Curriculum
The 4+2 Curriculum Model
Beginning in July 2013, our residency program moved to a “4+2” curriculum model. In this model, residents have their inpatient and outpatient rotations completely separated. Residents alternate between a 4-week block of inpatient care a 2-week block of clinic, consults, or elective with weekends off.
Intern Rotations
- Inpatient General Medicine- 3 months
- Subspecialty Inpatient Medicine (Hematology-Oncology and Cardiology)- 2 months
- Ambulatory Care- 3 months
- Medical ICU- 4-6 weeks
- Cardiac Intensive Care- 2-4 weeks
- Consults- 4-6 weeks
- Emergency Medicine- 2 weeks
- Vacation- 4 weeks
Senior Rotations
- Inpatient General Medicine- 2 months
- Subspecialty Inpatient Medicine (Hematology-Oncology and Cardiology)- 2 months
- Ambulatory Care- 3 months
- Medical ICU- 4-6 weeks
- Cardiac Intensive Care- 2-4 weeks
- Consults- 4-6 weeks
- Emergency Medicine- 0-2 weeks
- Vacation- 4 weeks
- Elective- 4-6 weeks
Ambulatory Medicine Highlights
- +2 structure: every 4 weeks of inpatient service are followed by 2 weeks of dedicated ambulatory time
- Residents are the primary care physician for your own panel of patients, not following an attending panel
- Panel of 30-50 patients as a PGY-1, 100-120 as a PGY-2 or 3
- On-site primary care clinic and urgent care clinic experience at UCM main campus in Hyde Park
- Dedicated RN and LPN to triage and respond to patient calls/messages
- Resident partner coverage while on inpatient and vacation
- Multi-year subspecialty clinic for career exploration/mentorship
- 2-4 half days/week protected for administrative tasks
- Dedicated primary care faculty mentor provides longitudinal teaching relationship throughout residency
- Weekends off with your firm/ambulatory social events
- LUCENT track for expanded primary care experience (link out to https://lucent.uchicago.edu)
- Multi-year ambulatory medicine educational series protected from clinic time
- ~10% of UCM residents go into primary care over the last 3 years
- See list of recent graduates who are primary care clinicians
Hands-On Learning
Simulation Center
Simulation-based training with state-of-the-art equipment to improve clinical skills, with specific sessions dedicated to ACLS, central lines, and mechanical ventilation.
Procedural Training
Abundant opportunities to develop skills in bedside procedures, including central lines, arterial lines, paracenteses, thoracenteses, and lumbar punctures.
Bedside Ultrasound
Focused curriculum on bedside cardiac and lung ultrasound, with easy access to IM-specific ultrasound machines to integrate into patient care.
Conferences
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Lunch provided daily!
Our conference formats evolve over time to adapt to changing learning styles:
- Resident-Led Case Discussions
- Chalk Talks
- Traditional Lectures
- Board Review
- Face Offs (2 attendings debate a controversial topic)
- Morbidity and Mortality Conferences (focus on quality improvement)
- Firm Meetings (discuss outpatient care, career planning)
- Town Halls (residency-wide forum on structure changes)