Inpatient Services
 The majority of inpatient medicine ward rotations are performed at Hahnemann University Hospital. All medical services in the residency program at Drexel University College of Medicine are primarily managed by house officers. The interns work up and manage patients under the guidance of a supervising resident and an attending physician. Third- and fourth-year medical students often participate in the management of patients and provide house officers an opportunity to be educators as well. At Hahnemann University Hospital, there are 16 medical-ward and 8 critical-care services, each consisting of one supervising resident, one intern, senior and junior medical students. Abington Memorial Hospital has 10 medical-ward services with a similar structure. The resident performs work rounds with the team every morning. Teaching rounds occur four days a week with an attending physician.
Outpatient Services
The outpatient experiences of the residents at Drexel University College of Medicine are quite extensive, preparing graduates well for careers in general internal medicine. Over the three years of training, residents spend a minimum of 35 percent of their time in the outpatient setting. Categorical residents have a continuity clinic experience one half day per week located at either Hahnemann University Hospital or in our vast network of community sites. During the second or third year, residents also have an option of performing an additional second half day of ambulatory clinic. There are also ambulatory rotations in each of the first two years of training which are necessary for proficiency in a general internal medicine practice. These rotations include dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, gynecology, family planning, orthopedics, geriatrics, adolescent medicine, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and women's health. Additional attention is given to communication skills, cost effectiveness, clinical reasoning/decision-making, evidence-based medicine, managed care and other attributes necessary to practice medicine in the ever-changing health care environment.
Didactic Teaching
- Morning Report
Daily case presentations by residents presided by attendings and chief residents. House staff have this opportunity for interacting with department vice-chairs Dr. Miller and Dr. Boselli and other faculty, including subspecialty departments, every morning for one hour. This is an opportunity for intellectual stimulation and learning experience for residents since they meet with these renowned teaching faculty on a daily basis. At the end of each session, residents give slide presentations on the topic of the day to the whole group, which improves their presentation and communication skills as well.
- Noon Conference
Formal, one-hour audio-visual lectures occur at 12:00 noon every day by faculty from various departments. Topics range from board-relevant issues to practical approaches in various scenarios of medical practice.
- Journal Club
Monthly evidence-based medicine research articles are presented by residents. The articles for discussion are chosen through database searches for common clinical scenarios encountered on the floors. Residents have this opportunity to learn how data can be analyzed meaningfully, and to integrate this knowledge into daily practice. The skills gleaned from the evidence-based medicine lecture series are applied practically to a bigger panel of audience.
- Intern Report
Weekly case presentations at each clinical education site conducted for the interns. PGY1s present interesting cases to the group and discussions are aimed at improving clinical skills at the intern level.
Evidence-Based Medicine Series Curriculum
Twenty hours of hands-on interactive class sessions. Topics include methods to search journals, how to utilize various databases, critical appraisal of an article and meaningful interpretation of statistical terms and methodologies. This series is aimed at facilitating house staff to have confidence and to incorporate medical literature into daily clinical practice.
Medical Emergencies Summer Lecture Series
This summer series includes lectures by distinguished faculty from various departments during the early months of an academic year. These didactics were designed to provide a strong, basic foundation and to build confidence among residents, especially new incoming interns, to face medical emergency situations.
"Doctoring" Program Curriculum
Sixteen three-hour small group sessions on practical aspects of a resident's daily life: stress management, clinical reasoning, doctor-patient communication, patient and peer education, working with difficult patients, career planning, malpractice, ethics, etc. The purpose is to provide residents skills to cope with everyday issues and to develop into confident, professional physicians.
Clinical Case Discussion
The department of medicine has grand rounds every Wednesday morning that feature prominent, nationally renowned speakers. After grand rounds, residents have a chance to meet the grand rounds speaker in a more intimate setting and present cases to facilitate discussions with the grand rounds presenter. The interaction with prominent speakers allows residents to gain personalized answers for specific case situations encountered.
Morbidity & Mortality
Monthly meetings to discuss morbidity and mortality issues in patient care at the clinical education sites. Discussions frequently include medical errors and autopsy reports to create practical learning experience and expose the residents to the real world. Objectives include discussion, critical analysis and improving health-care delivery.
Quality Improvement
Residents participate in the critical assessment and improvement of health-care delivery at the various sites of clinical education. Projects are selected by small groups, and then researched, investigated and submitted for review. At the end of the academic year, each group presents its mandatory research work in June to the Quality Improvement Committee.
Medical Records Compliance Review
Unfortunately, a sizable part of the physician's job entails a large amount of paperwork in order to be paid properly for your services. The department of medical records conducts lectures on medical and legal aspects of patient information, billing issues and HIPAA compliance. Residents also receive training on proper documentation according to the latest guidelines, a skill which is essential for proper billing and payment. These sessions are designed at training residents to be fully prepared before they set out for the real world.
EKG Conference
This popular, hour lecture on EKGs is presented every Wednesday. Basic skills are reviewed and interesting EKGs of the week are presented by the attending. As the year progresses, so do the important skills and nuances residents need to learn in EKG interpretation.
Women's Health Seminars
Our nationally renowned Institute for Women's Health and Leadership was named in 1996 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a National Center of Excellence in Women's Health, one of only six such designations in the nation at the time. The Institute has set its professional sights on developing resources and programs that will bridge the gaps in women's health and leadership. Residents receive a lecture series on women's health and the option of a one-month elective at the center is available.
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Residents undergo a mandatory OSCE once during their internship which consists of interviewing standardized patients in a video-monitored setting to obtain personalized feedback on history and physical exam skills by faculty. Focused critiques on bedside manner, interviewing and physical exam skills are provided to the resident on a one-to-one basis with an associate program director.
Internal Medicine Board Review
The Drexel University College of Medicine provides an annual, internal medicine board review course that is attended by physicians from all over the country. This intensive, comprehensive course is taught by distinguished faculty, and the focus is on material required to pass the internal medicine boards. This course is provided free of charge to all third-year residents (usual tuition $895). In addition, an additional board review series given by faculty and fellows is arranged in the spring at Hahnemann for all interested residents.
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