The Primary Care Track of the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program was founded in July 1985, in order to enhance the outpatient training of internal medicine residents. In the intervening 30 years, the track has evolved to meet the needs of our trainees interested in outpatient medicine. This is an exciting time to participate in the Primary Care Track at UAB, as we evolve our educational offerings to reflect our changing times. Residents interested in primary care are encouraged to apply to UAB and to join as Primary Care Scholars, so that they may help to shape the future of education in primary care.

Primary Care (PC) Scholars

Residents in the Primary Care Track are designated as Primary Care Scholars. Selected PGY-2 residents have the opportunity to experience immersion in high-performing outpatient practices. PC Scholars will replace one inpatient month in their second year with an intensive outpatient month. They will have multiple outpatient clinical experiences in this time, as well as work on scholarly products that will provide a deeper understanding of primary care needs and healthcare delivery.

Primary Care Scholars are seen as leaders in outpatient medicine for our program as a whole. Our PC Scholars routinely participate in quality improvement projects and other curricular initiatives in the program as a whole. In recent years, residents have developed lectures, lead introduction to clinic sessions for interns, and moderated panels for graduating residents as they begin their job searches.

Perspectives from Current PC Scholars:

• “I appreciated the opportunity to design a Primary Care month which suited what I perceived to be my weaknesses in Primary Care, such as Dermatology and Orthopedics. Also, having additional support from Primary Care faculty has provided an excellent resource for questions regarding my future career as well as a sounding board for difficult clinic patients.” -- Kelly McMaster, PGY-3
• "The PC Scholars program has been a wonderful way to strengthen and personalize my own medical education in preparation for a career in primary care and advocacy." Sal Kamal, PGY-3

Ambulatory Training

• Continuity Clinic: Primary care bound residents preferentially have their clinic in the University-based Whitaker Clinic site, which allows them to begin to build a patient panel that is diverse in age, medical conditions, gender, and payor source.

• Block Month: The Ambulatory Care Block Month allows for exposure to ambulatory medicine, particularly in subspecialty clinics that may not be routinely encountered in internal medicine training. Residents may choose to spend time working with outpatient dermatologists, orthopedists, allergy/ENT, gynecology, or general internists practicing in diverse settings.

• Community Preceptorship: In their PGY-2 or PGY-3 year, residents have the opportunity to spend a month in the private practice of their choice to better understand the rewards and challenges of medical practice.

Mentoring

Primary Care Scholars also participate in a didactic series specific to their needs. This not only allows for further exploration of ambulatory medicine and career opportunities but also fosters a smaller community of primary care focused residents and faculty within the larger residency program.

Interested?

The Primary Care Track is a post-match option for residents interested in gaining more exposure to ambulatory medicine during residency training. Residents interested in being a PC Scholar apply in the spring of their PGY-1 year.

Contact the Director

Erin Dunn Snyder, MD
Associate Professor, General Internal Medicine
edsnyder@uabmc.edu