At CMMC FMR, we encourage residents to take ownership of their education by reflecting on what they want to achieve during residency to set themselves up for success after graduation. All residents complete a Personalized Education Plan (PEP) in orientation and update it over time. The PEP outlines a resident’s post-residency plans and the pathway they will take during residency to help achieve them. For many, this includes choosing specific areas to focus their learning. CMMC FMR can support residents in most any area of interest, but based on our faculty areas of expertise, current clinical services, and community partnerships, there are some specific strengths of the program that include:
Academic Medicine
For residents interested in a career in teaching or doing scholarly work, they work on developing those skills and portfolio during residency. Several residents have completed an Academic Medicine elective rotation in the past, which has included partnering with faculty on a research project, spending additional time in our med student clinic, junior precepting, didactic teaching, completing peer-reviews, and presenting at conferences.
Addiction Medicine
We provide a robust MOUD program for patients, and residents participate in all aspects of care including our low barrier bridge clinic and weekly support group as well as managing their own panel of patients on MOUD. For residents who would like additional training in Addiction Medicine, there are opportunities to spend additional time in these clinics, as well as work one-on-one with our Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, who conducts Addiction Assessments of patients in early stages of recovery, and rotate with a community partner for inpatient experience.
Advocacy
Many of our residents have a passion for being agents of change in the community. Advocacy is a powerful way to use your voice as a physician to shape the landscape of health care, particularly at a local level, and residency is a great place to learn those skills. Several residents have completed an advocacy elective that has included speaking at the state legislatures, writing op-eds for the local newspaper, interviewing local and state representatives, researching health policy, and completing advocacy training.
Geriatrics/Palliative Care
The goal of the Selective is to provide a more compact and comprehensive exposure to the many venues which provide care for the frail elderly: the home, the clinic, assisted living communities, long term care, hospital-based palliative care, and community-based and inpatient Hospice Care. The frail elderly is a fast growing and underserved population which requires a unique set of clinical skills. The goal of this Selective is to help you to be confident and competent caring for elders in your practice after residency.
Hospitalist in Family Medicine
The Hospitalist in Family Medicine is designed to give residents a concentrated exposure to Hospital Medicine as it evolves into an exclusive area of practice. The resident will work directly with a hospital-based provider group and will participate in the care of patients in that environment. The resident is encouraged to explore all areas in which Hospitalists function which could also include opportunities to rotate in Bridgton or Rumford Hospitals. There may be opportunities to work on the Palliative Care Service as well as serve as a medicine consultant for patients admitted by other providers in the system. This experience may prepare the resident to apply for our or another Hospitalist fellowship.
Integrative Medicine
The goal of the selective is to introduce residents to offering health care through an integrative medicine model. Integrative Medicine combines evidenced-based traditional western or allopathic and osteopathic medicine with other healing traditions, to create an individualized approach for the patient and to support the wellness of the health care provider and team. The resident will gain exposure to a variety of alternative health care providers via an experiential approach and learn to design a holistic method of practice for you and your patients.
Each resident completing the Integrative Medicine selective will also have the opportunity to participate with residents around the nation in the web-based Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) program designed by the University of Arizona. IMR is an in-depth competency-based curriculum in integrative medicine to be completed during the second two years of your residency. The IMR incorporates program and topic-specific exercises that residents can incorporate into their day-to-day family medicine experience. Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Sports Medicine
The resident in a sports medicine will have additional training in sports medicine, including opportunities for sideline game coverage, sports medicine research, and increased time in the sports medicine clinic, which allows for increased training in diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal issues. Residents have the opportunity to improve their skills with various procedures including musculoskeletal ultrasound, casting and splinting, joint injections and aspirations, and musculoskeletal x-ray interpretation. After completing this time in sports medicine, the resident should have increased competence at triaging and managing non-operative fractures, tendinopathies and other traumatic injuries, and be comfortable managing non-traumatic musculoskeletal complaints as well.
