Clinical Curriculum

PGY1

Orientation 1 Block
Emergency Medicine 5 Blocks
Pediatric Emergency Medicine 1 Block
Trauma 1 Block
Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) 1 Block
Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) 1 Block
Anesthesia (Adult and Pediatric) 1 Block
Ultrasound ½ Block
OB/GYN ½ Block
Ophthalmology 1 Week
Emergency Psychiatry 1 Week
Selective (Dental, Radiology, or Neurology) 1 Week

Orientation: One month orientation bridges the transition from medical school to residency by exposing interns to EMS, LIFE STAR, and the approach of patient care and efficiency in the ED. Interns will become certified in ACLS, ATLS, and PALS. Wellness and work/life balance are also integral to our residency program with various social and team bonding events throughout the month.

Emergency Medicine: PGY1 residents spend 12 weeks at Hartford Hospital, four weeks at Saint Francis Hospital, and four weeks at UConn Health with a longitudinal experience at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center ED. The resident is expected to participate in the management of all types of patients including the most critically ill. PGY1 resident will respond to both activated and non-activated strokes.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine: PGY1 residents spend a dedicated block in Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s ED and share primary patient contact with PGY1-3 pediatric residents.

Trauma: PGY1 residents function as an intern on the Trauma Team at Hartford Hospital or Saint Francis Hospital, participating in daily rounds, morning report, conference, and M&Ms.

MICU: Four weeks are spent at Saint Francis Hospital in the MICU caring for the critically ill patient, expanding knowledge on the issues related to the management of artificial life support and other life threatening syndromes.

CCU: Three weeks are spent in the CCU at Hartford Hospital caring for critically ill cardiac patients and learning the basics of EKG interpretation, cardiac catheterization, and management of acute decompensated heart failure.

Anesthesia

  • Adult (two weeks): PGY1 residents work with anesthesia senior residents or hospital’s anesthesia teaching faculty, focusing on pre-procedure evaluation, and anesthesia plan.
  • Pediatric (two weeks): PGY1 residents spent one week in the pediatric OR focusing on pediatric airway management and one week learning aspects of conscious sedation.

Mini-Blocks

  • OB/GYN (two weeks): Two weeks are spent on labor and delivery at Hartford Hospital.
  • Emergency Psychiatry (one week): Interns work along with PGY1 psychiatry residents assessing and managing patients presenting to the psychiatric emergency service both inpatient and in the ED.
  • Ultrasound (two weeks): PGY1 residents learn point of care ultrasound examinations in the ED with teaching sessions once per week. Interns become proficient in FAST, aorta, basic cardiac, biliary, renal, DVT, pelvic and basic thoracic ultrasound, as well as ultrasound-guided peripheral catheter placement.
  • Ophthalmology (one week): Outpatient ophthalmology clinic at UConn Health will expose interns to the evaluation and management of patients with ophthalmologic disease and injury and obtain additional experience with slit lamp examinations.

Selective (one week): Radiology, Dental, or Neurology

  • Dental: EM Residents work with PGY1 and PGY2 dental residents in the Saint Francis Hospital Dental Clinic, becoming familiar with assessing and managing patients with dental emergencies, perform dental blocks, and extractions.

PGY2

Emergency Medicine 8 Blocks
Pediatric Emergency Medicine 1 Block
Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) 1 Block
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) 1 Block
Hand/Orthopaedics 1 Block
Ultrasound ½ Block
Ophthalmology 1 Week
Elective ½ Block

Emergency Medicine: PGY2 residents spend 20 weeks at Hartford Hospital, 6 weeks at Saint Francis Hospital, and four weeks at UConn Health. Under faculty supervision, the resident provides medical control for ground ambulance calls through the C-Med radio. PGY2 EM resident will be responsible for adult and pediatric medical alerts.

Critical Care: Four weeks MICU at Saint Francis Hospital and four weeks of SICU at Saint Francis Hospital or Hartford Hospital.

  • MICU: PGY2 EM residents work as PGY1 interns assigned to the service.
  • SICU: Emergency medicine residents work with PGY1 surgery and anesthesia residents.

Hand/Orthopaedics: Residents spend four weeks at Hartford Hospital and are responsible for all ED and floor consults for the hand service and rotate with surgical, orthopaedic, and OMFS residents.

Ultrasound: Residents spend two weeks on the ED ultrasound team with a PGY1 resident and medical students, focusing on expanding ultrasound proficiency.

Ophthalmology: One week outpatient office for dedicated evaluation of common eye complaints.

Elective: Residents spend 1/2 block on a rotation of their choice: Addiction Medicine, Aeromedical or Ground EMS, Toxicology, Hyperbaric/Wound Care, Ultrasound, Critical Care, Simulation, Pharmacotherapy, International Medicine, or The Hospital of Central Connecticut (Community ED).

PGY3

Emergency Medicine 8 Blocks
Pediatric Emergency Medicine 1 Block
Trauma 1 Block
Toxicology 1 Block
Neonatal ICU ½ Block
Pediatric Orthopaedics ½ Block
Elective 1 Block

Emergency Medicine: Residents spend 20 weeks at Hartford Hospital, 8 weeks at Saint Francis Hospital, and four weeks at UConn Health. PGY3 EM residents will respond to all activated and non-activated traumas. In general, the PGY3's and the attending faculty control the flow of the ED. Only PGY3 residents will be responsible for supervision of medical students and PGY1 and PGY2 residents.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Residents spend a final four weeks at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Trauma: Residents spend four weeks at Saint Francis Hospital or Hartford Hospital. Senior emergency medicine residents work with a supervising Trauma fellow and assume the "team leader" role for all trauma resuscitations on every third day basis. The "team leader" is responsible for directing the management of the multiply injured patient and all of the activities of the Trauma Team.

Toxicology: Residents spend four weeks at the Connecticut Poison Control Center located at UConn Health to learn about its operation and participate in its services.

Critical Care: Residents spend two weeks in the Neonatal ICU either at Saint Francis Hospital or Connecticut Children’s Medical Center working with neonatal and pediatric hospitalist attendings. Residents focus on managing the critically ill neonates, focusing on airway, ventilation, and medical therapy.

Pediatric Orthopaedics: Residents spend two weeks at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center working with orthopaedic residents and PA’s evaluating and treating orthopaedic injuries in children, focusing on splinting, casting, and reducing fractures.

Elective: Residents spend four weeks on a rotation of their choice. Options include but are not limited to EMS, MICU/SICU, LIFE STAR, medical examiner, orthopaedic elective, pharmacotherapy, simulation medicine, or international medicine.