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Educational Activities

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is a wide-ranging field, and the Department is committed to providing an organized teaching program to assist residents towards proficiency in basic sciences and clinical practice pertinent to the field. This program is in addition to regular one-on-one clinical teaching (between the resident and his or her supervising staff member).

A one-year core curriculum is followed based on requirements of training. Each year a different required area of training is addressed.

These sessions will be held every Wednesday afternoon beginning at 1:00 p.m. as per the published schedule. Each session will consist of a clinical case presentation (OSCE format) and a core learning session.

Typically, an interesting clinical case is presented during the first hour (after a resident is asked to take a focused history and perform an appropriate physical exam). Patients are recruited for these case presentations from outpatient clinics and the inpatient ward.

From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the residents will discuss specific topics with a supervising staff person. Residents may occasionally be asked to present brief didactic presentations for specific topics.

The schedule of topics for Core Rounds is developed by the Senior Resident and Program Director, often in consultation with all residents and staff (generally reviewed at a Residency Training Committee Meeting).

These sessions represent the core of the Department's training and resident contribution to the sessions reflects heavily on in-training evaluations.

Journal Clubs:

Journal Clubs are an integral part of the Residency Training Program. On the 1st Tuesday of every month, article(s) will be critiqued. All Residents and Attending Staff are expected to attend. These sessions will be held from 12:30-13:30 hrs. in the Gibson 1 Classroom, St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital.

Attending and Resident Staff will be responsible, on a rotational basis, for presenting appropriate articles.

EMG Rounds:

These mandatory, but informal, rounds occur on the 3rd Tuesday each month, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the Gibson 1 Classroom, St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital.

Residents and staff are expected to bring interesting EMG case presentations for brief (10-15 minutes per case) discussion.

Professor's Rounds:

Professor's Rounds are held weekly, Friday afternoon from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Unless otherwise noted on the published schedule, the Rounds will be held in the Gibson 1 Classroom at St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital.

The objective is to enhance the overall instructional program according to perceived needs of the residents themselves. The format is varied and may consist of a seminar given by an expert in the field, i.e. imaging of the lumbar spine or an interesting case presentation by a staff or resident member. Ward rounds and discussion of two or three interesting patients may be a chosen format depending on patient mix on the inpatient unit from time-to-time.

The sessions are informal and the list of topics is selected several months in advance by the Senior Resident and Program Director.

Extra-Departmental Rounds/Meetings

The Department encourages all residents to attend relevant extra departmental rounds/meetings as their schedule permits.  Discussion with their rotation supervisor should occur if there is a conflict with other responsibilities.  Such extra departmental rounds/meetings should include Medicine Grand Rounds, Clinical Neuroscience Rounds, Hand Rounds, Orthopedic Rounds, Rheumatology Rounds, and School of Rehabilitation Therapy Rounds.