Curriculum and Schedule

The curriculum is innovative and guides an exciting experience in a variety of clinical settings, patient populations and systems of care:

• Hennepin County Medical Center
• Park Nicollet Medical Center
• Regions Hospital
• University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview
• Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The residents will actively participate in the review and evaluation of the training program
The residents rotate through inpatient wards, intensive care units, the emergency room and urgent care settings.  The experience is enriched with multiple outpatient clinics in all subspecialties and consultation services.
Elective time and protected time for scholarly activities and research is provided.

Description of Combined Educational Experiences

The Minnesota Medicine-Dermatology Training Program has designed joint Medicine and Dermatology rotations with the following goals:

• Maintenance of experiences, knowledge and skills in both specialties
• Meaningful professional contact with peer residents in both specialties
• Common assessment of the resident's progress by faculty in both departments
• Work and learn in areas of overlap and commonality to both fields of Medicine and Dermatology, including:

     Hospital consultation
     Cutaneous neoplasia
     Rheumatology
     Infectious disease
     Endocrinology
     Geriatrics
     General Medicine
     Adolescent Medicine
     Systemic disease

Reflections and Assessments

     Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

• Each resident will maintain a surgical log, a procedure log and consult log to be kept in the Med-Derm office and reviewed semiannually with the PD.
• Each resident will maintain an electronic portfolio of activities and reflections.
• Residents are credentialed in specific procedures by the Program Directors of the Medicine-Dermatology residency program.  In addition, residents will be required to do chart reviews of their continuity practice to reflect on their own practice outcomes and make adjustments to improve such outcomes. (Practice-based Learning and Improvement).
• 360 degree, patient, nursing and faculty assessments on professionalism, communication skills and careful evaluation of patient care skills will be completed for each rotation.
• Specific rotations and supervisors on these rotations have been designated to evaluate a resident's capability in systems-based practice.  Each resident will be required to complete, supported by close faculty mentorship, projects in:
  >Evidence-based medicine
  >Quality Assurance
  >Practice-based learning

Program Schedule

• Duration:     60 months
• Graduates are eligible to take both ABIM and ABD certification exams
• Rotation structure:
  Y1:  12 months of Internal Medicine
  Y2:  12 months of Dermatology
  Y3:  6 months Derm, 6 months IM
  Y4:  6 months IM, 6 months Derm
  Y5:  6 months Derm, 6 months IM
• The experience is the same as for the categorical programs, including same time in dermatologic surgery and medical specialties.  A year is saved by counting common experiences (Rheumatology, Infectious Disease, electives, etc.)