Director's Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the Internal Medicine Training Program at Saint Joseph Hospital. On behalf of the program directors, faculty and staff, I invite you to take a closer look at our training program. Our community-based program provides an excellent environment, which fosters the growth and development of young physicians and prepares them for a successful and rewarding future.
Internal Medicine is a dynamic specialty encompassing a wide spectrum of diseases. Training in our community environment allows residents to care for a diverse patient population with a myriad of disease states and provides first-hand experience for our trainees. Close working relationships with primary care physicians and specialty physicians promote the educational aspects of the training program and affords residents the opportunity to learn from physicians who have broad experience. Our strong ambulatory program, which includes weekly continuity clinics and month-long ambulatory blocks during each year of training, complements the inpatient experience.
The strong clinical experience is complemented by a well-structured didactic lecture series. In addition, case-oriented, interactive morning report is conducted each morning and is attended by all housestaff and many attending physicians. Monthly Journal Club presentations and Clinicopathological Conferences and weekly Morbidity and Mortality Conferences further broaden the formal educational content of the training program.
Recently, we opened the Bernard Gordon Skill Lab and Education Resource Center, a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory and conference center. The laboratory is equipped with simulation models used to safely teach the procedural skills required of an internist. A curriculum has also been designed to accompany this important aspect of training.
The hospital leadership recognizes the great resource that our training program is for Saint Joseph Hospital. Residents have been welcome additions to many hospital committees that provide a forum for residents to have a voice in hospital operations. Information technology is used to enhance access to medical information and to improve patient care. Each resident receives a PDA and has internet access throughout the hospital. The hospital network provides access to critical patient information, including laboratory results, ECGs, X-ray images and transcribed reports, in addition to online medical resources such as Up-To-Date, which provide immediate access to extensive medical information. This subscription is an excellent resource for the enhancement of patient care and resident education. Residents rotating in our critical care units not only have the benefit of a robust educational program led by our intensivists and cardiologists, but also have the back-up of a critical care team that can monitor patients remotely. Hospital leadership has also supported the creative aspects of our program that allow us to tailor our program to our needs. An example of this is their support of full-time Behavioral Scientist, Dr. Laurie Honor, who is an integral part of our team. She has developed a Behavioral Science Curriculum that includes lectures, small group sessions, retreats and one-on-one sessions to help further the development of our residents as professionals and as effective communicators.
The success of a program is measured by the quality of its graduates. Members of Saint Joseph Hospital's graduating classes have had tremendous success securing practice positions and competitive fellowships. Graduates also perform strongly on the ABIM certifying examination with a three-year pass rate of 92 percent (59 out of 64 graduates). Employers who have hired our graduates comment that they are well prepared for the practice of clinical medicine and are comfortable assuming the role of practicing physician.
Finally, the program is fully accredited by the ACGME and received five years of accreditation at the time of the last site visit. The absence of citations noted by the site reviewer is further testament to the strength of the program and the hard work of our faculty and staff.
We are dedicated to our residents and strive to educate them in a setting that promotes their educational, professional and personal development. We believe you will appreciate the supportive environment we have created and look forward to meeting you.
Joel B. Spear, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Program Director
Internal Medicine Residency Program
