What To Expect as a Family Medicine Resident

Full ancillary support teams assist you in all areas. Lab, IV, and pharmacy teams are available 24 hours a day with efficient, computer-reported lab results. Pharm D's round with you on family medicine and pediatrics to give you additional teaching support and lectures. A nutrition support team is available for consultation on patients needing parenteral or enteral nutritional supplementation.

The medical center offers physical therapy in one of the largest, most modern facilities in the Southeast. Speech therapy and other rehabilitative services are also available. Our Sports Medicine Institute caters to local college, high school, city leagues, and in the summers, pro sports teams. 

An active medical social services department helps needy patients utilize community resources after they are discharged from the medical center. Home health care services offers long-term nursing care, including physical therapy and custodial care in the patient's home as an alternative to nursing home placement.

There are superb and extensive AV and library facilities with Med Search capabilities and affiliation with the Medical University of South Carolina library in Charleston, S.C. There is also a full-time library staff to assist you. Training and access are available for EBSCOHost, DynaMed, Nursing Reference Center Plus, PubMed and more. A wide variety of content is available for download and streaming.

Our newly renovated conference room includes the most advanced technology for streaming and conducting lectures and conferences. Programs can be accessed from anywhere in the nation and the technology enables interaction with faculty and residents from other programs and medical schools within South Carolina. We also offer access to extensive databases of medical information and education in the Center for Family Medicine.

NF System, so no call. Rotations are scheduled in 4 week blocks.

First Year

• Orientation - 1/2 block
• Service (FMS, Peds, OB, MTS) - 1/2 block
• Ambulatory - 1 block
• Family Medicine Inpatient - 1 block
• Internal Medicine (Medicine Teaching Service (MTS)) - 2 blocks
• Pediatrics - 2 blocks
• Obstetrics (OB) - 2 blocks
• Night Float/Self-Directed Learning - 2 blocks
• Surgery - 1 block
• Emergency Medicine - 1 block

Second Year

• Ambulatory - 1 block
• Family Medicine Inpatient - 1 block
• Internal Medicine (Medicine Teaching Service (MTS)) - 2 blocks
• Pediatrics - 2 blocks
• Night Float/Self-Directed Learning - 2 blocks
• Emergency Medicine - 1 block
• Intensive Care Unit - 1 block
• Community Medicine/Practice Management - 1 block
• Gynecology - 1 block
• Elective - 1 block

Third Year

• Ambulatory - 2 blocks
• Family Medicine Inpatient - 1 block
• Night Float/Self-Directed Learning - 2 blocks
• Cardiology - 1 block
• Sports Medicine - 1 block
• Orthopaedics - 1 block
• Geriatrics - 1 block
• Pediatric Acute Care Clinic - 1/2 block
• Dermatology - 1/2 block
• Elective - 3 blocks

There is an excellent backup system for all times and all services. There are always upper level residents/fellows in-house for interns (Private OB attendings are in-house with you every night). One family medicine faculty attending is always on call, as are the attending physicians on each specialty and core rotation. Residents may request a consultation from any specialist when needed.

You are never alone on any of our services.

Obstetricians have in-house call with you every night. In addition, one of the family medicine attendings is available daily to advise you with Family Medicine Center deliveries.

Conveniently located in the hospital are dedicated sleeping/call rooms that include a TV, desk, shower and bed. Our facilities also contain study areas, a TV lounge, small kitchen and office spaces for the residents.

We have outpatient clinics in a variety of disciplines, guaranteeing you a rich experience. There are clinics for Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynecology and various other specialties.

Our residents see up to 12 patients per each half-day clinic, depending on their year of training. Family Medicine is largely an ambulatory specialty. Therefore, we focus on a practical, relevant ambulatory educational experience.

Average patients assigned for your private practice:

• First Year - 75 - 100
• Second Year - 250 - 300
• Third Year - 400 - 450

Family Medicine office hours for your private patients (half-days/week):

• First Year - 1-2
• Second Year - 1-5
• Third Year - 2-8

The number of patients seen during office hours varies from 2-12 per resident. We hold back on scheduling early in your first year, and gradually increase your patient numbers as your proficiency improves.

All outpatient procedures are taught in the Center for Family Medicine including, vasectomy, colposcopy, joint injections, common dermatology procedures and osteopathic manipulative treatment.

Moonlighting opportunities are available during the Second and Third years. Moonlighting is not required, however, it is recognized as a valuable extension of your educational experience, and a financial benefit for many.

Guidelines

• All Residents wishing to moonlight have to get the approval of the Administrative Director of Medical Education, Program Director, and Advisor.
• Family Medicine Residents starting in their second year of residency can work at geri-psychiatric units at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.
  • No moonlighting is permitted at the First Year level because a permanent license is not issued in South Carolina until residents have completed the first year of postgraduate training.
• Monthly limitations are required, based on the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) guidelines: 80 hours (week days + call + moonlighting) per week.
• You must provide your own malpractice insurance if moonlighting outside of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, and moonlighting must not interfere with your educational activities.
• South Carolina law prohibits International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from moonlighting until they have completed three years of residency.
• Must have a Permanent SC License.

Programs

Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry Units

• Family Medicine Residents will be on call for adult and geriatric psychiatry units.
• The resident will provide medical consultation on new patients and provide follow up consultation for medical management on any in-patients.
• The resident will be paid an hourly wage of $50 on the weekends and $55 on the weekdays, and also bill RVU’s for services rendered for which they will be reimbursed.

We administer the official In-Training Examinations, produced by the American Board of Family Medicine & AOFP, each October. This gives the resident and faculty an opportunity to compare the resident's current knowledge base with other residents in this program locally and across the nation. 

There are conferences for residents assigned to individual services, as well as daily conferences for the entire group of residents. A copy of our academic calendar, showing the conference schedule for the month, is available for your review. Visiting faculty from local schools, and guest speakers from around the country complement our own faculty. There are educational seminars scheduled throughout the year involving medical experts from all parts of the nation.