Structured Learning

Didactics Program

Our didactics program is shared with the Detroit Medical Center and Trinity Health Ann Arbor HPM Fellowship Programs. It is a weekly program with 2 hours of protected time. Core HPM topics are emphasized in July and August to provide a strong fundamental knowledge base. This is expanded upon in subsequent months as the program draws from the wealth of expertise within our own faculty, Henry Ford Health, Detroit Medical Center, Trinity Health, and the greater Metro-Detroit region to provide an exemplary learning experience. Fellows directly participate in the didactics curriculum by creating and presenting several talks including a journal club, complex case presentation, mortality and morbidity conference and a HPM topic presentation.

Included in our didactics program is a quarterly HPM advanced topic lecture series which is designed from the collaborative effort of our program and the DMC, Trinity Health – Ann Arbor, and Michigan Medicine HPM fellowship programs.

Communication Curriculum

Fellows participate in the CLEAR Conversations program. This is an evidence-based, structured, communication skills curriculum which was developed at Henry Ford with roots in the national VitalTalk organization. This program utilizes an experiential learning model incorporating highly skilled improvisational actors and trained facilitators to create a safe environment for fellows to practice new skills. The CLEAR Conversations program includes multiple workshops addressing several communication skills including facilitating goals of care conversations, navigating conflict, discussing opioid misuse, and how to teach communication skills in real-time.

High Impact Education Endorsement

Fellows have the option of participating in the High Impact Education Endorsement (HIEE) faculty development program. This program teaches best instructional methods for faculty and trainees preparing for faculty positions. Grounded in adult learning theory and research, the program promotes innovative, collaborative, and equitable practices to create lifelong learners and leaders in medical education. This program involves participation in five in-person workshops covering topics including giving and receiving feedback, instructional practices, cultural humility and safe learning, clinical teaching, and dynamic leadership.

National and Regional Meetings

Fellows have protected time and financial support to attend the Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Fellows may also attend other local, regional, or national conferences depending on interest and on a case-by-case basis.