Curriculum

What sets our Family Medicine program apart from other residencies?

We aim to graduate physicians that can practice full spectrum Family Medicine wherever they end up in the world.

• Our Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Program is robust with each resident having their own POCUS probe to utilize in all inpatient/outpatient/community clinical learning experiences throughout their 3 years. Every graduate will be competent and certified in POCUS by graduation. Truly, "POCUS for the Underserved" is an evidence based way to meet our mission to reduce healthcare disparities.
• Residents currently have “no call” outside of their scheduled rotation
• Integrative and Functional Medicine (IFM) principles are embedded in the core practices of our program. IFM has scheduled protected monthly didactic time and is integrated into many curricula. 
• We are Reproductive Health Education in Family Medicine (RHEDI) Certified and help provide full spectrum Family Medicine residents with tools and procedural skills to provide reproductive justice for all our patients. 
• Resident Wellness is a priority for our residency. We have resident retreats, yearly Wellness Goals and Objectives that are reviewed by core faculty, a Wellness Committee that residents and faculty work together on, and protected Wellness time in didactics almost weekly. Residents have access to all resident rooms in the hospital and in the residency building that provide a safe place for residents to continue practicing “wellness” daily. In addition, there are multiple Wellness events throughout Santa Cruz for our residents that include surfing, food tastings, bon fires, and more!

What is embedded into every single curriculum rotation noted below at Morehouse School of Medicine Dominican Hospital Family Medicine Residency?

• Osteopathic Principles and Practices (OPP)
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) with a focus on underserved residents and patients

PGY1

• Inpatient Medicine: 8 weeks
• Community & Clinical Integration (CCI is a 1 month set of workshops and other activities in July which include group events, a 2day POCUS workshop, and more): 4 weeks
• OB: 4 weeks
• Inpatient Pediatrics: 4 weeks
• Ambulatory Pediatrics: 4 weeks
• General Surgery: 4 weeks
• POCUS & Procedures: 4 weeks
• Community Medicine & Behavioral Health: 4 weeks
• Geriatrics: 4 weeks
• Palliative Care & Hospice: 2 weeks
• Leadership & Practice Management: 4 weeks
• Orthopedics/Sports Medicine: 4 weeks
• Acute Rehabilitation Unit/Physiatry: 2  weeks

PGY2

• Inpatient Medicine: 8 weeks
• ICU: 4 weeks
• OB: 4 weeks
• Inpatient Pediatrics: 4 weeks
• Ambulatory Pediatrics: 4 weeks
• Gynecology: 4 weeks
• Emergency Medicine: 4 weeks
• Community Medicine & Behavioral Health: 4 weeks
• Leadership & Practice Management: 4 weeks
• Orthopedics/Sports Medicine: 4 weeks
• Electives/Selectives*: 8 weeks

PGY3

• Inpatient Medicine: 8 weeks
• Medical Subspecialties: 8 weeks
• Surgical Subspecialties: 4 weeks
• Emergency Medicine: 4 weeks
• Night Float: 4 weeks 
• Community Medicine & Behavioral Health: 4 weeks
• Leadership & Practice Management: 4 weeks
• Electives/Selectives*: 16 weeks

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Selectives: The six months of electives are organized to support tracks in ambulatory care, women’s health/maternity care including RHEDI, hospitalist medicine, addiction medicine, health equity/community medicine/street medicine, integrative and functional  medicine, advocacy/leadership, global health, fellowship preparation and/or specific resident’s individual learning plan.