Curriculum for Family Medicine Residency
Our program boasts a robust curriculum with experiences in inpatient, ambulatory, obstetric, and pediatric medicine. We have a busy hospital service, with an open-ICU. Residents work closely with specialists to care for hospitalized patients. We offer pediatric inpatient training in one of the nation’s premiere pediatric hospitals with Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit specialists readily available.
Our family medicine continuity clinics provide ample training in outpatient medicine. Geriatric continuity care is provided through routine home visits. Selected patient home visits are also performed throughout the year. Sixteen weeks of elective time allows residents to customize their training needs. Daily conferences and didactic presentations supplement the clinical curriculum.
Residents have the opportunity to enhance procedural skills through focused experiences in the ICU and gynecology clinics, as well as in rotations in gastroenterology, general surgery, sports medicine, and orthopedics. We also perform multiple office procedures in our family medicine clinic.
Safeguards are built in to encourage open and responsive communication among residents and faculty. Monthly meetings address resident issues, resident/faculty issues, and patient care issues. Advisors and mentors are always available to address issues as they arise. Patient care issues are discussed among residents in monthly Balint groups.
Our Curriculum
- Inpatient Medicine, 12 weeks
- Obstetrics, 8 weeks
- Inpatient Pediatrics, 8 weeks
- Orthopedics, 4 weeks
- Gynecology, 4 weeks
- Surgery, 4 weeks
- Night Float, 4 weeks (split in 2-week rotations)
- Newborn Nursery, 4 weeks
- Continuity Clinic, 1-2 half days/week
- Inpatient Medicine, 8 weeks
- Obstetrics, 8 weeks
- Pediatric ER, 4 weeks
- Adult ER, 4 weeks
- Cardiology, 4 weeks
- Practice Management, 2 weeks
- Dermatology, 4 weeks
- Night Float, 4 weeks (split in 2-week rotations)
- Newborn Nursery, 2 weeks
- Psychiatry, 2 weeks
- Podiatry, 2 weeks
- Elective, 6 weeks (split in 2-week rotations)
- Continuity Clinic, 2-3 half days/week
- Inpatient Medicine, 6 weeks
- General Outpatient Pediatrics, 4 weeks
- Specialty Outpatient Pediatrics, 4 weeks
- ICU/Pulmonary, 4 weeks
- Sports Medicine, 4 weeks
- Night Float, 2 weeks
- Nephrology, 2 weeks
- Gastroenterology, 2 weeks
- Geriatrics, 4 weeks
- Pain Management, 2 weeks
- Practice Management, 2 weeks
- Research Selective, 2 weeks
- Public Health, 2 weeks
- Ambulatory Medicine, 2 weeks
- Electives, 10 weeks
- Continuity Clinic, 3-4 half days/week
CHRISTUS Health values hands-on as well as didactic education. Our residents participate in daily dedicated teaching time totaling more than 300 hours per year. We use different modalities during our lecture time to cover a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to:
- General Lectures: Taught by residents and guest lecturers
- Morbidity & Mortality Conference: Led by a resident in conjunction with hospital Quality & Safety Committee
- Faculty-Led, Team-Based Learning
- Billing & Practice Management
- Health Policy
- Resident Wellness: Activities such as yoga & reflective writing
- Journal Club
- Workshops: Casting & Splinting, Joint Injections, Suturing, Ophthalmology Exam, and many more!
Our residents are trained in comprehensive inpatient and outpatient procedural skills with the opportunity to gain additional training if so desired.
Outpatient Procedures
Outpatient procedures are performed during regular continuity clinics, dedicated procedure clinics (8-10 half days/year per resident), and during specialty rotations.
Gynecologic: Pap smears, Colposcopy w/ cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage, Endometrial biopsy, Nexplanon removal, IUD, and Nexplanon insertion (performed on offsite gynecology rotation)
Musculoskeletal: Joint injection & aspiration (corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid) with and without ultrasound guidance, Casting & splinting
Dermatologic: Skin biopsies, Toenail removal, Ganglion cyst drainage, I&D of abscesses, Laceration repair, Removal/destruction of skin lesions
Other: Flexible laryngoscopy, newborn circumcision, colonoscopy (performed during GI rotation)
Inpatient Procedures
- Endotracheal intubation (adult and pediatric)
- Central line placement
- Lumbar puncture (adult and pediatric)
- Thoracentesis/chest tube placement
- Newborn circumcision
- Adult & pediatric resuscitation
Obstetrical Procedures
- Limited obstetrical ultrasound
- Biophysical Profile
- Non-stress test
- Placement of cervical ripening agents
- Fetal scalp electrode (FSE) placement
- Intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC) placement
- Vaginal delivery (spontaneous, vacuum-assisted, forceps assisted) Average 80-100/resident
- Cesarean section (acting as assisting and primary surgeons) Average 40/resident; Residents wishing to become competent as primary surgeons have the vast opportunity to do so
During residency training, one of the most overwhelming experiences can be the first time (or second or third!) you are involved in an emergent situation. We realize that our residents are more equipped to handle these high-stakes situations when they have practiced the procedural skills, communication, teamwork, and decision-making capacity necessary to run a code while in a less intense environment.
Our simulation labs allow our residents to participate in team-based learning activities focusing on the emergent care of pediatric, adult, and obstetrical patients. Our curriculum includes about eight half days of SIM lab training, but residents can always schedule more time with our models if they desire.
Global Program Information
Each year, two residents along with 1-2 faculty members travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for an integrative medical mission trip with Los Quijotes of San Antonio. The entire group includes Nursing, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Physical Therapy, Optometry, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, and Pharmacy. Residents not only have the opportunity to provide clinical care to patients but also are involved in the education of medical students from Mexico as well as patient education.
Cost to individual residents: Varies by rotation elective. Partial and complete funding is available for most rotations.
Number of residents participating in the past two years: Averages 2 annually
Faculty involvement: All rotation sites have on-site physician supervision. Residency faculty participate in several of the rotation trips.
Does the program accept medical students for trips? Yes
Does the program accept residents from outside the program for trips? No