A majority of disparities in health outcomes can be explained by socioeconomic status, psychosocial factors and built environment. The community medicine track is designed for residents interested in broadening their practice of medicine (regardless of their specialization plans) to include an understanding of, and the skills to address, social determinants of health.
Goals
- Develop residents’ abilities to evaluate and understand the health needs of individuals in the context of local, regional, national and global influences–including social, economic, political, cultural and environmental forces
- Enhance residents’ abilities to utilize, partner with, and build, community resources and do advocacy work
Highlights of the Track
- Two themed ambulatory block months per year of residency, focused on bridging social determinants of health with clinical practice. Recent themes include:
- immigration
- palliative, geriatric and home-based care
- health system reform
- poverty and income inequality
- addiction /substance use
- food access/agribusiness and obesity
- environment and health
- a study of the HIV epidemic
- correctional health
- mental illness
- Seminars with outside speakers including academics, authors, community leaders, activists and organizers
- Readings, movies, and resident presentations related to topic of the month, with the opportunity to do community-based projects and/or research projects
- Population and public health, economic, sociological, political and historical perspectives
- Continuity clinic at Baystate Brightwood Health Center, an innovative health center serving a low income, majority Latino population. Our health center has been a leader in the development of the medical home care coordination model.
- Clinical care in special settings including correctional health, HIV care, farmworker outreach, addiction medicine, care coordination programs, and home visits
- Fun field trips, exposure to legislative activities, participation in community service, outreach and advocacy with community partners
Note: Our residents have the same amount of inpatient time/schedules as the categorical residents. Graduates have gone on to pursue their specialties of choice—hospital medicine, public health and primary care.
Track Director
Interested applicants can email Dorothea Vongoeler, MD
The Geriatric Medicine Track will provide residents opportunities that will enhance their knowledge and clinical experience in geriatric medicine. We anticipate that we will enhance sensitivity to the problems of older patients and improve the quality of care our graduating residents provide to the geriatric population while promoting careers in geriatrics.
Goals
- Enhance sensitivity to the problems of, and improve the quality of care to, our older adult population
- Develop comfort in dealing with level of care and end-of-life decision making
- Value the contributions of other medical and non-medical team members in the care of the elderly
Highlights of the Track
- Mentorship for case/poster presentation at the American Geriatrics Society
- Opportunities to teach patient, families or colleagues
- Professional development opportunities
- Opportunity to be involved in quality improvement projects—either inpatient, outpatient or with hospice.
Geriatric Track Didactics
In addition to the geriatrics curriculum at medical grand rounds, academic half-day and other settings, the track offers a journal club, an elective, and opportunities for clinical investigation in geriatrics.
Research/Scholarly Activity
Residents participating in the Track will be expected to develop a project—either academic, educational, or community outreach related.
Participation in the American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
Track members are encouraged to join the AGS and to attend the national meetings. Members will be expected to submit an abstract to an AGS meeting. Travel funds may be available to those residents selected to present an abstract or oral presentation at the meeting.
Track Director
Email track director Sik Kim Ang, MD with any questions you may have regarding this track.
The Healthcare Quality Track is designed for residents interested in learning more about, and working with, innovations in health care to improve the quality of the patient care we deliver every day. We meet to discuss the design and implementation of quality improvement projects by collaborating on one of our own projects every year.
Quality Track members also benefit from utilizing the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) quality improvement and patient safety modules/educational tools.
Goals
Residents will explore the fundamental issues in defining, measuring, and improving healthcare quality and safety.
Highlights of the Track
- Residents have the opportunity to develop and carry out research, quality improvement, and develop case vignettes for abstract/poster presentation at the national meeting of the Society for Hospital Medicine. Travel funds may be available for residents who are presenting an abstract. Most recently the group worked with the academic hospitalists to implement a new and more robust sign out process called IPASS.
- For those who are interested in hospital based careers, we offer a quality improvement elective that allows residents to participate in hospital-wide committees and initiatives centered around patient safety.
- This elective is tailored to each resident's needs to maximize exposure in system based approaches to QI and patient safety.
Mentorship
Through mentorship with an academic hospitalist, participants will explore the rapidly growing field of quality improvement, develop an area of interest for research, and learn the impact of quality improvement and patient safety in all aspects of medicine.
Track Director
For more information, email Ryan Quarles, MD
The Research Track is a special program for residents with prior experience in clinical research or previous training in internal medicine who wish to pursue a rigorous research program during residency. Highly motivated individuals without one of these two qualifications may apply to the program as well.
The Research Track is particularly appropriate for residents who plan to apply for competitive fellowships and those considering a career in clinical research.
Goals
- Support residents in design and conduct of an investigator-initiated research project, culminating in presentation at a national meeting, followed by publication
- Provide advanced didactic instruction on evidence-based medicine, biostatistics and research design
- Advise residents interested in research careers
Highlights of the Track
Monthly Research Meetings
- Didactic sessions on research design, biostatistics, evidence-based medicine and presentation skills
- Residents take turns presenting research in progress and getting feedback from faculty and other track members
Research Elective
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Track members are encouraged to participate in a closely-mentored research elective month to allow extra time to work on labor-intensive projects, to prepare for presentation and to draft a final manuscript for publication.
- Content of the month will be negotiated between the participant and his or her mentor.
Participation in Society for General Internal Medicine (SGIM)
- Track members are encouraged to join SGIM and to attend the regional and national meetings.
- Travel stipends may be available to PG2 and PG3 residents who are presenting an abstract at either meeting.
Track Directors
Mihaela Stefan, MD, FACP
Co-Director
Tara Lagu, MD, MPH
Co-Director
Peter Lindenauer, MD
Director, Institute of Healthcare Delivery and Population Science