Our Curriculum

Schedule

Our program strives to give our residents balanced exposure to inpatient and primary care. It is our goal to provide meaningful education as they work on both sides. This ensures that no matter where their career paths take them, our residents are always equipped to deliver exceptional care to patients. The schedule is flexible- we welcome feedback from residents and try to tailor their schedules to reflect personal and professional goals.

Ambulatory Care

Our Internal Medicine clinic, located in downtown Jackson, provides residents with a rewarding outpatient learning experience while serving patients throughout our community. Residents are often the first point of contact for their patients' healthcare needs, allowing them to develop meaningful, long-term relationships and experience the continuity of care that is at the heart of Internal Medicine.

Through our 3+1 schedule, residents spend one week each month in the outpatient clinic. This model promotes continuity, strengthens the resident-patient relationship, and allows residents to follow their patients over time while maintaining a strong inpatient training experience.

Electives

Residents have three dedicated blocks of elective rotations that can be tailored to their individual career interests and goals. For residents pursuing fellowship training, these electives provide opportunities to gain additional exposure to Internal Medicine subspecialties and strengthen their fellowship applications.

As part of Henry Ford Health, our residents have the unique advantage of training in a close-knit community setting in Jackson while also having access to the resources, expertise, and subspecialty experiences available within the Henry Ford Health system, including opportunities to rotate at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

This combination allows residents to benefit from the personalized learning environment of a smaller program while gaining exposure to the breadth and complexity of a larger academic medical center—giving our residents the best of both worlds as they prepare for their future careers.

Night Float

Our Night Float system typically consists of a senior resident and an intern who work together to manage overnight admissions and patient care. With an attending physician always available by phone for guidance and support, residents have the opportunity to strengthen their clinical judgment, develop confidence, and become increasingly comfortable managing patients independently.

Night Float also provides important balance to our residency schedule, allowing the daytime team to have protected time to rest and recharge while ensuring patients continue to receive safe, consistent care throughout the night.

Didactics

We have a daily morning report and weekly half-day didactics on Wednesdays, and monthly Journal Clubs. Our program’s focus is to provide you with the skills to practice evidence-based medicine and prepare you for the next step in your career. Attendance at conferences and lectures is mandatory. Academic time is protected, where residents can focus their attention exclusively on learning..

Simulations

Megacode and Rapid Response simulations happen twice every month in our recently inaugurated state-of-art sim lab. This ensures that the residents are well prepared to tackle emergencies and high-stress scenarios. Our faculty is trained in using POC ultrasound and the residents also have the option of a two-week rotation dedicated to ultrasounds in the ER.

Evaluations

Timely feedback is critical during residency. Residents receive performance evaluations from attendings at the end of each block. During inpatient blocks, the resident teams meet with the attending for ‘Feedback Friday’ every week. The aim is to develop an open environment for giving and receiving valuable feedback. Residents also fill out confidential peer-to-peer evaluations and resident evaluations of the attending. These assessments are standardized- based on patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning/improvement, professionalism, and interpersonal communication skills. 

Research and Scholarly Activities

Our leadership directs the residents to opportunities for research and quality improvement. Every resident is required to complete a quality improvement project before graduating, according to ACGME regulations. Our residents have had the chance to present their research projects at different regional and national conferences like the Annual American College of Physicians (ACP) Meetings, American Heart Association (AHA) meetings, and Henry Ford Research Symposium.