All residents have electives to help tailor their learning experience to their future practice goals. Though residents can create any elective experience and set up the logistics on their own, our program also has tracks with pre-made electives to provide different experiences.
A resident is eligible for an Area of Concentration when they complete a scholarly project and attend a related regional or national conference in addition to their clinical electives. This is a designation by the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors that is officially recognized on a resident’s graduation certificate.
Tracks and AOCs are very flexible. Some residents opt not to pursue one at all while others may participate in multiple tracks or AOCs. Residents can leave a track at any time if their interests change, or can join one at any time during residency if they develop new interests later.
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Addiction Medicine – residents develop additional knowledge and clinical skills in both inpatient and outpatient addiction medicine, including buprenorphine induction and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
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Advanced Family Planning – residents will gain competence in performing both medication abortions and surgical abortions, as well as clinical competency in LARC placement and OB/GYN ultrasound skills including IUD localization and early pregnancy dating.
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Geriatrics – residents develop additional knowledge and clinical skills in geriatric medicine under the supervision of our Geriatrics board-certified family physician faculty.
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Global Health – residents develop experience providing care to populations with limited resources due to social determinants of health. Monthly book club meetings help prepare residents for one of the two annual faculty-led trips to Honduras, working with the same rural community we have aided for over 20 years. After using their annual CME allowance, all remaining travel expenses for residents are covered by the program. Further details can be found on the global health page.
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Hospital Medicine – residents will develop a greater breadth and depth of medical knowledge, understanding of systems-based care, and clinical skills in the care of adult inpatients beyond the basic competencies required by family medicine residency training. Residents who complete this AOC will feel prepared for hospitalist work upon graduation.
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Integrative Medicine – residents develop additional knowledge and clinical skills in integrative medicine, including completion of "Integrative Medicine for Residency (IMR)" online modules (200 hours total) and application of these skills in the clinical setting. Elective rotations with community integrative medicine professionals, peer teaching, and regional/national conference attendance are other components of the track.
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Maternal & Child Health – residents develop additional high-risk management and procedural obstetric skills, typically graduating residency with 90-100 vaginal deliveries as well as additional procedural skills.
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Medical Education – residents develop skills important to the practice of medical education including lesson planning, clinical skills teaching, group facilitation, literature review, and evaluation for both medical students and fellow residents.
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Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine – residents advance their osteopathic manipulation skills and develop teaching skills and scholarly work in the field of osteopathy. This is available to both DO and MD residents.
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Political Advocacy & Leadership Track (PALT) – residents develop skills to assume leadership roles in improving our healthcare system. Meetings with internal and external speakers and workshops are designed to grow practical skills for political advocacy. We promote involvement with the New York State Academy of Family Physicians and other local/regional/national organizations.
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Psychosocial Medicine – residents develop a greater breadth and depth of knowledge of psychosocial medicine, including systems-based care and clinical skills. These skills will be developed beyond the basic competencies required by family residency training.
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Research – residents gain knowledge about clinical research projects that can be done within the scope of family medicine, as well as research subject safety, study protocols and design, data analysis, writing and presenting research findings, and networking experience in attending and presenting at national conferences.
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Sports Medicine – residents can expand their interest and exposure to the field beyond what is offered through our program’s required rotations. Residents have increased opportunities to advance their skills in MSK examination, MSK ultrasound, diagnosing and managing sports injuries, and procedural skills. They will assist team physicians for high school, college, and professional athletic programs.