Alton Family Medicine Residency didactics

Resident Didactics: Wednesday afternoons

While clinical experiences guide the majority of learning that occurs during residency, a structured didactic curriculum supplements this learning and ensures that all residents are exposed to a shared core of educational topics. 
The residency program didactics occur weekly on Wednesdays, from 12:00-4:00 pm.  Lunch is provided for all didactic sessions.  It’s also a fun time when program members and staff all get to see each other amidst the busy schedules and varied duties of residency!  In addition to the educational curricula, we also celebrate each other’s happy news, offer support to each other when times are hard, and get updates about the program and the larger system.

Board review is weekly 12-1pm.

For the remainder of the didactic time, the sessions are led by residency faculty, local clinicians, expert outside consultants, and residents themselves.  One of the best ways to learn is to teach!  Therefore, residents present regularly during our didactic series, leading informal educational sessions, journal club, QI reports, case reports/M&M, clinical pearls, etc.  All PGY3 residents present at least one formal topic-driven presentation during their final year. Both PGY2 and PGY3 residents have the opportunity to volunteer to present with a faculty member at the Family and Community Medicine Department Grand Rounds.  Each Residency program presents at Grand Rounds one time per year, and these presentations are streamed live between all 5 residency sites.
Didactic sessions may take many forms, including but not limited to: small group learning, hands-on workshops, standard lecture-style presentations, quiz or game-based sessions, role play, and large and small group discussions. Sessions vary in length depending on the subject.

The curriculum is generally oriented as a repeating 18-month schedule, so that all residents will cover the material twice through didactic sessions by the conclusion of residency. Some topics of particular importance are presented yearly.
Residents are expected to attend all didactic sessions when they are not on PTO, and all available faculty also attend. There are occasional instances in which a resident cannot attend due to patient care needs or rotation specific duties, when residents are excused from attending. 
 

Example Month schedule for didactics: