Curriculum
FIRST YEAR
The residents will spend a robust 1st year at the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Program Casper with our core program. The intern year is set up with a traditional block rotation format to take advantage of the specialists and all that the Wyoming Medical Center has to offer. During that time, 1st year All PGY I residents spend one to two half days a week in their continuity clinic. Night call covered with float intern during the week & the weekend shifts covered in a rotating fashion by the remaining interns, depending on the rotation. One month is spent away from Casper for the pediatrics rotation in Salt Lake City. All first year residents are expected to pass ACLS, ATLS, ALSO, PALS, and NRP.
BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE 2 WEEKS
The resident spends two weeks working with our behavioral medicine staff (psychiatrist, psychologist and social worker), and with other community providers at multiple facilities in the community. The goals of this rotation are to gain basic skills in diagnosis and assessment of mental illness, to improve patient interviewing skills, and gain knowledge of resources available in Casper for mental health care.
COMMUNITY MEDICINE 2 WEEKS
Community Medicine consists of exposure to many of the ancillary services that are available in the hospital and community settings that aid in the delivery of comprehensive and quality care to patients. The following areas are included in the rotation: Physical and occupational therapy, Child Development Center services, rehabilitation services, and clinical laboratory services. The rotation will be in Thermopolis at the end of the intern year.
EMERGENCY MEDICINE 4 WEEKS
While in the Emergency Department, the resident works directly with the ED physicians managing a variety of cases, including acute MIs, lacerations, asthma exacerbations, and a fortitude of trauma cases of various degrees (Wyoming Medical Center is a Level II trauma center with Life Flight service for most of the state).
FAMILY PRACTICE INPATIENT 10-12 WEEKS
The family practice inpatient (FPI) service is a team composed of three interns who are supervised by a senior resident. At times, a PGY2 resident is also on the team. On this rotation, the residents are responsible for all hospital admissions of UWFP Clinic patients. The FPI residents are also on the Trauma and “Code Blue” teams. The intern maintains one to two continuity clinics per week.
INTERN FLOAT 4 WEEKS
The night float rotation is designed to provide the intern resident with inpatient experience for a general family medicine service. The PGY2 float resident and PGY1 float resident function as a team to provide hospital coverage for all UWFPR patients and participate on emergency response teams for all patients in the hospital, including adult inpatients, pediatrics, and obstetrical patients.
OB/GYN 4 WEEKS
During this rotation, the resident performs inpatient rounds with the OB-Gyn/Peds team. This is a combination of contraception care at Public Health and Casper College, outpatient gynecology clinic with community OB/Gyn and covering labor & delivery.
OB/PEDS 4 WEEKS
On the OB-Gyn/Peds service, the OB and GYN residents work with the senior resident to provide care for obstetrical patients on the L&D and postpartum units, newborns in the nursery, patients with gynecological problems, and all box call and community FM doctors’ pediatric patients. In addition to the two half-days of one’s own clinic. The resident also has the opportunity to assist and perform C-sections, vacuum and forceps deliveries, D&Cs, and tubal ligations.
Additional rotations to get you ready to serve a rural community
ICU/CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE 4 WEEKS
The resident works one on one with our critical care/pulmonology specialists. The resident gains experience in general ICU care, especially ventilator management. There are also pulmonology consults on the floors and a plethora of procedures including thoracenteses, chest tube placement, central lines, and intubations.
GENERAL SURGERY
Residents will consult local general surgeons regularly on hospitalized patients. They have the opportunity to join the surgeons for endoscopies and colonoscopies one morning each month. During the third year, residents will work with the surgeons in clinic to become proficient in the evaluation of surgical patients, as well as pre-operative and post-operative management.
FAMILY PRACTICE
The family practice inpatient (FPI) service is a team composed of three interns who are supervised by a senior resident. At times, a PGY2 resident is also on the team. On this rotation, the residents are responsible for all hospital admissions of UWFP Clinic patients. The FPI residents are also on the Trauma and “Code Blue” teams. The intern maintains one to two continuity clinics per week.
Away Rotations
In the first year
PEDIATRICS INPATIENT 4 WEEKS
Located at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. The resident spends one month on the inpatient service as a member of the FM resident team. There is no clinic time. Housing is provided in Salt Lake City.
Rotations at the start of your second year prior to final transition to Thermopolis
OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY HIGH RISK- Spokane, WA
This rotation takes place in Spokane, Washington, where the resident works in a high risk/high volume setting on the labor and delivery floor. Our residents work under the direct supervision of Family Practice faculty and OB Fellows.
PEDIATRIC ER 4 WEEKS- Denver, CO
This rotation takes place in Denver, Colorado, where the resident works in a high volume Pediatric ER setting. Our resident will work under the direct supervision of Fellows and Pediatric Faculty.
Longitudinal Curriculum 22 months, Thermopolis, WY
The resident will live and train in Thermopolis during the remainder of the second and third year. We believe that the continuity of care is the center of what we do and the educational structure will emphasize this through the training process. Residents will see patients at the Hot Spring Health Clinic in Thermopolis, Hot Springs Health Hospital, and either the Worland or Riverton Clinic. Residents will spend 5-6 half days in their continuity clinic weekly. They will admit patients to the hospital, do ER shifts, and attend deliveries all during the course of a week. Additionally they will work with community and visiting attendings to gain experience in specialties such as Radiology, Surgery, Gynecology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, etc.
Hospital work will include daily rounds and will involve managing adult, pediatric, maternity, and neonatal patients.
Call shifts for the hospital and emergency department occur 1 night per week and one weekend per month, giving residents three Golden Weekends monthly.
The call shifts will be home call and include covering hospital patients as well as clinic patient phone calls.