Goals and Objectives

INTERNAL MEDICINE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

MacNeal Transitional Year Residency Program
Internal Medicine Rotation

Enhance history taking and physical examination skills.
Develop expertise in the generation of differential diagnosis, problem lists and treatment plans.
Develop expertise in the management of inpatient medical problems.
Develop skill in coordinating health care delivery in the inpatient setting.

During each four week rotation the rotator will:

Refine history taking and physical examination skills, in particular the cardiac, pulmonary, neurologic and musculoskeletal exams.
Use the above skills to generate a problem list, which incorporates all medical problems and is revised during the patient's hospital course in accordance with refinement of diagnoses.
Learn to develop diagnostic and treatment plans based on the history, physical examination and problem lists.
Learn to co-manage patients with serious medical problems with the attending physician and senior resident and to coordinate in-hospital patient care.
Learn to utilize the attending physician to extract valuable data such as: patient's past history, experience in management of these problems, and insights into patient's psyche and family situation.
Develop skills in generation of more cost effective and time effective treatment plans as to minimize overall cost expenditures while maximizing quality patient care.
Develop skills in identification of appropriate consultants that can help implement treatment plans.
Learn to identify potential placement problems and incorporate appropriate referral sources with the patient and patient's family.
Increase the residents' ability to manage physical and emotional stresses inherent in the practice of in-hospital primary care.