Elective Rotations

Overview

We offer a variety of elective rotations to help meet your training requirements and career goals.

During your first year of residency, you will have continuity clinic for 1 week of every outpatient block. The second week of your outpatient block will include rotations: neurology, essential skills in internal medicine (ESIM), same day clinic, and other electives (such as palliative, rheumatology, endocrinology).

During your second and third year of residency, you have the opportunity to tailor your schedule to help meet your career goals. In addition, there are some required electives including rheumatology, endocrinology, general medicine consults, and a clinic block elective (Ambulatory Outreach and Telemedicine).

Below we have divided the electives based on year of training and potential career interest. If you are not sure what type of career you are interested in pursuing- that’s okay! Your exposure to multiple subspecialties during your first year will help to guide you.

In addition to the electives listed below, we allow for 2 research months to be taken during your second and third year of training.

First year electives:

Ambulatory clinic block (Patient Centered Team Care): As an immersion experience in the principles of ambulatory medicine in the setting of a Patient Centered Medical Home, this rotation focuses on in-depth essential skills in ambulatory general medicine, management of chronic disease states, and learning the different team member roles (nurses, medical assistants, case managers, and pharmacists) and how a patient navigates within the Patient Centered Medical Home.

Same Day Clinic: This is an ambulatory experience where your clinic appointments will be opened the same day to allow for increased resident exposure to acute outpatient complaints.

Essential skills in internal medicine (ESIM): This 1-week rotation, completed early in the internship year, focuses on obtaining procedural skills in our state-of-the-art simulation center to practice on models and gain familiarity with equipment. You also will have POCUS training during this time.

Longitudinal Skills Curriculum: Topics addressed include fundamental communication skills, quality improvement, and research. You will go through a variety of workshops that are interwoven in your intern schedule to give you the confidence to communicate with your patients when it comes to breaking bad news, error disclosure, and hand-offs. You will be exposed to a comprehensive evidence-based medicine and quality improvement curriculum. Many of these sessions will take place during your outpatient blocks.

Neurology: During the Neurology consultative elective, internal medicine residents will learn basic clinical neurology while providing aid to consulting services. Residents will learn anatomy, physiology, clinical presentation, and management of common nervous system disorders, and gain confidence in performing a neurological exam on patients.

Required Second and Third year electives:

General medicine consults: Inpatient gastrointestinal consults are combined with outpatient management and exposure to scopes. Common conditions include peptic ulcer disease, hepatobiliary disease, liver transplantation, and diverticular diseases. Various endoscopic procedures are also done.

Rheumatology: Not often encountered in the inpatient service, this month-long outpatient rotation offers exposure to diagnosis and treatment of connective tissue disorders.

Endocrinology: Mostly outpatient with some inpatient consultation exposure. This will give you confidence in diagnosis and management of diabetes, thyroid disease, pituitary disease, metabolic bone disease.

Ambulatory Outreach and Telemedicine (AOT): This is a 2-week clinic block rotation that consists of all virtual visits and outreaching to patients to help improve cancer screening and chronic disease management.

Optional Electives: (divided by subspecialty interest)

Research month: We encourage our residents to take research months during their second and third year. This month will allow 4 weeks of dedicated research time, with the only clinical responsibility being continuity clinic (1 day per week).

Cardiology interest: In addition to exposure during inpatient floors and the CICU, you have the option to take the following electives:

• Cardiology consults
• Cardiology electrophysiology
• Heart failure service
• Anesthesiology

Gastroenterology clinic/consults: Inpatient gastrointestinal consults are combined with outpatient management and exposure to scopes. Common conditions include peptic ulcer disease, hepatobiliary disease, liver transplantation, and diverticular diseases. Various endoscopic procedures are also done.

Gastroenterology interest: In addition to the gastroenterology rotation as well as exposure to GI during your inpatient general medicine floor rotations, you have the option to take the following electives:

• Hepatology clinic

Hematology/oncology interest: In addition to exposure during inpatient floors, you have the option to take the following electives:

• Hematology consults
• Oncology clinic
• Blood bank

Pulmonary/Critical Care interest: In addition to exposure during your 3 MICU months, you have the option to take the following electives:

• Pulmonary clinic
• Anesthesiology
• Palliative medicine consults
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Sleep medicine

General internal medicine interest: In addition to your continuity clinic and 2 clinic block rotations, you have the option to take the following electives:

• Allergy/immunology
• Dermatology
• Sports medicine
• Gynecology
• General Medicine Subspecialty Exposure Elective
• Infectious disease clinic/ HIV clinic
• Pulmonary clinic

Other electives:

• Infectious disease consults
• Nephrology consults
• Renal transplant service
• Transplant infectious diseases
• Tropical medicine