The Department of Family & Community Medicine invites international medical graduates who are currently enrolled in an established post-graduate training program in Family Medicine to do an observership in our department.  Resident observers will be exposed to the content and practice of family medicine with eM.P.H.asis on family medicine principles such as the biopsychosocial model of clinical care, continuity of and longitudinal care, disease prevention and health maintenance, and the patient-centered, family-oriented approach to medicine.

The program is structured to illustrate the way we teach family medicine by providing direct observation of faculty and third year residents and by attending various teaching sessions.  Observers are paired with one of our residents at a residency site to observe resident activities and then paired with clinicians in various clinical settings to observe patient care.  Observers participate in one-on-one didactic sessions with faculty regarding the U.S. and local health care system, including managed care, health maintenance organizations, and community oriented primary care.  Additionally, observers attend didactic sessions with family medicine residents on special topics in family medicine and attend Grand Rounds.  Although structured, there is flexibility in the rotation to allow independent study time to pursue areas of special interest and to arrange meetings with individual faculty to address specific questions.  The observership is tailored as much as possible to each resident’s specific area (s) of interest and/or needs.  Before the rotation begins, each applicant is asked to write a short statement regarding what he/she hopes to accomplish by participating in the observership.

Faculty and residents evaluate each observer with whom they worked.  Observers are also asked to complete a written evaluation of the rotation experience as well as to meet with one of the faculty for an exit interview/debriefing.  Additionally, observers may be asked to give an informal presentation and attend a journal club.

Observerships are offered for a period of one month with one or two observers at a time.  Observers are responsible for all expenses including transportation, housing, food, health insurance, immunizations, and Baylor College of Medicine observer fees.  Texas state law does not allow observers to participate in the direct care of patients.

Please contact Carolyn Pepper via e-mail pepper@bcm.tmc.edu for application.  Allow approximately four to six months lead time to finalize the observership.