Curriculum
Rotations
Our curriculum is based on a “Clinic First” model that prioritizes residency continuity clinic. As a PGY-1 you will average 1 full day of continuity clinic during your ambulatory rotations and half a day during inpatient rotations. As a PGY-2 and PGY-3 resident you will average 2 full days of continuity clinic split between Keck and our FQHC partner AltaMed. The current rotation curriculum is based on new ACGME requirements going into effect July 2023.
Family Medicine Ambulatory
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.
Pediatric Ambulatory
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).
College Health
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.
Street Medicine
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.
Palliative Medicine
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.
Sports Medicine
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.
Addiction
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).
HIV
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.
Neurology Ambulatory
Location: Keck Medicine of USC ambulatory sites (Los Angeles, Arcadia)
PGY-2 residents rotate through a variety of general and specialty (ie. headache, TBI, movement disorder, etc) Neurology clinics with USC Neurology faculty and fellows.
Resident Clinic Director
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.
Adult Inpatient
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.
Pediatric Inpatient
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.
Obstetrics Labor+Delivery
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.
MICU
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.
Colorectal Surgery
Location: Keck Hospital
PGY-1 residents care for patients on the Colorectal 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.
Psychiatry
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.
Adult ED
Location: Good Samaritan Hospital PIH
PGY-3 residents care for patients in a busy high-volume community emergency room near downtown Los Angeles, staffed by USC Emergency Medicine faculty physicians.
Pediatric ED
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.
Research
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).
Electives
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).
Core Didactics:
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.