Original Article

NET Rounding: A Standardized Rounding Intervention to Improve Rounding Efficiency and Optimize the Inpatient Experience for Internal Medicine Attendings and Residents

Objectives: There is a scarcity of published best practices for efficient and effective hospital rounds. We introduced a standardized rounding intervention (NET Rounding, or Novel Rounding Practices, Shared Expectations, and Time Management) with the primary aims of improving rounding efficiency, reducing resident work-hour violations, and positively affecting clinician experience. Secondary…

Original Article

Assessing Food Insecurity in Primary Care: A Comparison Between an Internal Medicine– and a Student-Run Clinic

Objectives: Food insecurity has been rising in the United States, disproportionally affecting populations with no insurance, low socioeconomic status, and racial minorities. It is associated with overall poorer health, especially in terms of glycemic control, mental health, and cardiovascular disease. Addressing it is critical because although studies show its significance,…

Original Article

Implementation and Assessment of a Resident-Preceptor Curriculum for Internal Medicine Residents in Outpatient Continuity Clinics

Objective: Opportunities for senior residents to precept junior trainees in continuity clinics have previously been explored. Faculty or junior resident perceptions of the resident-preceptor model remain understudied, however. We describe a resident-preceptor curriculum implemented with third-year Internal Medicine residents at a single institution with a multipronged evaluation. The objective was…

Original Article

Simulation-Based Knee Joint Arthrocentesis Workshop for Internal Medicine Residents

Objectives: Knee arthrocentesis is a safe and valuable diagnostic and therapeutic primary care procedure. Enhancing Internal Medicine (IM) residents’ competency in this skill is crucial for effective patient care. We implemented a simulation-based knee arthrocentesis workshop (SBKAW) to improve residents’ comfort in offering knee joint arthrocentesis in primary care settings….

Internal Medicine Faculty Receive Hands-On POCUS Training

Internal Medicine faculty at Saint Peter’s University Hospital received hands-on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training, provided by SMA, and that included a series of live demonstrations, case-based simulations, and didactic lectures.

Original Article

Providing Structured Real-Time Feedback on Postdischarge Outcomes Using Electronic Health Record Data

Objectives: Most trainees do not receive information about postdischarge outcomes, despite the importance of external feedback for accurate self-assessment and improvement in discharge planning skills. We aimed to design an intervention to foster reflection and self-assessment by trainees regarding how they can improve transitions of care with minimal investment of…

Original Article

Evaluation of an Internal Medicine Transition to Residency Course

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel Internal Medicine (IM) transition to residency (TTR) curriculum. Methods: We performed a paired pre-/postsurvey evaluation of graduating fourth-year medical students’ perceived preparedness and medical knowledge after participating in a recently developed IM TTR course. Results: The response rate was 51%…

Original Article

CME Article: Comparison of Sense of Humor and Burnout in Surgeons and Internal Medicine Physicians

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate humor styles in surgeons and internists and investigate the association between humor and burnout. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of physicians in surgical and medicine departments was conducted, assessing sense of humor and burnout using the Humor Styles Questionnaire and the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the…

Original Article

Implementation of a Night-Float Curriculum: Impact on Intern Confidence over Time

Objectives: Formal nighttime education is becoming increasingly necessary as more internal medicine (IM) residency programs adopt night-float rotations (NFRs); however, the efficacy of an NFR curriculum throughout an academic year and which topics in an NFR curriculum increase trainee confidence are unknown. We implemented a 12-module, self-paced NFR curriculum for…

Original Article

Self-Directed Learning among Internal Medicine Residents in the Information Age

Objectives: The revolution in information technology and a rapidly expanding evidence base are changing residency training. Understanding the habits and preferences of trainees’ self-directed learning (SDL) has never been more important. Our goal was to provide a contemporary description of residents’ SDL practices. Methods: Internal medicine residents at four university-affiliated…

Original Article

Holiday Discharges Are Associated with Higher 30-Day General Internal Medicine Hospital Readmissions at an Academic Medical Center

Objective: Academic medical centers face unique challenges in educating physician trainees in effective discharge practices to prevent readmissions. Meanwhile, residents must handle high workloads coupled with frequent rotations to different services. This study aimed to determine whether daily service census, service turnover, time of discharge, and day of discharge increase…

Review Article

Point-of-Care Ultrasound Applications in the Outpatient Clinic

Although the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is well established in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit, the use of POCUS in the outpatient clinic setting is still emerging. General practitioners and specialists alike have increasing access to smaller and less expensive US devices that can assist in…

Review Article

Point-of-Care Sinus Ultrasound: Impact Within a Large Internal Medicine Clinic and Review of Technique

Outpatient diagnosis of acute bacterial sinusitis, using only traditional physical examination and clinical criteria, results in the overuse of antibiotics in patients with upper respiratory complaints. Point-of-care maxillary sinus ultrasound is easy to learn and quick to perform in a primary care clinic. The technique can reduce antibiotic prescribing by…

Review Article

Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Established Settings

The original and most widely accepted applications for point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) are in the settings of trauma, shock, and bedside procedures. Trauma was the original setting for the introduction of POCUS and has been standardized under the four-plus view examination called the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST). This…

Original Article

Getting it RITE: Impact of a Dedicated Hospital Medicine Curriculum for Residents

Objective: The goal of this study was to improve resident confidence in inpatient care and knowledge in hospital medicine topics with a newly developed rotation and curriculum called the Resident Inpatient Training Experience. Methods: This study was a prospective observational study completed by postgraduate year-2 (PGY-2) internal medicine residents in…

Original Article

Number of General Medicine Hospital Admissions Performed by Internal Medicine Residents Before and After the 2011 Duty-Hour Regulations

Objectives: In July 2011 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education implemented new resident duty-hour regulations in an effort to improve resident well-being, clinical performance, and patient care. These regulations have the potential, however, to reduce the number of new patient encounters handled by trainees and thereby could be detrimental…

Original Article

Evaluation of a Points-Based Scholarly Activity Policy in Internal Medicine

Objectives The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that scholarly activity be carried out in residency programs without numerical guidelines for publication of papers by residents. Until now, publication-to-resident ratios (PTRR) have not been reported in internal medicine (IM) programs. This article describes the 5-year resident publication record of…