Curriculum and Rotations

Rotation Schedule for Internal Medicine Residents

PGY-1

  • 4 blocks – Internal Medicine Service (IMS) at Columbia St. Mary’s (CSM)
  • 1 block – IMS Night Float at CSM
  • 1 block – IMS at St. Joseph Hospital
  • 1 block – Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at CSM
  • 1 block – Cardiology at CSM
  • 1 block – Ambulatory Clinic Rotation
  • 1 block – Emergency Medicine
  • 1 block – Nephrology
  • 1 block – Elective

PGY-2

  • 2 blocks – IMS at CSM
  • 1 block – IMS Night Float at CSM
  • 1 block – ICU at CSM
  • 1 block – Hospital Medicine at CSM
  • 1 block – Ambulatory Clinic
  • 1 block – Cardiology at CSM
  • 3 blocks – Neurology, Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology
  • 2 blocks - Electives

PGY-3

  • 2 blocks – IMS at CSM
  • 1 block – IMS at St. Joseph Hospital
  • 2 blocks – ICU at CSM
  • 1 block – Hospital Medicine at CSM
  • 1 block – Ambulatory Clinic
  • 4 blocks – Hematology and Medical Oncology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology
  • 1 block - Elective

Additional Electives Offered (in addition to above specialty/subspecialty rotations):

  • Cardiovascular ICU
  • Electrophysiology
  • Electrophysiology/Vascular Clinic
  • Radiology
  • Emergency Medicine Procedures/ POCUS
  • Pain Management
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Hematology Oncology/Radiation Oncology

Educational Resources and Curricula

Our program is committed to providing residents with state-of-the-art educational tools that complement clinical training and foster lifelong learning.

AMBOSS Curriculum

All residents receive full access to AMBOSS, an advanced digital learning platform that integrates a clinical knowledge library with a powerful question bank. AMBOSS allows residents to tailor their study based on individual learning needs, with analytics that highlight knowledge gaps and track progress over time. It is particularly valuable for in-training exam preparation, board readiness, and daily point-of-care reference on the wards. Faculty mentors use AMBOSS reports to help residents design personalized learning plans aligned with their professional goals.

Yale Office-Based Medicine Curriculum

To strengthen the outpatient training experience, residents participate in the Yale Office Based Medicine Curriculum, a structured, evidence-based series of case-based modules covering preventive care, chronic disease management, and ambulatory medicine topics. Residents work through modules longitudinally, beginning in PGY-1, and are encouraged to complete the full series by the end of the year. This curriculum ensures that residents not only gain outpatient expertise but also master the nuances of continuity care, patient communication, and preventive health.

American College of Physicians (ACP)

Our program provides complimentary membership in the American College of Physicians (ACP) for all residents. This membership grants access to ACP journals, national and state chapter meetings, and a vast professional network. Residents are encouraged to present clinical vignettes, case reports, and research at ACP chapter meetings and the national ACP conference, where many of our faculty and residents have presented. ACP membership also provides residents with career development resources, advocacy opportunities, and mentoring connections across the nation.

Didactics

Our residency program provides a diverse range of educational conferences to strengthen clinical knowledge, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Residents are expected to actively participate in these sessions, many of which are core requirements for graduation.

Noon Conferences:

  • Hospitalist Core Lecture Series: sessions focused on key inpatient topics, and high-yield clinical updates for hospital-based practice given by board certified hospitalist faculty.
  • Internal Medicine Subspecialty Lecture Series: teaching sessions led by subspecialty faculty covering evidence-based management in cardiology, nephrology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, and all Internal Medicine Subspecialties.
  • Emergency Medicine Noon Conference: Case-based reviews and lectures on acute presentations and emergency care principles relevant to internal medicine delivered by Dr Makowski.
  • Psychiatry and Neurology Conference: Focus on mental health care in internal medicine, including depression, anxiety, delirium, and collaborative care approaches. High-yield neurological topics relevant to internists, including stroke, seizure management, and neuro-diagnostic interpretation.
  • Allied Health Lecture Series : Interdisciplinary presentations from respiratory therapy, speech therapy, social work, physical/occupational therapy, and wound care specialists.
  • Palliative Care Series : Sessions on communication skills, breaking bad news, symptom management, and patient-centered end-of-life care.
  • PICO Conferences: Evidence-based medicine discussions applying PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) methodology to real cases from the wards.
  • Adverse Event/Morbidity and Mortality Conference ( CME approved activity) : Review of adverse events via a fishbone analysis to identify system improvements and enhance patient safety.
  • Clinicopathologic Conference (CPC): Interactive case conference where trainees present diagnostic reasoning and faculty review final pathology or outcomes.
  • Journal Club: Critical appraisal of recent research articles with a focus on application to clinical practice.
  • Morning Report: Case-based teaching led by chief residents/ faculty to develop diagnostic reasoning and management strategies.
  • Grand Rounds (Faculty & Trainee Presentations- CME approved activity): Monthly lectures by faculty and guest speakers on advances in internal medicine and specialty care.
  • Tumor Boards through OncoLens on Oncology rotations: with a special focus on Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic, GI/ Rectal and Gynecological malignancies.