Family Medicine Residency Program

Curriculum - First Year

Ambulatory Family Medicine
During this month, the resident is able to concentrate on ambulatory care. The resident spends the month in the Family Medicine Center seeing patients, receiving feedback on doctor-patient interaction techniques, and learning the "art of medicine."

Cardiology
Residents work with cardiologists at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, and are involved in inpatient consultations, as well as taking part in the consultants' office practice. In addition to learning about the management of ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension, residents also learn how to do treadmill testing.

Cardiovascular Surgery (With Anesthesiology)
In this popular rotation at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, residents spend time with our cardiothoracic surgeons. They also work with anesthesiologists who give the residents experience in intubations, as well as discuss topics in preoperative risk assessment. Additionally, residents become comfortable in interpreting EKGs, and help place arterial lines, central venous catheters, and pulmonary artery catheters.

Dermatology
In this primarily outpatient rotation, residents become familiar with adult and pediatric dermatologic conditions. They also gain experience in performing excisional biopsies, incisional biopsies, and destruction of skin lesions.

Family Medicine Inpatient Service
Each resident is assigned patients on the inpatient service at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. The resident, in consultation with the faculty attending and senior resident, manages the patient's care. Residents gain excellent experience in a wide range of medical problems.

General Surgery/Anesthesia*
The surgery rotation provides direct experience in preoperative evaluation of the surgical patient, surgical assisting, and postoperative management. Residents become skilled at first-assisting. In addition, the resident learns about the diagnosis of common surgical conditions, and when to call a surgical consultation. This rotation takes place at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

Emergency Medicine
Memorial Hermann's Emergency Room is a high-volume unit, and residents play an active role there. Working with attending emergency physicians, the residents evaluate and manage patients with medical and surgical problems. This rotation takes place at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

Inpatient Pediatrics
In the first block of this rotation, the first year resident gains experience in the evaluation and care of the normal newborn. Relatively common newborn problems, such as hyperbilirubinemia, tachypnea, sepsis, and feeding problems will be seen, as well as more unusual conditions. Residents will also learn endotracheal intubation of the newborn, as well as lumbar puncture, umbilical artery catheterization, and other procedures.

During the second block of this rotation, residents care for infants and children with infections, metabolic derangement, seizures, and surgical conditions, among others. In addition to gaining excellent experience in the workup and management of these patients, residents have the opportunity to learn procedural skills, such as lumbar puncture and arterial access. These rotations take place at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

Obstetrics
The resident will learn to manage uncomplicated labor and delivery patients, as well as recognize and initially manage patients with complications. A high-volume delivery room experience at LBJ Hospital enhances this experience.

Orthopedics
Residents learn to diagnose and treat common joint injuries and fractures. Techniques of casting, splinting, and joint injections are taught. Preoperative, surgical, and postoperative care is also taught. This rotation takes place at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

Pulmonary Medicine
Residents work with pulmonologists in the hospital and office during this rotation. They are exposed to patients with chronic pulmonary disease, as well as those suffering from acute processes, such as pneumonia, pulmonary embolus, pneumothorax, and congestive heart failure. Residents have the opportunity to learn chest tube placement and thoracentesis, as well as take part in bronchoscopies. This rotation takes place at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.