Career Development
Medical Education
Many General Internists pursue careers in Medical Education. Thus, we feel training as a medical educator is essential. Our primary care residents complete a rotation in Medical Education during their residency. The rotation offers teaching instruction from faculty trained in educational theory as well as direct teaching opportunities, including planning and leading morning report or intern report; direct teaching in medical student courses in physical examination and interviewing with faculty observation and feedback; independent educational projects (e.g. creation of learning materials for patients); didactics on educational topics; and attendance at administrative or educational meetings. As part of the Primary Care Core Curriculum sessions, our residents are exposed to additional medical education topics and also teach each other with prepared teaching sessions for their peers. Our Primary Care residents are eligible to apply to participate in the Medical Education Track.
Quality Improvement
Our robust QI Curriculum involves classroom, independent study, and hands-on project participation. A three-year QI didactic curriculum is delivered during the Ambulatory week didactic sessions. Each resident is expected to participate in a QI Project from the ambulatory, inpatient, or educational setting, including completing an A3 form with multiple PDSA cycles. Project posters are presented at the Annual Resident Poster Day. At the completion of their training, our residents are fully capable of leading Quality Improvement projects in their future area of practice. Primary Care Residents are encouraged to engage in ambulatory QI projects which include ACO Quality metrics and/or health care disparities. Additional Quality Improvement electives are available as well.
Mentorship
Our residents form strong and lasting relationships with numerous faculty mentors over the course of their training. They are paired with a primary clinic preceptor for the duration of their training. They are also placed in a Residency Learning Community (“Firm”) with categorical and primary care residents, where they will have the benefit of a longitudinal relationship with a Master Clinician Educator (MCE) and Associate Program Director (APD). Primary Care residents will each have a dedicated Primary Care Core Faculty mentor throughout their 3 years of training. We anticipate this relationship will focus on professional goals, personal well-being, and scholarship. Finally, primary care residents have at their disposal the expertise of all the faculty within the Division of General Internal Medicine who are all delighted to welcome this residency to their division.
Residents will receive regular guidance in developing and maintaining their curriculum vitae. They will also learn about different career paths that are possible in General Internal Medicine through career panels and special speakers.
Scholarship
We encourage our residents to participate in scholarly activity as part of their formation as physicians. Residents have attended and presented at the Society of General Internal Medicine regional and national conferences and are also required to present at our annual residency poster session. There are also opportunities to participate in conferences and events sponsored by the Worcester District Medical Society, the Massachusetts Medical Society and the American College of Physicians.
