Conferences

Although the time varies from site to site, the format is the same.

• Chief residents choose an interesting case with good teaching points--a recent patient workup from the hospital or clinic (not “what came in last night”).
• All are welcome to attend and participate—medical students, interns, and residents.
• A senior faculty member is always present to help guide the discussion.
• Chiefs prepare a brief teaching session at the end that hits the take home points.

Morbidity and Mortality

• An interesting or unusual case is presented, or a case where a delay in diagnosis or an unanticipated outcome occurred.
• Mostly faculty members join in the discussion, although residents are welcome to do so.
• Very high quality, best attended conference at all three sites.

• A series of didactics, presented concurrently at all three sites, on basic internal medicine topics such as acute MI, evaluation of GI bleed, DKA.
• Topics pertaining to outpatient medicine (evaluation of headache, common GYN complaints) are mostly in the Adult Health Care block.

Communication Assessment and Skills Exercise (CASE):  this OSCE-format workshop takes place during intern orientation in June.  It was developed here at the University of Minnesota by VA faculty member Craig Roth MD.  Practice those difficult skills of delivering bad news, discussing code status, dealing with an angry patient—before the real thing occurs! 

Resident Educator Development (The RED Program).  This is our residents as teachers program developed by Heather Thompson MD.  Topics include teaching at the bedside, team leadership, and the 10 Minute Talk.  Content is presented at both the Intern Orientation and the Transition to Residency Workshop.  We also host a half day workshop through the GME office every fall and spring, open to residents from all training programs.  The first on-line module of RED, “Effective Feedback”, is now available as a web based tutorial that any resident can complete at any time.

Future Directions:  A novel web based curriculum on documentation and billing and coding, developed by Joe Arcuri MD; a case-based mini lecture series for the continuity clinics; a pocket teaching manual for the senior resident on the wards; more online RED modules.