Primary Care Track
The Primary Care Track is designed to train the next generation of leaders in primary care internal medicine. The inaugural class of the primary care track began July 2022.
The track provides meaningful training opportunities for our residents to practice and teach medicine in the ambulatory setting. Education combines clinical experiences with quality improvement, career development, focused didactics and hands-on workshops to prepare residents for careers in primary care medicine.
Educational Focus
The curriculum of the Primary Care Track is designed to provide knowledge, experience, and skills to enhance future practice as a primary care physician. While enrolled in the Primary Care Track, residents have enriching clinical experiences that provide extensive education on core ambulatory medicine topics and common procedural skills. Residents have the opportunity to explore differing models for primary care delivery and learn about healthcare economics. Primary care residents learn tenants of quality improvement and utilize these skills by participating in initiatives at continuity clinic sites. Residents will also receive 1:1 mentorship for personalized career development.
Program Structure
Components of the Primary Care Track include clinical electives, didactics, and career development. Multiple modalities, including online modules, didactics, small group sessions, and hands-on application will be used to solidify concepts taught.
Clinical electives include focused experiences in the PGY2 and PGY3 years rotating in clinics directly relevant to primary care including: home- based primary care, women’s health, outpatient palliative care, musculoskeletal health, urgent care and dermatology.
Education includes the Primary Care Immersion Block where all residents in the track are together for a focused 2-week curriculum in August of their PGY2 and PGY3 years. Residents participate in educational workshops each afternoon focused on high-yield primary care topics. Education includes online modules, lectures, and small group interactive sessions. The block also features procedural workshops to enhance skills in skin biopsy and suturing, joint injections, and long-term reversible contraception. Other skill development focuses on outpatient triage, inbox management, and inter-visit care. All primary care residents complete this elective simultaneously to foster community within the track.
Primary Care residents all participate in a quality improvement initiative at their continuity clinic site under the direct supervision of a faculty mentor. Projects will aim to improve care delivery and quality of care within the resident’s own continuity clinic panel, with an additional goal of abstract submission to a local or national conference by the end of residency. Funding is available for primary care residents to attend and present their scholarly work at conferences.
In order to best prepare residents for future careers in primary care, career development efforts are focused on exploring different models of primary care delivery and preparing residents for the job application process. Small group sessions focus on available academic and private job opportunities, creation, and revision of curriculum vitae and cover letters as well as mock interviews.
Primary Care residents will meet quarterly for community-building activities including social, philanthropic and advocacy events.
Application Process for Categorical Tracks
Prospective applicants for tracks (Global Health, Primary Care, and Hospital Medicine) should apply to the conventional categorical residency program (1732140C0) in the NRMP Match. Once you have joined our program, you will apply to the track of your choice during your PGY1 year. Track activities will begin during July of your PGY2 year.