Curriculum & Programs

Maternity Care Track | Global Health Track | Community Medicine Track | Urgent Care Track | Sports Medicine Track | Osteopathic Training and Recognition | Procedural Training | Integrative Medicine | Addiction Medicine

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Maternity Care Track

The inherent flexibility in this track allows you to advance your maternity care training to match the depth of desired learning. Our model has inspired many other programs to follow suit. Whether you choose our Standard Maternity Track or pursue the advanced option, you will experience:

• Role Modeling- Eight faculty FPs actively practice obstetrics and will supervise prenatal care and deliveries
• Ultrasounds- Perform OB ultrasounds in the office and the L&D unit with the expectation to get credentialed upon graduation for limited OB ultrasounds: i.e. fetal presentation confirmation, fetal viability, amniotic fluid index, biophysical profile.
• Collegial Approach- Well-established relationship between OB and FM residents at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's result in consistent, quality resident-to-resident teaching
• Augmenting Experiences- Opportunity to work with maternal/fetal specialists and other OB specialists to further enhance your skills
• Special Procedures- Opportunity to master specific OB-GYN procedures such as IUD insertion, endometrial biopsy and colposcopy; as well as exposure to the medical and surgical management of spontaneous miscarriages.
• High-Risk Patients- Be the first to evaluate high-risk OB patients and actively co-manage them with your OB Perinatologist colleagues. Participate in case review rounds with a Perinatologist as well as obstetrician colleagues
• Cultural Competency- Comprehensive, culturally competent prenatal care is emphasized

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About the Track Director 

Camille Garrison, MD, a graduate of Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Residency, joined our faculty in October, 2010. She is a Milwaukee native. She possesses C-section privileges at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s.

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Standard Option:

Participating in our Standard Maternity Track, you will be able to:

• Develop in-depth skills and expertise in family- centered maternity care
• Perform non-operative spontaneous vaginal deliveries
• Apply internal-fetal monitor leads and interpret fetal monitor tracings
• Repair of simple episiotomies and lacerations
• Appreciate the psychosocial aspects of maternity care
• Collaborate successfully with OB-GYN's and Nurse Midwives for the delivery of high-quality obstetrical care

 

Standard maternity requirements:

• Two track months of OB at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's required, one in PGY-2 year and one in PGY-3 year.
• Manage 15 total continuity OB patient during residency training
• Perform a minimum of 100 OB deliveries
• Advanced Life Support Obstetrics Course
• Attend a maternity care CME meeting in either PGY-2 or PGY-3 year
   

Advanced Option:

Residents who choose this option will be able to acquire all of the skills in the standard option plus some of the following, as desired:

• Perform an operative outlet delivery using vacuum
• Perform basic L&D and office ultrasounds, as well as basic fetal assessments
• Repair more complex episiotomies and lacerations
• Develop advanced skills in management and co- management of complicated and High-risk maternity patients
• Perform D&Cs
• Assist at C-sections

 

Advanced option requirements:

• Four track months at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's. Two in your PGY-2 and two in your PGY-3 year
• Manage 20 total continuity patients during residency training
• Perform a minimum of 150 OB deliveries
• Advanced Life Support Obstetrics Course
• Attend a maternity care CME meeting in either PGY-2 or PGY-3 year
• Be fellowship ready
   

For more information contact:

Camille Garrison, MD
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency
1121 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
lkennedy@mcw.edu
(414) 267-6502 (office)
(866) 540-4760 (toll free)

 

Global Health Track

The Global Health track offers powerful, intensive opportunities to develop competencies in cultural diversity and community medicine.  It is one of the only international health curricular tracks in the country that focuses on non – clinical experiences and is for the resident who wants to enrich their education by helping change the health of populations in developing countries.

Your experience will be supported by a full two year long curriculum that will augment the immersion field experience within an international setting.  You will learn, first-hand, how health can be affected by the lack of vital public health services and infrastructure in impoverished communities. Serving at the grassroots level, you will work to be a part of a community’s solutions.

The Global Health Track provides opportunities to touch the lives of people who are in great need. They’ll touch your life, too. You’ll have the unique experience only an international track can provide for a greater appreciation of the individual patient within the larger picture.

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Where? How?

The track takes advantage of each learner's particular skill sets and interests. In the past Global Health track participants have traveled to countries all over the world including Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Guatemala, Belize, Philippines, Russia, and India. As a testimony to the seriousness by which we approach this educational effort, up through 2016 all residents enrolled in the Global Health Track have received their full salary and ALL expenses paid (including r/t airfare) during their immersion field experience.

Objectives

Residents participating in this track will be able to:

• Care for patients in a developing country and learn about the interplay of health, disease, and poverty
• Understand community-oriented primary care
• Use epidemiologic skills to assess and track the health indices of a community including research design, implementation and evaluation
• Develop data analysis and presentation skills
• Gain grant writing skills
• Advocate for marginalized and vulnerable populations
   

Curricular Components 

The Global Health Track has three parts to its  curriculum. The first is an academically oriented series  encompassing 16 different aspects of Global Health.  We use a Global Health textbook and meet  every month to discuss on of the chapters’ topics.  The reading is augmented by videos, ancillary  readings, and, of course, your personal experiences.

Lastly, the overseas’ electives allow for an immersive experience that is singularly unique. It is during the field experience where many of the classroom and clinical experiences learned in Milwaukee can be put into proper context.  There is opportunity for two overseas electives during the last two years of training.

 

Community Medicine Track

   

Community Medicine Track Curriculum 

The Community Medicine Track curriculum aims to help residents develop the skills to become a community-responsive physician. Experiences include opportunities for community health assessment, engagement and development of new and existing community partnerships, health improvement program planning and evaluation, and clinical skill development in areas of need for underserved populations. The track includes a community-based project, intended to meet residents’ scholarly project requirements, based on a topic of interest and done in collaboration with a community partner the resident has developed a relationship with. The track is designed to be flexible enough to meet residents’ individual learning goals. It allows for selection between relevant electives, resident identification and development of a project focus area, and supports opportunities for further enrichment such as additional training.

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About the Track Director

Dr. Lundh is a graduate of our Family Medicine Residency and is the Director of the student run Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured. Dr. Lundh has an interest in Resident Wellness.

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The track has 4 primary components:

1. A one-month Community Medicine Exploration Elective
2. A longitudinal community-based project
3. Additional 1+ electives in any topic related to community medicine chosen to meet residents’ individual learning goals.
4. Participation in the FHC Community Engagement Committee
Additional experiences related to community medicine are available to augment these components. Examples include enrolling in or auditing public health courses, identifying and meeting with a community advisor, participating in ongoing, existing community health-related projects through faculty and staff in our department, and to attend relevant conferences, meetings, or trainings.

Below are descriptions of the four primary components:
1. One month Community Medicine Exploration elective

• This elective is typically done in the PGY2 year. Exceptions may be possible in individual cases.
• Purpose:  The purpose of this rotation is to become exposed to a variety of settings in which programs, services, and care are delivered.  This will also afford an opportunity to meet potential community partners for the longitudinal project.  Residents are expected to seek the perspective of those they meet in community settings and work through observation and inquiry on identifying community needs and possible areas for collaboration.
• Learning Objectives:
  1. Gain awareness and understanding of multiple community-based organizations, settings, and approaches to delivering health and health-related programming.
  2. Enhance clinical skills to address the needs of vulnerable populations
  3. Become exposed to the legislative advocacy process for health professionals and organizations.
  4. Use principles of community-academic partnership to begin considering and planning for PGY3 Community Medicine Project
• Activities:  In addition to continuity clinic and call responsibilities, residents will attend a variety of community sites.
• Selected readings on community oriented primary care to be completed before or during your elective.

2.  Longitudinal Community-based Project

• This project is conducted primarily in the PGY3 year, though residents are encouraged to begin developing partnerships and ideas in the PGY2 year or earlier.
• Rationale: The skills involved in forming or joining a community partnership, identifying areas of community need, establishing mutual goals, collaborative planning, and executing a program for the purpose of community health improvement can only be gained through experience. Because of the relational nature of community engagement, this project must be undertaken over time; a four-week elective is not conducive to developing a true partnership. This experience is designed to afford residents the opportunity to become a partner to the community and to work through a focused health improvement project together.
• It is recommended but not required that this project be utilized to meet residents’ scholarly project requirements.
• Learning Objectives: By the end of this longitudinal experience, residents will be able to
  1. Use a community strengths and needs assessment to identify a focused topic area that is timely, relevant, and likely to benefit a target population within our community (SBP-3).
  2. Successfully partner and collaborate with other public health and community-based organizations (SBP-3).
  3. Utilize sound research or program design to develop and implement a study or health improvement program
  4. Use appropriate techniques to assess or analyze the results of their study or program
• Strategies: Residents will be expected to submit a longitudinal project proposal by July of their PGY3 year. Based on the nature of the project, their proposal will include recommendations for the time needed (e.g. frequency, timing) for completion of the project and recommendations for how this time could be best “paid back” or “paid forward” during a scheduled one-month elective.

3. Community-Medicine Related Electives

• These electives may be completed in the PGY2 or PGY3 year.
• Purpose: To allow residents to individualize the track experience by identifying (or creating) electives to meet their learning objectives.
• Current electives: Behavioral health elective or community health center electives would be suitable as relevant track electives.
• Residents are strongly encouraged to consider taking at least one elective intended to strengthen clinical skills caring for underserved populations. Examples include the behavioral health or community health center electives, an oral health elective, HIV-focused infectious disease elective, etc.

4. Participation on the Community-Engagement Committee

• Community Medicine Track residents are considered members of the Community-Engagement Committee
• Participation will allow residents an opportunity to collaborate with an inter-disciplinary clinic team conducting community engagement. They will help in identifying annual areas of focus. Residents on the committee are resident-leaders for community engagement and will communicate information and opportunities based on the committee’s work to the other residents. 
• Requirements for successful completion of the Community Medicine Track:
  1. Completion of the Community Medicine Exploration Elective.
  2. Successful completion of a community-related project, including development or engagement in a partnership with a community (outside of the clinic or hospital) organization or group.
  3. Completion of at least 1 additional elective related to community medicine, as determined by the resident and track advisor to meet individual learning goals.
  4. Active participation in the FHC Community Engagement Committee, defined as attendance of at least 50% of committee meetings and substantial participation in the committee’s annual project during the PGY2 and PGY3 years.
      

For more information contact:

Rebecca Lundh, MD
Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Family Medicine
1121 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
lkennedy@mcw.edu
(414) 267-6502 (Office)
Toll free: (866) 540-4760
(414) 267-3892 (Fax)

 

Urgent Care Track

Goals:

• Prepare you for future career in an urgent care setting.
• Increase your knowledge and skills in treating specific conditions frequently seen in urgent care settings.
• Increase your knowledge and skills doing procedures frequently required in urgent care.
• Give you a “toolbox” of resources for treating patients now and throughout your career.
   

Timeline:

• A 2-year ongoing experience starting in the second year of the family medicine residency.
   

Format:

1. Clinical Experiences
   1. 2+ months of urgent care/emergency medicine elective rotations
   2. Other clinical experiences possible (i.e.: a morning with anesthesiology reviewing intubation/airway skills, vascular access, etc.)
2. Urgent Care Educational Experiences
   1. Maintain ACLS and CPR skills, consider becoming an ACLS/CPR instructor
   2. ATLS (2-day course offered at Froedert/MCW and other locations).  This will be paid with resident’s CME funds.
   3. PALS (optional – to be paid with residents’ CME funds)
   4. Textbook readings/electronic and online readings and videos on specific UC topics and procedures as directed by UC track faculty
   5. Other educational experiences as agreed on by resident and UC track faculty (ie: UC CME conference or seminar, etc.)
3. Reading and self-study
   1. An urgent care “textbook” will be chosen by UC track faculty, with specific topics and chapters mandated for reading during the 2 years.
   2. Additional self-study as UC track faculty and resident agree on.
4. Scholarly Project
   1. An urgent care project or appropriate research project to be proposed (and approved by UC track faculty) by the resident and completed before residency graduation.

 

For more information contact:

Larry Duenk, MD
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency
1121 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
lkennedy@mcw.edu
(414) 267-6502 (office)
Toll free: (866) 540-4760

 

Sports Medicine Track

Preamble:

• The Sports Medicine Track is designed to provide learning experiences in a variety of settings that will give residents expertise in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of common musculoskeletal conditions that affect athletes. Upon completion of the track, residents should feel prepared for applying to a Sports Medicine Fellowship if desired.
• 5 of our recent graduates have completed Sports Medicine Fellowships. 2 of our June 2020 graduates are currently completing
  Sports Medicine Fellowships.
  
  

Competencies/Objectives
At the completion of the Sports Medicine Track, a family medicine resident should be able to: 

• Perform an appropriate musculoskeletal history and physical examination; formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis; and recommend treatment, including requisite subspecialty referrals.
• Perform an evidence-based, age-appropriate, and activity-specific pre-participation physical examination.
• Demonstrate the provision of care to athletes involved in athletic competition and events within the context of team-based care, including event risk assessment and support, collaborative work with athletic trainers and other health care professionals, and post-event follow up.
• Communicate effectively regarding musculoskeletal health care with a wide range of individuals, including patients, their families, coaches, and employers.
• Understand that sports medicine involves caring for the whole athlete, including medical and psychological conditions in addition to their musculoskeletal conditions.
• Understand how exercise impacts disease states such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and formulate an appropriate individualized exercise prescription.
   

Track Requirements and Opportunities:

 

For more information contact:

Jeremy Waldhart, DO
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency
1121 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
lkennedy@mcw.edu
(414) 267-6502 (office)
Toll free: (866) 540-4760

 

Osteopathic Training and Recognition

The Medical College of Wisconsin's Department of Family and Community Medicine is accredited through the ACGME and has obtained Osteopathic Recognition for our program. Our osteopathic partner is the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. This links two institutions with strong medical histories, creating an efficient path for postgraduate training of osteopathic students.

Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine is the founding college of Osteopathic Medicine, with more than 120 years of leading comprehensive healthcare, medical education, research and global service. Ascension Columbia St. Mary's was the first hospital in Wisconsin, with more than 165 years of making a difference in the health and lives of individuals, families and our community. We've always had special concern for those who are most vulnerable.

OPTIK & the Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Medicine Residency:

• Capitalizes on long-standing traditions of service
• Allows for continuous OMT training in one Residency
• Provides flexibility for the osteopathic student to learn how to integrate OMT into practice
• Provides ample opportunities to serve a diverse patient population and work with a variety of specialists within a large healthcare system
   

Your Clinical Setting, the Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Family Health Center:

• Precepting by the Medical Director of Osteopathic Residency as well as program faculty
• OM tables in exam rooms plus a portable table available anytime
• Opportunity to extend your ambulatory experience by working with a DO in their private practice
   

Your Education:

• One-day workshops conducted three times a year (twice by Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine OMM Faculty and once by program faculty members, Sabrina Hofmeister, Jeremy Waldhart, and Michael Plotkin).
• Annual lectures facilitated by the Medical Director of Osteopathic Residency
• DO textbooks and subscriptions to DO and JAOA included in the Residency's library

 

Procedural Training

A Foundation in the Basics and Opportunity for More

All residents in our program become proficient in a number of basic procedures. Residents are taught by faculty who practiced in these procedures and experienced in communicating the required skills and knowledge. The procedures we consider "basic" include:

•  Neonatal circumcision
•  Skin punch biopsy
•  Skin cryosurgery
•  Lesion excision
•  Abscess incision & drainage
•  Suturing
•  Cerumen removal
•  Anoscopy
•  Endometrial biopsy
•  Toenail Removal
• Joint aspiration and injection 

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Clinic Equipment and Space

The Family Health Center has 3 large procedure rooms equipped with the latest technology. You will learn procedures using clinical equipment such as colposcope, handheld and tank type cryo units, external fetal heart tracing unit, ultrasound. We offer our patients preventative dental care, as well as an on-site Pharmacist.

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Residents who want to gain broader experience with office procedures will find ample opportunity to do so. Among the procedures that residents may choose to learn at their discretion are: Colposcopy, IUD insertion/removal, Nexplanon, Obstetrical Ultrasound*, Pediatric lumbar puncture.

CSM residents learn from some of the best in the fields of colposcopy and other office-based procedures. One nurse schedules every procedure to include a resident to maximize resident procedure involvement. 

* Obstetrical Ultrasounds plus many additional obstetrical procedures are experienced through the Maternity Care Track specifically. 

 

Integrative Medicine
Residents interested in Integrative Medicine will gain experience by working with physicians or other clinicians trained in integrative medicine during outpatient electives and will have access to the on-line Integrative Medicine In Residency curriculum modules from the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.

 

Addiction Medicine
Residents will have an opportunity to gain experience in treating patients with opioid use disorder at the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinics at our Family Health Center.

There is a critical shortage of physicians capable of caring for patients with severe alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services estimates only 1 in 10 patients with addiction have adequate access to addiction treatment in the US. In response to this crisis, the Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Family Medicine Residency provides comprehensive addiction medicine training to all of our residents!

In fall of the PGY1 year, all interns will attend a buprenorphine waiver training course led by John Hayes DO, our faculty physician that is double boarded in family and addiction medicine. Interns will have ample opportunities to induce patients on depot naltrexone and buprenorphine- naloxone on our hospital family medicine teaching service.

In the PGY 2 and 3 year, all CSM residents rotate through our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinic. In this clinic, we provide comprehensive medical care to patients with moderate to severe opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. Our patients have access to medications like Vivitrol and Suboxone, but also can access counseling, routine medical care, psychiatric care, prenatal care, and treatment of hepatitis C or HIV. Once patients “stabilize” in our MAT intake clinic, they are dispersed into regular panels and seen alongside all other patients.

The residency is also developing additional elective opportunities for residents that desire enhanced training in addiction medicine. Our addiction medicine elective rotation will have residents participate in hospital addiction medicine consults, attend group intensive outpatient therapy, attend group therapy in a local residential treatment facility (Meta house) and shadow in a local methadone clinic.

Our goal is that all residents that graduate from program clinic will be capable of caring for the addiction, primary care, and mental health needs of patients with substance use disorders. We hope to be part of a primary care addiction medicine revolution where family physicians routinely treat the disease of addiction alongside all other conditions.