Educational Innovation

I have learned so much throughout my time at Columbia, not only through the formal educational curriculum--including noon conference, ICU morning didactics, outpatient lecture series, weekly learning labs, and central line training--but also the spontaneous interactions with co-residents and informal teaching during rounds that is bolstered by the two-attending system.

 Matt Carey, Chief Resident

Medicine Report

Medicine Report is our residency program’s flagship conference that occurs Monday through Thursday during lunch. It is a case-based conference that focuses on clinical reasoning and management using an evidence-based approach. Chief Residents prepare an interactive presentation based on a patient cared for on one of the resident services. Along with an expert faculty discussant, we work through the differential diagnosis, work up, and management of core medicine topics and complex cases. Along with an expert faculty discussant, we work through the differential diagnosis, work up, and management of complex cases. In addition to learning about the relevant evidence and pathophysiology, this allows us to learn the clinical application of these principles and how an expert approaches a complex clinical scenario. All levels of trainees (PGY1s, PGY2s, and PGY3s) attend our daily medicine report.

This conference is currently hosted with a hybrid in-person and virtual model, with residents joining in person as well as watching and participating virtually from the Allen, unit-based work rooms in Milstein, clinic sites, and from home.

Learning Lab

Learning Labs are protected educational half days that are built into interns’ and residents’ outpatient, elective, and geriatrics schedules. These sessions teach high-yield topics using a variety of engaging pedagogical formats including lectures, small group sessions, and hands-on simulation training. Here is a sample schedule from a recent learning lab:

12-1PM: Medicine Report with faculty discussant Dr. Kathy Nickerson 

1-2PM: Congestive Heart Failure for the Internist with Dr. Kelly Axsom

2-3PM: Radiology case review with Dr. Stuart Bentley-Hibbard (Radiology faculty)

3-3:15PM: Ice cream break!

3-4PM: break out sessions

PGY1s: Journal Club with TEACH resident: The ASPREE trial

PGY2s: Simulation Lab: cardiac arrest edition

PGY3s: Professional Development Series: Emotional Self-Care with Dr. Maria De Miguel

Intern Core Lectures

The Intern Core Lectures are a series of talks given by the Teach Resident focused on high-yield topics for interns on the wards. PGY2s and 3s on the wards assume first-call responsibilities from the interns in the afternoon so that each intern can attend Intern Core.

Specialty Noon Conferences

Our program has developed grant-winning interdepartmental conferences, including our novel Medicine-Radiology Case Conference. These conferences allow multidimensional learning across different specialties, and allow us to get to know colleagues across the hospital. We coordinate interdisciplinary conferences with services such as nursing, clinical pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and nutrition services to learn practical skills and foster strong relationships with our inpatient interdisciplinary team. Residents also present at our monthly “Morbidity and Mortality” conference during which we discuss principles in quality assurance and patient safety. We host several Medical Ethics case conferences throughout the year. “Race, Diversity, and Community Medicine” is a lecture series that tackles the many intersections of race and health, other types of diversity, and the medical community at large as well our hospital and within our residency community.

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds are organized by the Department of Medicine, featuring distinguished lecturers from around the world. Talks range from basic science to cutting-edge clinical updates.

OPD Report and Ambulatory Care Curriculum

During ambulatory blocks, residents participate in small group teaching sessions on topics and skills in outpatient internal medicine. Interns have dedicated small group sessions on fundamental topics such as diabetes, motivational interviewing, hypertension, women’s health, etc. All years participate together in OPD Report, a morning teaching session with faculty from the Division of General Medicine focused on applying evidence to common outpatient topics using case-based discussions. All residents have dedicated time for learning behavioral health with psychiatry and clinical epidemiology with research faculty from the Division of General Medicine. Residents rotate through additional clinical settings such as rehabilitation medicine, gynecology, rheumatology, and endocrinology.