Internal Medicine Residency Curriculum

All rotations within the Henry Ford Hospital Internal Medicine Residency are conducted under the direction of the Henry Ford Medical Group.

Internal Medicine residents and fellows provide valuable clinical services, and the reputation of Henry Ford's training programs allows the Henry Ford Medical Group to attract high-quality faculty with academic and clinical interests.

There are 22 weekdays (about 4 weeks) of paid time off per year. During your intern year, you have the option to take an additional 2 days off for Step 3 (USMLE or COMLEX). During your senior year, you can take an additional 5 days off for interviews.

First year (PGY1)

X+Y schedule: Nine 4-weeks inpatient rotations alternating with 2-weeks ambulatory blocks. Exposure to subspecialty floors.

Continuity clinic occurs during clinic blocks.
Ambulatory Blocks are divided into one week of continuity clinic and one week that includes one of the following:

• ESIM= Essential Skills in Internal Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Same day visits
• Neurology
• Addiction Medicine (integrated in longitudinal outpatient experience)
• Intern Medical ICU (iMICU)

Vacation time is allowed in the outpatient blocks (4 weeks with program director approval)

Second Year (PGY2)

Schedule consists of 13 blocks that are split into two- or four-week rotations

• Medical Intensive Care Unit: 2 blocks
• Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: 1 block
• Night Float: 7 weeks divided into three two-weeks rotations in addition to a one-week rotation paired with either vacation or elective time
• Emergency Medicine: 1 block
• General Medicine Consults: 1 block
• Pulmonary Wards: 0.5 block
• Hospitalist Wards: 1 block
• GOAT (Geriatrics, outreach, and ambulatory telemedicine): 0.5 block
• Procedures: 0.5 block
• Electives: 11 weeks

Continuity Clinic takes place over a standard two half-days per week on all rotations except Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), Night Float, and Hospitalist Wards.

Vacation time (4 weeks with program director approval) is taken as three weeks of scheduled vacation which are paired with fixed electives. The remaining days off are flexible and can be scheduled during elective months

Third Year (PGY3)

Schedule consists of 13 blocks that are split into two- or four-week rotations

• Medicine Wards: 5 blocks
• Medical Intensive Care Unit: 1.5 blocks
• Night Float: 7 weeks divided into three two-weeks rotations in addition to a one-week rotation paired with either vacation or elective time
• Point of Care Ultrasound: 0.5 block
• Electives: 4 blocks

Continuity Clinic takes place over a standard one half-day per week on Medicine Wards. Continuity Clinic takes place over a standard two half-days per week on Electives and Point of Care Ultrasound.

Didactics

Our didactic curriculum is a comprehensive program that covers all aspects of training, including dedicated inpatient and ambulatory topics with a focus on critical thinking and multidisciplinary approach. We have an engaged faculty group and we utilize many tools to engage different learning styles.

We have daily (Monday - Friday) noon conference from 12:15 to 1:00 PM. Lectures are given by faculty from multiple subspecialties covering high-yield board topics and topics critical to improving patient care.

Each month, two subspecialties (such as hematology and nephrology) are covered over two two-week blocks.. The current chiefs hold the floor phone for residents, so this time is truly protected for our learners.

We have morning case reports on Tuesday and Friday where our residents present a patient case to their colleagues and staff.

Role of the resident as teacher

Our residents are trained to teach during all rotations while they learn.  With help from faculty and chief residents, our residents gain skills and confidence in teaching patients at the bedside, peers and colleagues in both small and large groups, and interprofessional through rounding. Residents mentor and teach medical students on the GPUs, the ICUs and in clinic.

Residents have the opportunity during their second- and third-year to mentor interns to help develop and present a morning report.

High Impact Education Program (HIEE)

To help their role as a teacher, residents are encouraged to complete a dedicated curriculum focused on improving and developing their teaching skills. This program is grounded in adult learning theory and is taught by experts in education. After completion of the program residents will receive a certificate of completion.

Essential Skills in Internal Medicine (ESIM)

We have a dedicated curriculum early in your internship to help your transition from medical student to resident. This is an important rotation to develop some foundational skills important for your career.

Quality Improvement

Henry Ford Health System is a national leader in Quality Improvement (QI) and patient safety. We have a monthly Morbidity-Mortality and Improvement Conference (MMI), where we work through a patient case as a team to determine what changes can be made to improve patient care and prevent adverse events in the future.