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
Turtle Mountain Outreach Clinic: The Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility located in Belcourt, North Dakota is a 27 bed hospital serving a population of approximately 14,550 Native Americans. In alignment with our mission the residency services a dedicated pediatric outreach clinic at the site. The supervising physician is a Board Certified Family Medicine faculty member, former graduate and tribal member. A continuous resident presence is facilitated by a one month rotation in both the PGY-2 and PGY-3 year.
Children's Hospital Colorado: In order to ensure the breadth and depth of our inpatient pediatrics training, all second year residents participate in a four-week rotation at Children's Hospital Colorado located just outside of Denver. The Children’s Hospital Colorado has been recognized as the No. 6 pediatric hospital in the nation.
First District Health Unit: The First District Health Unit (FDHU) provides public health services to seven counties in north central North Dakota. Through the FDHU residents are engaged in multiple community based services including the High Priority Infant (HPI) program and Head Start. Residents at the CFM perform home visits on patients enrolled in the HPI program. This program provides support and guidance to families of infants who were born prematurely or experience serious illness early in life; or to those who find caring for a tiny new baby a bit overwhelming and would like some assistance. Head Start programs promote the school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. The Minot CFM facilitated a partnership with Head Start to complete biannual well child visits for eligible pediatric patients in Ward, Renville, Burke, and Mountrail counties.
Garrison Memorial Hospital: CHI St. Alexius Health Garrison includes the services of a 22-bed critical access hospital, a 28-bed skilled nursing facility, an attached rural health clinic, and Emergency Department. As a participating site, Garrison offers elective experiences in full scope rural medicine. Supervision is provided by a Board Certified Family Medicine physician and graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. This is an elective rotation in the third year of training.
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. Additional skill building conferences and workshops are provided for residents. These include ACLS, NRP, PALS, ATLS, ALSO, simulation training, resident wellness sessions 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.