Our mission is to provide community-focused medical education and evidence-based, patient-centered care; to improve health in rural southern Appalachia, especially among the underserved population; to model compassionate and efficient care; and to advance scholarly investigation.
Our goals for resident training in our Johnson City community-based program are as follows:
- To equip residents to provide evidence-based and patient-centered medical care.
- To enable residents to thrive in a changing and challenging medical environment.
- To encourage residents to be perpetually learning and advancing in skills and knowledge.
- To facilitate resident involvement in scholarly activity.
- To emphasize the need for personal wellness both in and after residency.
Residents will experience an individualized educational program tailored to long-term professional goals, with the integration of unique elective opportunities. Upon graduation, residents will demonstrate competency in the six domains clarified by the ACGME: professionalism, patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, and systems-based practice.
Professionalism
Residents must demonstrate a commitment to professionalism and an adherence to ethical principles. They must demonstrate competence in:
- Compassion, integrity, and respect for others
- Sensitivity to diverse populations
- Respect for patient autonomy
- Respect for patient privacy
- Accountability to patients, society, and the profession
Patient Care
Residents must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Among the areas in which they must demonstrate competence are:
- Diagnosing and managing care of patients of all ages
- Diagnosing and managing care of patients in various settings, including outpatient clinic, hospital, and long-term facilities
- Assess community, environmental, and family influences on the health of patients
- Providing preventive care
- Providing emergent care
- Assisting patients and families with advanced care planning
- Performing procedures necessary for their future practices
Medical Knowledge
Residents must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care. Residents must demonstrate competence in:
- Knowledge of the broad spectrum of clinical disorders seen in family medicine
- Knowledge of age-appropriate screenings and preventive services
- Methods and skills for staying current with advances in medical knowledge
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Residents must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning. Residents must demonstrate competence in:
- Identifying their strengths and limits and setting appropriate learning and improvement goals
- Analyzing and make changes in their practice using quality improvement methods
- Assimilating medical evidence into the care of their patients
- Using information technology to optimize learning
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Residents must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. Residents must demonstrate competence in:
- Communicating effectively with patients and families across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds
- Communicating effectively with physicians and other health professionals
- Working effectively as a member or leader of a health care team
- Educating patients, families, students, and other health professionals
- Learning to communicate with patients and families to assess their care goals
Systems-Based Practice
Residents must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, including the social determinants of health, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources to provide optimal health care. Residents must demonstrate competence in:
- Working effectively in various healthcare delivery settings
- Coordinating patient care across the health care continuum
- Advocating for quality patient care
- Working in Interprofessional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care
- Incorporating considerations of value and cost awareness into the care of patients
- Advocating for patients within the health care system