Curriculum and Call

Our program prepares family physicians to possess the training and expertise they need to provide definitive care for the vast majority of patients they will see in their practice and adapt to the leadership roles that will be part of their future practice in the community.

Rotations and electives
View rotations below for each year of residency, longitudinal curriculum, and electives.

Procedures
Residents learn clinic office procedures and hospital procedures.

Moonlighting
Numerous moonlighting activities are available for second- and third-year residents.

Global Health
Opportunities include international and global-local electives, courses, seminars, conferences, and fellowship.

Programmatic courses
The department sponsors several required and optional one- to two-day programmatic courses. Topics include women's health, sports and musculoskeletal medicine, community health, and more.

Call
View information below on shift call, in-hospital call, and family medicine service call.

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Residents As Teachers

Family medicine residents are directly responsible for a portion of medical student clinical education during clinical experiences and clerkships.

Medical education features a closely connected cycle of teaching, learning, and progressive responsibilities; senior learners teach junior learners, and all learners are involved in ongoing professional and personal development.

Residents of the eight University of Minnesota family medicine residency programs have many responsibilities, including that of supervisors and educators. Most medical students encounter family medicine residents as teachers during the Family Medicine Clerkship. Therefore, residents receive instruction about clerkship/rotation goals and objectives as well as training in teaching methods.

Resources

Resources are available to aid residents in development as teachers.

  • Residents Teaching Students: Developed by family medicine medical student education director David Power, MBBS, MPH, and colleagues, it provides an overview of several teaching strategies. One of these is a common teaching method used by both residents and faculty, known as the One Minute Preceptor.
  • Faculty advisors and residency directors also can connect residents with resources to enhance teaching abilities.

First-year rotations

First-year residents will spend most rotations at the St. Cloud Hospital. You will see your own patients 1-2 half days per week at the CentraCare Family Health Clinic. Orientation typically begins mid-June.

  • Adult Medicine — 2 weeks
  • Community Medicine — 1 week
  • Critical Care — 4 weeks
  • Emergency Medicine — 4 weeks
  • Family Medicine - Inpatient — 12 weeks
  • Maternity Care — 5 weeks
  • Night Float — 6 weeks
  • Orthopedics/Sports Medicine - St. Cloud — 2 weeks
  • Pediatrics - Inpatient — 6 weeks
  • Pediatrics - Newborn Nursery — 2 weeks
  • Radiology — 2 weeks
  • Surgery — 6 weeks

Second-year rotations

Second-year residents will spend most rotations with subspecialists in St. Cloud. You will see your own patients 2-4 half days per week at the CentraCare Family Health Clinic. You will also spend one month in a rural family medicine practice, spending time in the clinic, hospital, and emergency room. This rotation provides an in-depth exposure to rural practice. There are many sites within commuting distance from St. Cloud, but some residents choose to do this rotation even farther away, sometimes to check out a potential future practice site.

Addiction Medicine – 1 week
Adult Medicine – 2 weeks
Cardiology – 2 weeks
Dermatology – 2 weeks
Elective – 8 weeks
Endocrinology – 2 weeks
Family Medicine Inpatient – 5 weeks
Geriatrics – 4 weeks
Maternity Care – 2 weeks
Night Float – 3 weeks
Orthopedics/Sports Medicine – 4 weeks
Pediatrics – Emergency Care – 2 weeks
Pediatrics – Inpatient – 2 weeks
Pediatrics – Outpatient – 4 weeks
Psychiatry – 2 weeks
Research – 1 weeks
Rural Family Medicine – 4 weeks
Women’s Health – 2 weeks

Third-Year Rotations

Third-year residents will spend most rotations with subspecialists in St. Cloud. You will see your own patients 3-5 half days per week at the CentraCare Family Health Clinic. You will also spend one month in a rural family medicine practice, spending time in the clinic, hospital, and emergency room. This rotation provides an in-depth exposure to rural practice. There are many sites within commuting distance from St. Cloud, but some residents choose to do this rotation even farther away, sometimes to check out a potential future practice site.

Dermatology – 2 weeks
Elective – 12 weeks
Emergency Medicine – 4 weeks
Family Medicine Inpatient – 4 weeks
Family Medicine Outpatient – 4 weeks
Maternity Care – 2 weeks
Nephrology – 2 weeks
Neurology – 2 weeks
Night Float – 3 weeks
Orthopedics/Sports Medicine – 2 weeks
Otolaryngology – 2 weeks
Pediatrics – Outpatient – 2 weeks
Rheumatology – 1 week
Rural Family Medicine – 4 weeks
Urgent Care – 2 weeks
Urology – 2 weeks
Women’s Health – 2 weeks

Longitudinal Experiences

Our longitudinal experiences include the following:

  • Continuity of patient care
  • Daily noon conferences
  • Curriculum includes:
    • Community Medicine
    • Ethics
    • Human Behavior & Psychiatry
    • Practice Management
    • Medication assisted therapy (MAT)
    • Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)
    • Point of care ultrasound (POCUS)

Procedural Skills and Certifications

Procedures

You will have the opportunity to learn:

  • Arthrocentesis
  • Casting and Splinting
  • Circumcision
  • Colposcopy
  • Cryotherapy
  • Endometrial Biopsy
  • Exercise Stress Testing
  • Fetal Monitoring
  • Incision and Drainage of Abscesses
  • Lumbar Puncture
  • Office Obstetrical Ultrasound & Point of Care Ultrasound
  • SIM Lab
  • Skin Biopsy/Lesion Excision
  • Surgical Assisting
  • Suturing/Laceration Repair
  • Vaginal Delivery, both assisted and spontaneous

Certifications

Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is required prior to entering residency. Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification will be done during residency. Certification in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) is also available, if desired.

 

Moonlighting Activities

Moonlighting is permitted for fully licensed residents, provided it does not interfere with your education or resident duty hour regulations.

Call

Night Float Rotation

  • Provides overnight coverage of our hospital service Sunday through Thursday night
  • PGY-1 residents: 6 weeks of night float throughout the academic year
  • PGY-2 & PGY-3 residents: 3 weeks of night float through the academic year

OB Coverage

  • Provides 12 hour coverage of Family Birthing Center on Saturdays
  • All residents cover 2 to 3 Saturdays per academic year

Friday Coverage:
PGY-2s and PGY-3s cover 5 Friday 24-hour shifts throughout the academic year

Saturdays:
PGY-1s cover a 24 hour shift about 9 times per academic year
PGY-2s and PGY-3s cover a 24-hour shift, supervising PGY-1s about 2 times per academic year

Sundays:
PGY-1s cover a 12 hour shift about 9 times per academic year
PGY-2s and PGY-3s cover a 12 hour shift, supervising PGY-1s about 2 times per academic year

Home Call:
Weeknights: PGY-2 & PGY-3s cover home call every 11th to 12th weeknight on average
Saturdays: PGY-2 & PGY-3s cover home call every 11th to 12th Saturday on average
Sundays: PGY-2 & PGY-3s cover home call every 11th to 12th Sunday on average