Curriculum

Whether you choose a career in outpatient or inpatient medicine, academic internal medicine or an internal medicine subspecialty, our goal is to prepare you for your career choice and support you to achieve your career goals. We do this through mentorship, an individualized learning plan and design of a curriculum that prepares our residents to practice in a variety of settings.

Sample Rotation Schedule

PGY–1

Inpatient Medicine ( 20 weeks )
Clinic ( 10 weeks )
ICU ( 4 weeks )
Night Float ( 4 weeks )
Nephrology ( 2 weeks )
Infectious Disease ( 2 weeks )
Pulmonary Medicine ( 2 weeks )
Vacation ( 4 weeks )
Cardiology ( 4 weeks )

Ambulatory Clinic

The program follows a 4+1 block schedule to enable residents to focus on their outpatient learning experience during ambulatory week. During this week, the residents will have eight half days of continuity clinic experience. The other two half days are dedicated to quality improvement projects as well as the ambulatory curriculum through the Hopkins Modules and case discussions of ambulatory cases.

Inpatient Rotation

Internal medicine residents will rotate in a team that consists of two interns and one senior resident. The residents will hold primary responsibility to their assigned patients under the supervision of an experienced teaching faculty who is board certified in internal medicine. The program has adopted a night float coverage system and our residents will not have 24-hour call. Through the rigorous training of inpatient service, residents will develop their medical knowledge and clinical reasoning, and gain knowledge in inpatient general internal medicine.

Didactics

Through daily case discussions and conference lectures, the program provides a balanced educational curriculum that is designed to improve medical knowledge and clinical reasoning, as well as enhance residents' skills in patient safety, quality improvement, high value care and scholarly pursuits, and promote healthy wellness habits.

Internal Medicine Subspecialty Rotations

The program provides rotations in all the subspecialties of internal medicine as well as neurology, palliative medicine, hospice and addiction medicine. The program allows residents to design their rotations by offering at least six months of electives that are tailored to the resident’s career goals.

Program Highlights

  • Sponsoring institution: Aiken Regional Medical Centers
  • Three additional training sites: The Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Augusta, Georgia), Piedmont Physicians Endocrinology and Augusta Oncology Multispecialty Clinic
  • Affiliated with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)
  • Number of residents per year: 10 for a total of 30 categorical residents
  • Simulation training through partnership with VCOM and University of South Carolina Aiken
  • POCUS curriculum
  • Mentorship program
  • Wellness curriculum
  • 4+1 block schedule to minimize conflict between inpatient and outpatient duties
  • No 24-hour call
  • Mentorship and resident-led interest groups
  • Strong focus on resident and faculty wellbeing
  • Comprehensive curriculum that focuses on medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, value-based care, healthcare disparities, team-based learning activities and more
  • Focus on resident input for ongoing program improvement, through monthly PD meetings, resident forum and active solicitation of resident feedback
  • Educational allowance dedicated to residents' professional development such as, attending conferences, ACP membership, MSKAP subscription, UWorld subscription and more