PGY-1 Rotation Schedule Description

  
FAMILY MEDICINE (3 months)
During the course of three months on the Family Medicine (FM) wards at The University of Arizona Medical Center - South Campus, residents are expected to develop their skills in treating a wide variety of medical problems.  The Resident will be a member of a team of medical students, FM interns, a FM resident, and a FM attending.  The FM rotation is divided into a two month outpatient clinic experience and an inpatient ward experience.  Assessment of the resident is by the senior resident and attending.  The Residency Education Director solicits written feedback from appropriate residents and attendings at the end of each one-month block at The University of Arizona Medical Center - South Campus.  

On the Family Medicine wards, physicians treat a wide variety of common and complex medical problems in individuals who range from ages 18 to over 90.  The resident is expected to complete the initial evaluation of a patient and be the person primarily responsible for patient management under the supervision of the senior resident and attending.  A medical team rounds six days a week.  Average caseloads consist of about 6 – 8 patients at any given time during the rotation.

All supervision is provided by faculty from the Department of Family Medicine.  The resident is expected to attend medical conferences and Family Medicine grand rounds, and any other medical conferences the FM residents attend during their rotation.  In addition, Psychiatry residents are expected to come to the lunch meetings with the Psychiatry Residency Education Director, Psychiatry seminars, and Psychiatry Ground Rounds, if at all possible.

Night call is in-house every fifth night with the Family Medicine service.

EMERGENCY MEDICINE (1 month)

During this month-long rotation, residents are expected to develop their skills in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of acute medical problems.  The resident is a member of a team that typically includes medical students, emergency department interns, emergency department senior residents, and an emergency department attending.  The resident is primarily assessed by the emergency department attending.  Residents spend about 40 hours each week assessing patients for both acute and long-term substance abuse treatment. They meet daily with the rotation’s supervisor and are monitored by numerous other treatment team members throughout the duration of the experience.

Residents are generally assigned to care for six patients on the acute detoxification service, though the number of patients followed by the resident can reach eight depending on the census of the inpatient unit. Residents are also involved in outpatient treatment services, including the co-facilitation of substance abuse groups, and assist with general counseling for patients involved in the program. As noted above, the rotation coordinator directly supervises residents, and provides both clinical information regarding patient management and educational, and theoretical discussions about topics in the subspecialty area of substance abuse.

Residents are supervised daily by the attending assigned to the Substance Abuse service, and the resident has additional supervision from other attending psychiatrists at the VA. Residents are also responsible for attending patient group meetings and facilitating some of the group discussions.

Residents are assigned in-house call based at The University of Arizona Medical Center - South Campus. Generally, PGY-I residents have six call nights each month, PGY-II residents have five call nights each month, and PGY-III residents have four call nights each month. PGY-IV residents are not assigned call. Residents assess and evaluate patients in the Emergency Department, cover the Inpatient units, and assume the duties of the Consult/Liaison resident between the hours of 1700 and 0700. These residents have attending back up via phone, and a jeopardy system is in place should a resident be unable to complete or participate in their call duties.