Sample Rotation Schedule
| PGY-1 | PGY-2 | PGY-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiology (2 wks) | Behavioral Health (2 wks) | Behavioral Health (2 wks) |
| Family Medicine-1 (2 wks) | Cardiology (2 wks) | Community Health (2 wks) |
| Family Medicine Wards (2 months) | Emergency Medicine Wards | Dermatology |
| General Surgery | Family Medicine Wards (2 months) | Electives (3 months) |
| Geriatrics | Family Medicine Clinical | Emergency Medicine Procedures and Ultrasound |
| Gynecology | General Orthopedics | Family Medicine Wards (2 months as wards chief) |
| Internal Medicine | Health Systems Management (2 wks) | Family Medicine Clinical |
| Neurology (2 wks) | MICU | Night Float (total of 4 weeks) |
| Obstetrics | Night Float (total of 4 weeks) | Ophthalmology (2 wks) |
| Nursery | Obstetrics | Orthopedic Specialties |
| Pediatrics (inpatient) | Otolaryngology (2 wks) | Pediatrics (outpatient; longitudinal) |
| Pediatrics (outpatient) | Outpatient Surgery | Urology (2 wks) |
| Radiology (2 wks) | Palliative Care (2 wks) | |
| Patient-Centered Medical Home (2 wks) | ||
| Pediatrics (outpatient; longitudinal) |
First Year
First-year residents spend one half day per week in the Family Medical Center seeing their own panel of patients.
- Cardiology – This is an inpatient experience working with the cardiology team. You will learn about electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, stress tests, interpretation of tests, and more. (Two weeks in PGY-1, two weeks in PGY-2)
- Family Medicine I (FM-I) – During July of the first year in the program, you are oriented to Family Medicine. Emphasis is placed on the common problems of patients throughout the lifecycle. (Two weeks)
- Family Medicine Wards – You spend two months during the year on the Family Medicine Service at the UAMS Medical Center. Under the supervision of department faculty and an upper level resident, the you learn to care for the hospitalized patient and functions as an integral member of the wards team. (Two months)
- General Surgery – One month of general surgery gives you experience with surgical diagnosis and patient management. You assist with inpatient surgery, pre-operative and post-operative care under the direction of surgeons at Baptist Medical Center, Little Rock, AR. (One month)
- Geriatrics – You spend one month on the geriatric service at the UAMS Medical Center. Activities include didactic sessions with the staff, home visits, and rounding with the geriatric team. (One month)
- Gynecology – One month is spent in the UAMS Women’s Clinic (UWC) gaining competency in the diagnosis and management of gynecological conditions and contraception problems. (One month)
- Internal Medicine – The goal of this rotation at the VA is to become familiar with and competent in the treatment of hospitalized patients with a variety of diseases and common illnesses. (One month)
- Neurology – This is a two-week rotation. Activities occur at the UAMS Medical Center and its clinics, and include the enhancement of your skills in basic neurological exams and the management of common neurological problems. (two weeks; see footnote*)
- Obstetrics – There are two months devoted to training in obstetrics. During both rotations, you gain experience in the management of prenatal care and the detection of high-risk pregnancies. Obstetrical experience is obtained. (One month in PGY-1, one month in PGY-2)
- Pediatrics – One month each is spent on the inpatient wards and in the outpatient clinics of Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). In addition, one month is spent at the Term Nursery at the UAMS Medical Center. You gain valuable experience learning the preventive aspects of pediatric health care, working with consultants and agencies related to child and family care, and managing the basic health care needs of children. (Total of three months)
- Radiology – Indications for x-rays and scans, limitations of x-rays and scans, preparation of the patient for various studies, complications of x-ray procedures and interpretation of chest, abdomen, GI and urinary tract x-rays are included in this rotation. (two weeks; see footnote*)
Second Year
Second-year residents spend three half days per week in the Family Medical Center seeing their own patients.
- Behavioral Health – This is a rotation with behavioral health specialists in our Family Medical Center. Some Behavioral Health training is included on a longitudinal basis throughout the program. (Two weeks in PGY-2, two weeks in PGY-3; see footnote*)
- Cardiology – This is an inpatient experience working with the cardiology team. You will learn about electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, stress tests, interpretation of tests, and more. (Two weeks in PGY-1, two weeks in PGY-2)
- Emergency Medicine Wards – You become competent in diagnosing and managing emergency conditions while working with Emergency Medicine physicians in the UAMS Emergency Department. This facility, which is JCAHO level I accredited, has 25 beds for major and minor trauma, major medicine, a decontamination suite, an orthopedic suite, and a minor surgery suite. (One month)
- Family Medicine Wards – You spend two months during the year on this rotation working with faculty and an upper level resident. (Two months)
- Family Medicine Clinical – You spend one month in the Family Medical Center intensively involved in the evaluation and management of your own panel of patients. (One month)
- General Orthopedics – Skills in office orthopedics including sports medicine are developed while working with private physicians in a community-based orthopedics practice. (One month)
- Health-Systems Management – This rotation exposes the residents to issues related to Family Medicine. Curricular elements include quality improvement, patient safety, procedural workshops, practice management, leadership, and administration. (Two weeks; see footnote*)
- MICU – Further experience and knowledge in the treatment of medical conditions in the MICU is learned as you work as an integral member of the intensive care team. (One month)
- Night Float – Each PGY-2 resident spends a total of one month on night float. (Two weeks early in the academic year, two weeks late in the academic year).
- Obstetrics – There are two months devoted to training in obstetrics. During both rotations, you gain experience in the management of prenatal care and the detection of high-risk pregnancies. Obstetrical experience is obtained. (One month in PGY-1, one month in PGY-2)
- Otolaryngology – You develop skills in the examination and management of common ENT problems. You also learn how to detect head and neck tumors. (2 weeks; see footnote*)
- Outpatient Surgery – This rotation provides opportunities to participate in a variety of surgical procedures including excisions and biopsies of superficial lesions, EGD, colonoscopy, TMST, cryotherapy, and cervical and endometrial biopsies. You also participate in deliveries and Cesarean sections.(One month)
- Palliative Care – This is a mix of inpatient and outpatient, with the palliative care team. Training includes end of life issues, communication of difficult topics, and pain management. (Two weeks; see footnote*)
- Patient-Centered Medical Home – The PCMH rotation is with interdisciplinary teams including nutrition, pharmacy, social work, case management, and clinic administration. (Two weeks; see footnote*)
- Longitudinal Peds – You practice making diagnoses and problem solving related to the child and his/her family in the outpatient clinics and emergency department of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Activities include history-taking, physical examination and specific technical procedures. The peds training is distributed throughout the year so that you can experience seasonal changes in health issues. (Longitudinal experiences adding up to one month in total)
Third Year
Third year residents spend five half days per week in the Family Medical Center seeing their own patients.
- Behavioral Health – This is a rotation with behavioral health specialists in our Family Medical Center. Some Behavioral Health training is included on a longitudinal basis throughout the program. (Two weeks in PGY-2, two weeks in PGY-3; see footnote*)
- Community Health (Two weeks; see footnote*)
- Dermatology – You become acquainted with common dermatological problems frequently seen in primary care. Outpatient procedures related to dermatological conditions are learned. (One month)
- Electives – You have three elective months as a PGY-3. See “Electives” below for more information. (One month each)
- Emergency Medicine Procedures and Ultrasound (One month)
- Family Medicine Wards – As a third-year resident, you assume major responsibility for the administration and organization of the patient service. You share teaching responsibility for lower level residents with the faculty preceptors. (Two months as Wards Chief)
- Family Medicine Clinical – You spend one month in the Family Medical Center intensively involved in the evaluation and management of your own panel of patients.(One month)
- Night Float – Each PGY-3 resident spends a total of one month on night float. (Two weeks early in the academic year, two weeks later in the academic year)
- Ophthalmology – You develop skills in how to approach and manage ophthalmologic problems as well as perform ophthalmologic examinations. (two weeks; see footnote*)
- Orthopedic Specialties – You build on earlier orthopedic skills in this rotation through clinics at UAMS and ACH. (One month)
- Longitudinal Peds – You practice making diagnoses and problem solving related to the child and his/her family in the outpatient clinics and emergency department of Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Activities include history-taking, physical examination and specific technical procedures. The peds training is distributed throughout the year (so that you can experience seasonal changes in health issues). (Longitudinal experiences adding up to one month in total)
- Urology – Evaluation and management of common urological conditions in the outpatient setting are learned. (two weeks; see footnote*)
*Two-week Rotations
Some of the two-week rotations have flexibility as to when you take them. For example, Otolaryngology is listed above as a PGY-2 rotation, but on occasion you may be assigned to take it earlier or later in your program.
Longitudinal Rotations
Longitudinal rotations that are distributed throughout your three years in the program include:
- Pediatrics (There is one block month in PGY-1, but PGY-2 and PGY-3 peds rotations are longitudinal.)
- Nursing Home
- House Calls
- Procedures
Electives
Each resident is allotted three month-long electives while in the program. You may select from a variety of established elective rotations at the UAMS Medical Center, VA, or ACH. These include inpatient electives (ICU, ER, Palliative Care, GI, Cardiology, Renal, ID, and OB); outpatient electives (Cardiology, Pain, Endocrinology, Burn, Wound, Allergy/Immunology/Asthma, Headache, Sports, Dermatology, and Radiology); and procedural electives (Pain, Ortho, General Surgery, Rheumatology, and Head and Neck Clinic).
We also offer a Research elective in our Division of Community Research. During the Research elective, you may choose to work on already existing projects, or you may propose a project of your own. In most cases, residents completing a research elective will have the opportunity to make national presentations or to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
You may request an elective month to gain additional knowledge and training in a rotation that you have already completed. You may also create your own electives by working with the PD and a supervising physician from your subject of interest.