partners also provide sessions on patient safety and quality measures.
Medical Grand Rounds
Every Tuesday morning, Boca Raton Regional Hospital streams Grand Rounds via Zoom. These one-hour conferences highlight both attending physicians from our hospital system as well as visiting speakers from across the country.
Medical Emergencies Intern Lecture Series
This July educational series includes lectures by our chief residents and other senior residents. These didactics are designed to provide a strong foundation of basic knowledge and to build confidence among the new interns to face emergency situations as well as common scenarios.
Research Curriculum
With the assistance of Michael DeDonno, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education and Research Methodologies, our residents receive the guidance to understand the principles of research and to develop their own research projects. From the basics of project planning and statistical analysis to instruction on effective presentation skills and preparing projects for publication, our residents are provided with tools to be successful in their diverse scholarly activities. There are various research experiences (QI, Translational, Clinical) available to each PGY level to enhance their research proficiency.
Ambulatory Didactics
Core topics in outpatient medicine are reviewed each block using the internal medicine curriculum on PEAC. Residents have access to these online modules, working through the case-based questions and material about a core topic in ambulatory medicine. Senior residents then take the lead in reviewing the topic for the group with faculty facilitation.
Journal Clubs
Internal Medicine Journal Club
Recent impactful or sentinel literature is presented by residents in their continuity clinic small groups each week. The articles for discussion are chosen by the chief residents and program leadership and highlight both sentinel articles as well as pertinent literature related to clinical questions. Residents learn how to analyze the data and integrate this knowledge into daily practice.
Critical Care Journal Club
Held monthly, this conference consists of appraisal of an article pertinent to critical care by junior residents under the guidance of one of our intensivists. Residents from the surgery residency also participate in this conference.
Simulation Training
Our residents receive training in medical care and invasive procedures through simulation. The Schmidt College of Medicine Clinical Skills Simulation Center has mannequins, task trainers, and a well-trained staff to help trainees learn in a safe environment. These practice sessions simulate a range of scenarios including heart sounds/EKG interpretation, interviewing/counselling of patients, rapid responses, codes, as well as a variety of procedures.
Quality Improvement
At least twice a year, our residency program reviews cases in conjunction with the emergency medicine residency program as part of a combined QI conference. This conference allows our two residency programs to jointly learn from complicated cases that passed through both of our departments.
Additionally, all residents during the PGY2 year rotate through a Quality Improvement/Patient Safety (QIPS) rotation. This allows them to review assigned IHI modules in order to give a foundation for quality improvement and patient safety as well as participate in a variety of Performance Improvement/ Quality Improvement and administrative committees at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Bethesda Hospital East.
Residents are also required to have at least one QI project during residency. This is often done in teams (often in the continuity clinic groups) with residents developing the question, designing the project, and carrying it through to completion.
Humanities Curriculum
In this recurring educational series, Dr. Gundersen, the fellowship director for Hospice and Palliative Medicine, leads a discussion focusing on critical reflection of topics in healthcare to foster skills such as empathy, observation, self-care, connectivity, and teamwork