Prospective students
The Internal Medicine – New Orleans Residency Program serves a diverse group of patients with a wide range of medical and social issues. Residents in our program experience pathology that others can only read about in textbooks. At University Medical Center, we typically see underinsured and underserved patients, while at Touro Infirmary and Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner, we care for a mix of private, insured and uninsured patients. Click the videos below to hear from our residents about a typical day at each rotation site.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
University Medical Center
In August 2015, we relocated our primary teaching location to the newly built, state-of-the-art University Medical Center of New Orleans. UMCNO is a massive, $1.3-billion, 446 bed, Level I Trauma Center located across the street from the LSUHSC campus. Residents rotate on wards services in teams of three (one senior resident with two interns) with call shifts every fourth night. Subspecialty rotations include Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrine, Infectious Diseases, Pulmonary, Hematology/Oncology, Palliative Medicine and Cardiology. UMCNO is the primary site of our outpatient clinics. Categorical residents rotate through our dedicated Medical ICU, providing a strong background in caring for critically ill patients. Residents attend outpatient medicine continuity clinic one morning per week. Noon report is held Monday-Thursday and all residents attend Medicine Grand Rounds on Friday.
Touro Infirmary
LSU residents run a Medicine service for self-pay and Medicaid patients. Touro Infirmary provides an opportunity to rotate outside the Charity system. Since Hurricane Katrina, the patient volume has consistently remained high, with an average of 120-140 admits each month or between four and eight admits per night for the Hospital Medicine service. Touro also has an "open" ICU policy. Residents rotate with LSU faculty at this facility and attend morning reports run by the Director of Internal Medicine at Touro, Dr. John Amoss, who also serves as the team physician for the New Orleans Saints.
Ochsner Kenner Medical Center
Ochsner Medical Center - Kenner is a private institution where our Hospitalist Medicine Group (all LSU faculty) admits Medicare and private patients. Rotations here give residents the opportunity to see how medicine is practiced in a facility more geared towards privately-insured patients. Care is provided in conjunction with social workers and case managers. Average monthly admits are between four and eight per night. Kenner has an "open" ICU policy. Subspecialty rotations include Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology and Geriatrics. Morning report is held daily.
A Year at a Glance
Categorical Residents: Three Years at a Glance
The Categorical Internal Medicine Residency at LSU offers residents an educational experience tailored to meet the needs of the physicians in professional practice. Residents are exposed to a variety of clinical experiences and are given increasing levels of responsibility over the course of three years of training in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
A sample three year schedule:
Preliminary Residents: Year at a Glance
Call Schedule
Our Program utilizes the X+Y system which encompasses a four-week inpatient rotation followed by a one-week clinic rotation.
Inpatient Call Schedule
Kenner and Touro utilize a two-team system. Each team consists of two residents and two interns per staff. Each team is subdivided into 2 teams (1 resident and 1 intern). Call is traditional every 4th night with the resident and intern being relieved of their duties at 9 PM by the night float resident. Both hospitals have open ICUs.
UMC consist of 4 call teams and 1 step down/ consult service. Each team consists of one resident and two interns per staff. Call is traditional every 4th night. The on-call resident and day-call intern stays until 7 PM when they are relieved by the NF resident and the night-call intern.
The Step down/Consult service consists of 1 resident and 2 interns. They do not take call but rather take step downs from our closed ICU as well as general medicine consults from non-medicine services. Resident and interns will take step downs until 3pm at which time either the on call team or the private hospital group will take the additional step downs.
The UMC Medical ICU is a closed unit. The teams consist of 1 resident and 1-2 interns per staff. Call is every third night. The on-call team is relieved by the night float team at 7 PM.
Diversity and Inclusion
As an inclusive program, we embrace the full range of human difference: race, gender, ethnicity, age, culture, national origin, religious belief, physical ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic class, and political convictions. We are committed to fostering growth in the matriculation of African-American, Hispanic, Vietnamese, LGBTQI interns and residents, as well as interns and residents from underserved rural regions of Louisiana. Institutional efforts to qualitatively strengthen the climate of inclusion and diversity of our learning community are inclusive of a focus on the development of effective pipelines for recruitment of interns from communities that are underrepresented in our region's health professions workforce. We maintain an open commitment to assuring that we recruit all qualified candidates who will contribute to the diverse strengths of our program. Part of this effort is assuring that our faculty are similarly diverse.
The program is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that supports and celebrates diversity by proactively working to increase diversity among future residents and faculty. Once a student matches with the program, the program commits itself to their successful completion of the program. LSUHSC, the Department of Medicine, and the Internal Medicine program have steadfast policies against institutionalized racism, discrimination, and bias and against marginalizing individuals based on their gender, race, sexual orientation, or religion. Furthermore, faculty must be committed to these principles or they are not allowed to instruct or interact with the residents.
First, the program recognizes that diversity is a continuous cultural ambition, promoting the concept to residents and faculty. Second, the program strives to recruit medical students from underrepresented backgrounds and wide range of racial backgrounds as residents in the program. The program contends that residents ideally learn how to care for a diverse population of patients when they interact and train with other residents and faculty from a variety of backgrounds. Third, LSUHSC, the department of medicine, and the internal medicine program are committed to diversity in the workplace, including the program's clinical faculty and administrative personnel. Finally, the program works with LSUHSC's Office of Diversity and Community Engagement in incorporating institution-wide directives and kindling resident participation in its seminars, programs and activities.
Wellness
Program Wellness Activities and Initiatives
A second-year resident has assumed the role of the Wellness Ambassador for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. In cooperation with other residents, he enthusiastically plans and executes several wellness (social) events throughout the year, such as resident pool parties, “escape rooms” (live-action, immersive, team-based games/adventures), happy hours and New Orleans Saints game-day watch parties. Invitations are always extended to residents’ spouses, significant others, and children.
UMCNO Academic Affairs and the B Well Program, UMCNO’s Well-Being Program, offer Wellness Wednesdays throughout the year. An example includes “Lean on Me” Lunch and Learn, with lunch provided, where health programs from UMC (ComPsych) discussed initiatives and services that are offered relating to mental health and well-being. In addition, LSUHSC hosts several seminars throughout the year, such as “Mindfulness in Wellness and Illness”. Residents are highly encouraged to participate in these events.
For physical wellness, residents have free access to LSUHSC's Wellness Center. The Wellness Center is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of all members of the LSUHSC community in a safe and educational environment. The Wellness Center offers early morning, evening, and Saturday hours of operation to accommodate varying work schedules.
There is a Wellness Committee at LSUHSC (LSU Wellness Krewe). The goal of the committee is to promote a healthy learning and working environment and build resiliency and personal well-being among faculty, staff, residents, and students at LSUHSC. The Wellness Committee has created a very robust website that offers information on emotional well-being, including information on stress, depression, and mindfulness, as well as alcohol use, suicide, PTSD, work-life balance, and other resources that are helpful for our working community.
The Chairman of the Internal Medicine Department hosts several social events throughout the year, including a Chief Resident Party in the spring, a Resident Barbeque in the summer, and a Holiday Party in December. The Program Director also hosts a Holiday Party in December. These social events allow for resident camaraderie to be enhanced in a setting away from the work environment.
GRADUATES
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