Curriculum
The curriculum of our residency program is made up of four main elements: defined rotations, longitudinal study, didactics and proctored clinical experiences.
Our curriculum is in compliance with the standards set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) that prepare physicians to achieve board certification after graduation.
We strive to train physicians to use the best evidence in providing care in a practical and patient-centered manner.
Specialized Experiences
We have two special experiences in our curriculum.
- In order to ensure the breadth and depth of our inpatient pediatrics training, all interns participate in a four-week rotation at Children's Hospital Colorado located just outside of Denver. Children's Hospital Colorado is ranked in the top 10 pediatric hospitals in the United States.
- All second-year residents participate in a four-week rural rotation, where each resident has the opportunity to work in a rural community with the particular demand this makes on a physician's skills.
Some residents also choose an additional elective rural rotation in the third year.
Applicants who are interested in an even more intensive rural training experience may want to explore our affiliated rural track residency program.
Outpatient Care
Our clinic, located only one mile from Trinity Hospital, cares for more than 15,000 patients annually. We have an excellent reputation in our community for providing caring, comprehensive and evidence-based medical services. Our patients run the full spectrum of socioeconomic circumstances, giving a truly comprehensive training experience. We have on-site lab, pharmacy and radiology services. Our clinic electronic medical record (Cerner) is integrated with the hospital system for the best possible access to patient information. Our care is provided within teams with a core nurse, physician faculty and resident physician partners. This creates opportunities for learning teamwork in patient care and provides a better experience for our patients.
Didactics
A series of didactic lectures covering core, specialty and subspecialty areas has been established. Most of these conferences are offered over the noon hour. Additional skill building conferences and workshops are provided for residents. These include ACLS, NRP, PALS, ATLS, ALSO, simulation training, PGY-1 Education Days and dermatology workshops. Continuing education conferences are also sponsored by Trinity Hospital on a regular basis.
Other Training Experiences
In addition to the Emergency Medicine rotation, first-year residents have ongoing emergency room experience on a rotating basis throughout the first year. Second- and third-year resident physicians care for a panel of nursing home patients. All residents complete at least six home visits. Our faculty members are passionate about primary care wherever it takes us. Residents also participate in community service care such as providing Boy Scouts with physicals and community health screening.
Rotations
Residents work with core faculty and community faculty members on their rotations. Nearly all rotations have a one-to-one faculty-to-resident format to provide the best possible educational experiences. Residents obtain valuable hands-on experience. Some highlights include being the admitting physician of acutely ill patients on the Adult Medicine Service, delivering babies on the labor and delivery rotation, performing neonatal resuscitation, and providing first assist on surgery rotations.