Providence Portland: Culture of Teaching

"Outstanding teachers in a remarkable educational environment"

Message From The Chair of Medicine

At Providence Portland Medical Center, our medical staff and faculty are committed to providing an educational environment of exceptional quality for our residents. Many of our educators are nationally and internationally recognized experts who have made important contributions to their fields. The medical center itself is a state-of-the-art facility with sophisticated information technology and patient care resources envied by many university healthcare systems.

But what makes us most unique is the high priority we place on medical education. We have been able to recruit a world-class faculty and medical staff because of our remarkable educational environment that encourages teaching and fosters learning. You will find at Providence not only talented educators who will advance your medical knowledge, but also valued mentors who will start you on a path toward a highly gratifying professional career.

We are looking for residents who want to make a difference for their communities and learn the art of being a physician from dedicated teachers and committed physicians. We hope to see you in Portland.

Faculty

• Residents are involved in the selection of new faculty members, who are chosen specifically for their skill and achievements in rigorous, evidence-based medical education.
• An ongoing program of faculty development demonstrates our commitment to teaching excellence. Recent topics include:
  • Integrating evidence-based medicine into everyday teaching
  • Effective teaching in the inpatient setting
  • Learning together: systems-based practice
  • Skill-based education: ECG, procedures
  • Giving and receiving effective feedback
• Resident Feedback
  • Both verbal (informal) and electronic (as part of our secure, on-line evaluation system)
  • Resident feedback is taken seriously, and used to refine our teaching and our program
• Focused faculty attention
  • An individual faculty mentor assists in resident development and achievement
    of learning goals
  • One faculty preceptor per two residents in ambulatory block rotations
  • One faculty preceptor per three residents during continuity clinics
  • Collaborative practices have either a 1:1 or 1:2 faculty-resident ratio
  • Subspecialists work directly with residents on ward teams and in subspecialty rotations, providing highly individualized teaching based on direct observation
  • Residents choose a faculty mentor to help in the development of ACP
    presentations and other scholarly projects
    
• Dedicated Teaching Rounds
  • Work rounds, designed to facilitate team clinical decision-making assigned patients, are separate from education rounds
  • Teaching rounds last 1½ hours, and are held three times weekly
  • Focus is on broader issues raised by patients currently under the care of the ward team, with emphasis on academic literature and principles

Residents

• Participate in a lively, faculty-facilitated case discussion - Present evidence-based answers to selected clinical questions
• Residents and faculty alternate in teaching each other
  • Specified ambulatory topics
  • Informal, small-group discussion weekly before clinic
  • Teaching goals and materials for each session have been developed by faculty and are available on-line
• 2nd and 3rd year residents serve as educators at Morning Report
  • Participate in a lively, faculty-facilitated case discussion
  • Present an evidence-based answer to a chosen clinical question
• Each senior resident presents a conference to faculty and residents in a Grand Rounds format
• Residents are key contributors to medical student education who rotate on the wards, ICU, and subspecialty electives

Outpatient

• Preceptor involvement in the ambulatory setting is intense. One faculty preceptor per two residents is present in the ambulatory block rotations and one faculty preceptor per three residents during continuity clinics. Collaborative practices have either a 1:1 or 1:2 faculty-resident ratio. These ratios reflect our strong commitment to resident-focused, integrated teaching in the outpatient setting.
  
• Didactic sessions are emphasized throughout the ambulatory experience. There is a 30-minute didactic session each day in the outpatient continuity clinic. In addition, residents on ambulatory block participate in two additional didactic sessions per week.
  

Inpatient

• Work rounds and education rounds are separate. Work rounds are designed to facilitate team clinical decision-making on assigned patients. Education rounds last 1½ hours and are held three times each week. These rounds are focused on broader issues raised by patients currently under the care of the ward team, with a heavy emphasis on academic literature and principles of evidence-based medicine.
  
• Morning Report is lively, participatory, academic and stimulating. It is based around a formal case presentation and is strengthened by a daily, resident-prepared literature review designed to evoke a broad discussion of relevant issues. All contributions are treated respectfully, and residents find the process educationally involving and enjoyable.
  
• On ward rotations, residents have the opportunity to work with both hospitalist and non-hospitalist attendings during the day-to-day management of hospitalized patients. This provides a wide spectrum of perspectives and approaches to clinical management, resulting in a rich educational experience.
  

Many different subspecialists are intimately involved with our teaching program. Since there are no fellows at Providence Portland, subspecialists work directly with residents on ward teams, which permits highly focused and individualized teaching. Additionally, when residents participate in subspecialty rotations, they typically work one-on-one with the subspecialist. Consults, for example, are done directly with the subspecialist, facilitating direct personal transmission of physical exam techniques, clinical reasoning, and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

(back to Our Curriculum)