Stamford Hospital/Columbia University Family Medicine Curriculum

Rotations

All inpatient rotations are based at Stamford Hospital. Most outpatient rotations are done in local physicians' offices. Others can be arranged as "away" electives. Electives are chosen by the resident with the input of the faculty advisor.

Behavioral medicine is integrated and emphasized longitudinally throughout the three years of residency. There are regular behavioral medicine and psychiatry lectures, rounds in the hospital and nursing home, and supervision in the Family Medicine Center. In addition, there is a one-month rotation in the second year that emphasizes community and outpatient experiences. Geriatrics, preventive medicine, complementary medicine, and practice management also have substantial longitudinal experiences. An extensive lecture schedule is offered both in the Hospital and in the Family Medicine Center.

FMC Longitudinal Experience

The Family Medicine Center provides complete healthcare to the entire family. A full range of services are provided, from well-child checkups, prenatal care, and adult checkups to care of asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic and acute illnesses. The medical team is composed of family practice residents, board-certified faculty members affiliated with Columbia University, nurses, a dietician, social worker, and psychologist. The emphasis of the Family Medicine Center is on providing high-quality care that is comprehensive, personalized, compassionate, continuous (in the hospital, home, and nursing home), and family and community oriented.

In our Family Medicine Center, we maximize the continuity of care experience. The FMC is managed and scheduled as a multi-physician practice as opposed to a "clinic" with resident input and responsibilities. Each of our residents has sessions in the FMC each week with individually scheduled appointments. As the resident's experience increases, the scheduling and quantity of sessions simulate a general community office practice. Continuity is also maintained in the inpatient setting. When patients are admitted to the Family Medicine inpatient service, residents are expected to act as their patients' regular physicians by admitting and rounding on their patients daily.

Clerkships

The Family Medicine Rotation is an ambulatory medicine experience like no other. Medical students will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a diverse population and variety of acute and chronic diseases. During the rotation, students will be assigned to work alongside different residents and faculty members.

Third Year Clerkship

The Family Medicine Rotation at Stamford Hospital is an ambulatory rotation in primary care based in the William Pitt Family Medicine Center at the Tully Health Center in Stamford, CT. The Family Medicine Center is the training site for residents in the Family Medicine Residency Program. During the rotation, students will be assigned to work with different residents and faculty members.

• Develop skills for effective functioning in the outpatient environment.
• Introduce the student to the theoretical basis of Family Medicine.
• Expose the medical student to the broad clinical scope of Family Medicine.

Fourth Year Clerkship

This flexible and innovative rotation is designed to accommodate the needs of the student interested in exploring a career in Family Medicine.

This rotation will expand the knowledge of the student to include the key principles underlying the care of patients in Family Medicine: family orientation, continuity of care, comprehensive care, and coordination of care. The student will be exposed to a diverse population as well as different acute and chronic diseases seen in the outpatient setting. Seeing patients together with residents and faculty members, students will increase their skills in the office setting in: communicating with patients, assessing and managing common outpatient problems, obtaining an appropriate database, charting, and patient education.