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.

Photos from Morning Report

• 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.

Photos from Noon Conference

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.

Continuity Clinic Curriculum: at the start of each clinic session, your preceptor will conduct an interactive case-based 15 minute teaching session on an ambulatory topic. The case is then posted on the website with links to references and further reading.