Clinical rotations

The resident rotation schedules at Virginia Commonwealth University are designed to meet the following goals:

• Development of a strong clinical skills base in both inpatient and outpatient internal medicine.
• Graduated responsibility over the three years of training to reach the ultimate goal of independent practice.
• Tailoring to individual career and academic goals.
• Encouragement of creativity in meeting individual interests and needs.
• Innovation in teaching and assessing the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education core competencies through clinical experiences.

Each rotation has a defined curriculum available on the Web (you are invited to review these on our Electronic Residency Information Center – ERIC. The curricula are structured to include a description of the goals and purpose of the rotation, specific competency-based learning objectives, supervision and evaluation procedures, required and suggested reading, expectations, and typical schedules. Residents and attendings are required to review the curriculum for each rotation at the beginning of the rotation. 

Typical rotation schedule by year of training

PGY-1 year
General medicine wards	VA/VCU Medical Center	4 periods
Night float	VA/VCU Medical Center	2 2-week blocks
Emergency medicine	VA/VCU Medical Center	1 period
Inpatient hematology/oncology	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Ambulatory block  (includes geriatric experience and intro to medical technology course)	VCU Medical Center	1 period
MRICU	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Cardiology/CCU	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Electives  (may be in two-week blocks)	VA/VCU Medical Center	2.5 periods
½ day continuity clinic/week	VA/VCU Medical Center	throughout year

 

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Women’s health track— additional Women's Health rotation at Stony Point replaces one month of electives, specialized ambulatory teaching block, and additional outpatient experience in gynecology and mental health.

Preliminary year — as above except may have less ICU/heme-onc/CCU time (ICU time will be in VAICU primarily), more ward or NF time, more elective time, no continuity clinic experience, ambulatory experience is VA urgent.

PGY-2 year
General medicine wards	VA/VCU Medical Center	2 periods
Night float	VA/VCU Medical Center	1 2-week period
Emergency medicine	VA	1 period
Inpatient hematology/oncology	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Inpatient hematology/oncology	VCU Medical Center	1 period
ICU/CCU	VA (most)	2 period
Geriatrics/med consults	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Electives  (may be in two week blocks)	VA/VCU Medical Center	4 periods
Ambulatory care specialty block	VA/VCU Medical Center	1 period
½ day continuity clinic/week	VA/VCU Medical Center	throughout year

Women’s health track– additional Women's Health rotation and Ambulatory Care Teaching Block (in place of traditional electives), also additional ½ day clinic per week in gynecology/mental health.

PGY-3 year
General medicine wards	VA/VCU Medical Center	2 periods
Night float	VA/VCU Medical Center	2 2-week period
MRICU	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Cardiology/CCU	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Student health/urgent care	VCU/VCU Medical Center	1 period
Medical admitting resident	VCU Medical Center	1 period
Electives  (may be in two-week blocks)	VA/VCU Medical Center	5.5 months
½ day continuity clinic/week	VA/VCU Medical Center	throughout year

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Women’s Health Track – additional Womens Health rotation (in place of traditional elective), additional ½ day clinic per week in gynecology/mental health.

In addition, starting in the 2006-07 academic year, categorical residents will be asked to select a training track at the end of the PGY-1 year. Their rotation curriculum will be altered to meet their career goals as such:

Hospitalist

• Additional month of medical admitting resident in PGY-2 year
• Additional ICU experiences (may replace some ward time if elected) in PGY-2 and PGY-3 years
• Hospitalist rotation (with VCU Medical Center hospitalist program) in PGY-3 year
• Performance Improvement/Quality Health Care rotation in PGY-3 year

General internist

• Community preceptorship in PGY-2 or PGY-3 year
• Additional ambulatory care clinic experience at Fan Free Clinic and other settings
• Specialized ambulatory care block in PGY-2 and PGY-3 years
• Faculty practice rotation

Subspecialist

• Research month in PGY-2 or PGY-3 year
• Additional ICU experiences (may replace some ward time if elected) in PGY-2 and PGY-3 years
• Subspecialty electives         

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