Block Months
First year block month is dedicated to clinical orientation. Second year block months focus on procedural skill development and practice management, in addition to developing skills in the family medicine clinic.
Educational Tracks
Our residents have the option to choose one or more areas of focus to develop their educational, clinical, and research interests, including formal tracks with designated mentorship and guidance. These include Academic, Geriatric/Palliative, Inpatient Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Leadership, Obstetrics, Obesity, Reproductive Health, Sports Medicine, and Point of Care Ultrasound.
Spanish Language and Community Medicine Track
Residents who match into this track will be centered at the Ypsilanti Health Center for their primary clinic site, where a substantial portion of the patients are Spanish speakers. Applicants to this track are expected to be fluent in Spanish or have an advanced level of Spanish language proficiency given that between 20-50% of their patient panel will consist of Spanish speakers. In addition to the clinical experience in Ypsilanti, applicants on this track will have the opportunity to work on community projects with the Latinx population in Southeast Michigan area.
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) education is growing every year in our residency. We have three half-days of ultrasound training for interns starting in their first month of residency. Second and third year residents get more advanced hands-on training (at least a couple half days per year). Moreover, the Department offers quarterly POCUS didactics for all residents as well as elective experiences available in POCUS. Those who are specifically interested in POCUS can participate in the ultrasound track which sets a goal of 300+ ultrasounds (to be obtained by the resident) and POCUS credentialing for PGY3 residents. We have Mindray TE-7 ultrasound machines at both residency clinic sites. The residency’s machines archive images to Q-Path, our cloud storage system that allows for quality assurance. For questions, contact the Department’s Clinical Ultrasound Program Director, Nicoll Capizzano, M.D. She completed the Advanced Ultrasound Fellowship at the University of Michigan and leads the Department's Advanced Primary Care Ultrasound Fellowship.
Simulation Center
Our Clinical Simulation Center is easy to access as it is located within the main medical campus in Ann Arbor. The curriculum includes sessions on ACLS and rapid sequence intubation, as well as procedures including LP, paracentesis and colonoscopy. The center is staffed by Family Medicine faculty and led by family physician, James Cooke, M.D.
Outpatient Procedures
The program offers excellent training in office-based procedures through dedicated procedures clinics. All teaching is one-on-one with Family Medicine faculty who have special interest in procedural training.
Community Outreach
Our residents are involved in numerous community outreach programs. We staff a migrant farm worker's clinic with our attendings from June to October. The Migrant Health Clinic provides care to migrant workers employed at farms around Lenawee County, Michigan.
Working in a school-based clinic and at a clinic for underserved adolescents and children is also well established as part of our curriculum. We staff a school-based health center at Lincoln Middle School. The health center welcomes students on a walk-in basis, and provides health education, primary health care, and referrals, in collaboration with parents and the primary care physician. Preventive health care and holistic well-being are emphasized.
The Corner Health Center was created to address Ypsilanti's high teen pregnancy rate and the health care needs of young families. Located in downtown Ypsilanti, the Corner Health Center provides holistic, comprehensive health care and social services for people between 12 and 25 and their children, including prenatal care.
The Latino Health Clinic at the Ypsilanti Health Center provides specialized medical care to Spanish speaking patients from the community. The clinic is staffed primarily by Spanish speaking faculty and/or residents. Spanish interpreters are also available on-site. Our residents also organize and provide coverage with attendings for sports physicals to students at several middle schools and high schools throughout the community by conducting health screenings, providing health education, and encouraging physical activity. In addition, residents have the opportunity to work alongside attendings in the coverage of high school, University of Michigan, and Eastern Michigan University sporting events.
Our faculty provide prenatal care at Packard Health. The center has two locations in Ann Arbor and is a non-profit primary care medical facility. Ranked among the top third of primary care practices in Michigan and designated as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Packard Health has an unwavering commitment to ensuring medical access for everyone. Packard Health welcomes both insured and uninsured patients and believes that everyone deserves quality medical care - all ages, all stages of health, regardless of economic status.
Resident Wellness
The residency program strongly endorses and supports a longitudinal curriculum for resident well-being. Residents are exposed to numerous models for caring for physical, emotional, spiritual, familial and social needs, and residents develop a Wellness Plan to guide them through the residency and into their careers. There is a monthly Wellness Group session and a number of didactic and experiential presentations throughout the three years of residency. Some of the experiential workshops include Cognitive and Behavioral Models of Relaxation, Deep Breathing and Meditation Techniques, Tai Chi Workshops, Strength and Resistance training, Models of Stress and Wellness, and Outdoor Team Building Exercises.
