Curriculum

Location: Keck Medicine Family Medicine Clinic, AltaMed FQHC Clinic

PGY-1 have on average 1.5 days of their continuity clinic and will rotate through various Family Medicine specialty clinics including Women’s Health, Women’s Procedures, Gender Affirming Care, Geriatrics, and COVID Recovery Clinic. PGY-2 and PGY-3 FM Ambulatory rotations will be dedicated 2-week blocks at both continuity clinic sites at Keck Medicine and FQHC AltaMed.

Location: AltaMed FQHC Clinic (Westlake/3rd) and CHLA Clinics

Residents have dedicated rotations in PGY-1 and PGY-2 year to care for pediatric patients in FQHC and academic pediatric ambulatory clinics staffed by CHLA faculty. Residents will rotate through continuity clinic (routine well child care), triage clinic (urgent sick visits), and various CHLA specialty clinics (allergy, orthopedics, endocrine, rheumatology, failure to thrive, etc).

Location: USC Student Health Clinic (University Park Campus)

This rotation on the undergraduate USC campus offers the unique opportunity to provide care in a student health center. Residents work with primary care, psychiatry and sports medicine practitioners to learn a holistic approach towards the needs of college students. Under the guidance of our epidemiologist, residents will also complete a quality improvement study which they can add to their body of scholarly work.

Location: Streets of Los Angeles City and County

PGY-1 residents have the unique opportunity to join our Keck Medicine of USC Street Medicine interdisciplinary team of dedicated Street Medicine clinicians (physicians and physician assistants), nursing, community health workers, HIV fellows, OT residents, to provide primary care for people experiencing homelessness on the streets. By standing with and caring for the most vulnerable in Los Angeles, our residents will hone their tools to fight for health equity and social justice. PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents have elective, research, advocacy and leadership opportunities in Street Medicine as well.

Location: Keck Medical Center (Keck Hospital and Norris Cancer Hospital)

PGY-1 residents participate in inpatient Palliative consult rounds and also see patients in the outpatient Palliative Clinic. Residents join an interdisciplinary team of Palliative attending (both IM and FM faculty), Social Work, Nurse Practitioner, and medical students.

Location: USC Toyota Performance Arts Center and USC Student Health Center

PGY-2 residents work with FM-Sports and Orthopedics faculty in the care of broad sports and primary care musculoskeletal conditions in ambulatory and college health settings. Residents with a focused interest in Sports Medicine also have the opportunity to work with FM-Sports faculty at local high school and community college football games.

Location: Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA)

PGY-2 residents participate in interdisciplinary whole-person care for patients with substance use disorders in multiple settings (residential, ambulatory, etc.). All residents will receive training in MAT (Medication Assisted Training) to effectively prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the primary care setting (both in clinic and the street).

Location: USC Pacific AIDS Education + Training Center (PAETC)

Residents work with USC Family Medicine HIV faculty and fellows caring for persons living with HIV in primary care ambulatory settings in the clinic and street.

Location: Keck Hospital

PGY-2 residents work with USC Cardiology faculty and fellows with Keck Hospital’s Cardiology Consult service.

Location: Keck Medicine Family Medicine Clinic/ AltaMed FQHC Clinic

PGY-3 residents work closely with the respective Medical Directors of their continuity clinics acting as Junior Medical Director and building key leadership skills. Residents participate in clinical and operational committee meetings, advance their quality improvement project, and build competencies in systems-based practice.

Location: Keck Hospital

Residents complete two months each year on Adult Inpatient rotation. The team consists of a Family Medicine PGY-1 and senior resident (PGY-2 or PGY-3). Residents manage complicated cases and care for patients in a tertiary-quaternary academic medical center. Patients will be staffed with Family and Internal Medicine faculty.

Location: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)

PGY-1 residents care for hospitalized pediatric patients in a leading academic hospital. PGY-1 residents join a team of CHLA Pediatric senior residents and faculty.

Location: California Hospital Medical Center Dignity Health

Residents have dedicated Labor + Delivery rotations in PGY-1 and PGY-2 years working with a team of Family Medicine residents from multiple local residency programs, OB and FM faculty physicians, and Certified Nurse Midwives. At this high-volume community-based hospital, residents gain strong hands-on experience in obstetric and perinatal care for vulnerable populations.

Location: Keck Hospital

PGY-2 residents acquire essential knowledge, clinical skills, and competencies in the management of critically ill patients. Residents rotate for 4 weeks and they are supervised by ICU attendings and fellows.

Location: Keck Hospital

PGY-1 residents care for patients on the Vascular Surgery Service, honing skills in pre-operative, peri-operative, and post-operative care in inpatient and ambulatory settings. FM residents work closely with USC Surgery residents, fellows and faculty on this service.

Location: Keck Hospital

PGY-1 residents join the Psychiatry Consult + Liason team working directly with Psychiatry faculty and fellows. Residents will also have the opportunity to care for patients in the ambulatory setting in medically complex psychiatric clinic.

Location: Los Angeles General Medical Center

PGY-3 residents care for patients in a County safety-net Level-One Trauma Center emergency room near downtown Los Angeles, staffed by USC Emergency Medicine faculty physicians.

Location: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)

PGY-3 residents will have a dedicated 4-week rotation to care for pediatric patients in a busy high-volume academic pediatric emergency room. Residents will work directly with Pediatric EM faculty physicians and will work with pediatric residents.

Location: Monte Vista Grove Homes

Residents will longitudinally care for patients in a skilled nursing facility in the community over their PGY2 and PGY3 years, working in resident care teams.

Location: Keck Medicine of USC Family Medicine Clinic/ Virtual

Residents have dedicated 2-week research rotations every year to pursue scholarly activities. All residents are required to complete 1 research and 1 Quality Improvement project by graduation. They are also expected to facilitate 2 Journal Clubs during residency and participate in Residency Research Incubators during core didactics. There are opportunities for other dedicated research and scholarly activities integrated into other rotations (ie, Student Health QI project, Geriatrics research translation in elder abuse in FM Ambulatory rotation).

Residents have ample opportunity for elective rotations in their PGY-2 and PGY-3 years at both Keck and community sites based on their areas of focus and interests. Residents will choose from an approved list of elective rotations (including sub-specialty rotations ie Cardiology, Infectious Disease, Endocrinology). The program invites residents to co-develop community-based elective rotations (currently under development include HIV primary care, family planning, dermatology, refugee health, urgent care, etc).

Wednesday afternoons are protected core didactic time for all residents. Didactics are organized by systems every month. Longitudinal curriculum in Street Medicine, HIV, structural competency, and behavioral health are integrated throughout the year. Didactics are co-supervised by a dedicated Resident Curriculum Chair, and incorporate traditional lectures, procedural workshops, Point of Care Ultrasound workshops, simulations, resident-led talks, case discussions, Balint groups, Board Review, Journal Club, and Resident Forum.