Programs | Primary Care | Ambulatory Education | Ambulatory Curricula | Ambulatory Curricula

Ambulatory Curricula

The ambulatory medicine didactic curriculum of the Yale Primary Care Residency is among the most comprehensive and effective seminar series offered in any training program.  Organized around 12 recurring outpatient medicine themes, the curriculum features lectures, interactive seminars, peer teaching, self-directed and experiential learning, workshops, and off-site experiences.  By way of example, two recent theme day schedules are detailed below.  Additional theme days in the 2012/2013 academic year include: psychosocial medicine, geriatrics, health care systems (local and national), infectious disease, thyroid disease, renal disease/nephrolithiasis, home visits/transitions of care, primary care ophthalmology, and primary care dermatology/skin biopsy.  In addition to the focused thematic content on a given day, there are a number of longitudinal experiences that intercalate into several consecutive Friday theme days.  These include the Evidence-Based Medicine curriculum, the Musculoskeletal Workshop Series, and the Biostatistics Mini-Course, as detailed below.


Biostatistics Mini-Course

The residents participate in a 4-session biostatistics curriculum, which emphasizes

Theme Day Samples, 2012/13 Academic Year

By way of example, two recent theme day schedules are detailed below.

Substance Abuse and Chronic Pain Management Curriculum

Acknowledging the dominant role that both addiction and chronic pain play in the practice of medicine in the modern era, our ambulatory curriculum features

Quality Improvement Curriculum

The ability to evaluate one's own practice and to make improvements is essential for professional growth and effective care.

Psychosocial Medicine Curriculum

Studies estimate that 35% of patients in primary care practice have psychosocial, not biomedical, problems.

Primary Care Research Curriculum

The Yale Primary Care program embraces the idea that leaders in primary care medicine should be given the opportunity to be leaders in general internal medicine research.

Musculoskeletal Workshop Series

Knowledge and proficiency at examining patients with musculoskeletal complaints is among the most essential skills of the general internist, yet teaching of this skill is often undervalued in medical training1.

Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum

To practice evidence-based medicine, a physician 1) Asks answerable questions when facing an information need, 2) Acquires the best evidence, 3) Appraises the evidence for its validity and usefulness, and 4) Applies the evidence in patient counseling and decision-making.

Diabetes Disease Management Clinic

Residents and interns participate in the Diabetes Disease Management Clinic9 on Wednesday mornings during their ambulatory block rotation.