There are many modalities by which learning is fostered.  Evidence-based medicine is at the core and residents have a variety of resources available for patient care and learning. All residents have access to the New England Journal of Medicine including their board review and rotation prep. 

Conferences

Thursday Morning Conferences are designed to offer an array of topics presented in the form of case-based conferences usually focused on inpatient topics. Chief residents coordinate the cases and frequently the resident rotating in the ICU will present a case with the attending. 

During case studies, family medicine residents develop presentation skills, which illustrate the diagnosis and management of common and unusual disease processes. Discussions of differential diagnoses, appropriate testing, and referral management provide an integrated approach to patient care.  

Grand Rounds are held virtually on Wednesdays and include prominent guest speakers discussing a broad spectrum of topics.   

Workshops 

Workshops are presented on specific skills vital to the practice of family medicine. Topics include motivational interviewing, suturing techniques, casting and splinting, joint injections, ACLS review, and the musculoskeletal exam. We do learning OSCEs and role playing to teach and evaluate clinical and supervisory skills. 

Residents have a lot of fun with these hands-on sessions. The sessions provide the opportunity to practice techniques in a safe, supportive environment while fostering cooperation and teamwork. 

Journal Club 

We have two types of journal article reviews. Residents review and complete the CME for the American Family Physician – a resident chooses and presents topics in conjunction with Dr. Jacobs. A focus is on topics related to clinical practice and board preparation. We also review journal articles and NEJM Journal Watch discussions – focusing on research methodology and evidence-based medicine to improve our clinical practice.  

Didactic afternoon sessions 

Every Tuesday afternoons are our didactic conferences where we can learn together. A mixture of topics presented by core faculty, outside speakers and residents are presented. We include wellness activities, workshops and group learning during this time. Dr. Spivak and the Chief residents ensure that the residents learning needs are being met in an organized and comprehensive manner. 

Research and Scholarly Activities 

Residents are expected to pursue scholarly activities. Many residents choose to do a quality improvement project as the focus of their work as this is directly applicable to clinical practice. We are fortunate to have the support and experience of our NYMC colleagues with Dr. Lowenfels an experienced researcher and Jeannette Arpile, the NYMC librarian. Additionally our faculty mentor residents working closely with the residents throughout the process of hypothesis formulation to presentation. Residents present their work at our hospital Grand Rounds, and various other venues such as New York Medical College (NYMC) Research Day, and the New Jersey Academy of Family Physician (NJAFP) Scientific Assembly. They have been consistently chosen as presenters at the NYMC Research day and have received the NJAFP award for poster presentation.