Curriculum and Rotations

Your IM Residency at a Glance

 

  PGY-1 PGY-2 PGY-3
Focus Build a strong foundation Increase autonomy & leadership Lead teams & prepare for independent practice
Inpatient medicine 6 blocks 4 blocks 2 blocks
Critical Care 1 block 1 block 2 blocks
Cardiology 1 block 1 block  
Ambulatory 1 block 1 block 1 block
Emergency Medicine 1 block    
Hospital Medicine      2 blocks
Core Subspecialities 1 block (Nephrology) 2 blocks (Neurology, Rheumatology) 5 blocks (Pulmonology, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Infectious Diseases and Hematology/Oncology)
Electives 1 block 1 block 2 blocks


Elective Opportunities: Residents may personalize their education with electives including: Anesthesia, Cardiovascular ICU, Electrophysiology, Emergency Medicine Procedures/POCUS, Interventional Cardiology, Medical Oncology & Radiation Oncology, Obesity Medicine, Pain Management, Psychiatry, and Vascular Medicine. Core IM Subspecialties at different Ascension Wisconsin sites are also available.


Educational Experience

Learning resources

  • AMBOSS: Residents receive access to AMBOSS for board preparation, clinical learning, and point-of-care decision support.

  • Ambulatory Medicine Curriculum: Residents participate in the Yale Office-Based Medicine Curriculum, strengthening skills in preventive care, chronic disease management, and outpatient medicine.

  • Professional Development: Residents receive American College of Physicians (ACP) membership, with access to educational resources, networking, and scholarly opportunities.

  • OSCE-Based Clinical Skills: During PGY-1 orientation, residents participate in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) designed around engaging clinical scenarios and essential communication skills. Cases assess clinical reasoning, patient-centered communication, and the ability to navigate challenging patient encounters.

  • POCUS Boot Camp: PGY-2 residents participate in a dedicated Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Boot Camp focused on developing practical bedside ultrasound skills for diagnostic decision-making. Through hands-on instruction, residents build confidence integrating POCUS into real-time patient assessment.

  • Megacode & Procedural Boot Camp: PGY-2 residents participate in a Megacode Boot Camp that immerses them in high-fidelity simulation, including a megacode, stroke alert, and goals-of-care OSCE. Residents also gain hands-on procedural experience with lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, intubation, and central venous line placement using simulation models.

Didactic Education

Our educational conferences develop clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning, while highlighting our residency program’s commitment to strengthening clinical knowledge, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conference Focus
 Noon Conference
(PICO Conferences, Faculty Lectures,
Visiting Presenter Lectures)		  Faculty- and residents-led lectures cycling through the core knowledge content of internal medicine on a 36-month rotating schedule
 Journal Club
 Resident-led critical appraisal of current literature with faculty facilitation
 Clinicopathologic  Conference (CPC)  Diagnostic reasoning through complex clinical cases
Adverse Event/Morbidity & Mortality Conference  Structured case review with root cause analysis and systems-based improvement discussion
 
 Grand Rounds  Faculty and guest expert presentations on advances in Internal Medicine and specialty care
 Board Review  ABIM-style question review and high-yield topic sessions
 Ambulatory Didactics  Protected half-hour covering outpatient medicine, preventive care, and longitudinal curricular threads using the Yale Office Based Curriculum during continuity clinic sessions

Career Development & Mentorship

Residents benefit from close faculty engagement and mentorship throughout training. Our program supports each resident’s professional goals through:

  • Individualized career guidance and mentorship
  • Support for fellowship and career planning
  • Opportunities for research, quality improvement, and scholarly presentations
  • Preparation for independent practice and lifelong learning

Our comprehensive educational program provides residents with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive as internists and future leaders in medicine.