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Primary Care Track Questions and Answers

 

1. How does the Primary Care schedule differ from the Categorical Residency?

	Primary Care	Categorical
Intern Ambulatory Months	4	3-4
Continuity Clinic Site	University Internal Medicine - Country Club Location	OPD (hospital clinic) or DHP (Downtown Health Plaza)
Ambulatory Self-Styled Rotation	2	No
Community-Based Outpatient General Medicine	Yes	No
Subspecialty Selective Months	3	5
Ambulatory Hematology/Oncology	Yes	Optional*
Primary Care Seminar Series	Yes	No
Primary Care and General Internal Medicine Faculty Joint Conference	Yes	No

*if space is available     

2. What's unique about the Primary Care Track? 
   
   • The Primary Care schedule allows greater flexibility and opportunities for self-styled rotations including community experiences
   • Monthly Primary Care Seminar addresses medical topics (e.g. Joint Examination and Injection Techniques); practice management (e.g. How to Evaluate a Practice) and other topics of interest (e.g. Personal Finances)
   • Unique outpatient blocks in subspecialty medicine and community general internal medicine
   • Monthly intern time out
   • Emphasis on psychosocial medicine and physician-patient communication
   • Individual mentoring
   • Monthly joint seminar with General Medicine faculty to discuss cases seen in outpatient practice and facilitate mentoring opportunities
   • Quarterly Journal Club with General Internal Medicine Faculty and Primary Care residents
   • Career counseling and Career Planning Binder :"Pathways to Primary Care Careers"
     
3. Does the Primary Care Program provide adequate training in subspecialty and inpatient medicine? 
   • The Primary Care Program nurtures the traditional strengths of internal medicine training in both subspecialty and inpatient medicine.  Our graduates are prepared for the practice of General Internal Medicine or for subspecialty fellowship training.
4. What's new in the Primary Care Program?
   
   • Instruction in ambulatory procedures
   • "Clinic Minute"- High Yield outpatient medicine curriculum taught during continuity clinic
   • All Primary Care track residents having continuity clinic in private practice setting
   • CLASS ( Core Learning Ambulatory Seminar Series) - interactive ½ day ambulatory seminar taught monthly during non-ward months
   • Preferential placement in community general internal medicine sites
   • Systems-based practice improvement projects
   • Ambulatory News Letter
5. Who should consider including the Primary Care Program on their Match list? 
   
   • A strong interest in General Internal Medicine - both ambulatory and inpatient
   • High likelihood of entering primary care practice while keeping options open for possible subspecialty fellowship
6. How should I list the Primary Care Program for the Match? 
   
   • If you are enthusiastic about the Primary Care Program, we recommend listing both the Primary Care and Categorical Programs (that increases the number of available slots from 5 to 31) ranking Primary Care above Categorical
   • If you are considering but not committed to General Internal Medicine, we recommend ranking the Categorical Program above Primary Care, but still rank both
   • If you want to be ranked in both Primary Care and Categorical tracks, call or email Betsy Burkleo (336-716-4490 or bburkleo@wakehealth.edu)