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Baraboo Curriculum

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First Year

Inpatient Responsibilities

First-year Baraboo RTT residents experience the same hospital rotations as the Madison residents.

Outpatient Responsibilities

First-year residents spend two half days per week at the residency clinic in Baraboo, seeing an average of three to four patients per half day. Travel is financially compensated.

Call Schedule

In-hospital call is every fourth night, although frequency varies depending on the number of residents on the service or vacations. Call may be taken from home during the surgery rotation. The Emergency Medicine and Community Medicine blocks do not have overnight call.

Orientation and Emergency Life Support Courses

Baraboo RTT residents attend first-year orientation in June with incoming Madison program residents. Residents complete the following life support courses during orientation:

  • ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support [Basic Life Support is a prerequisite])
  • PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
  • NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)

At the end of the first year, Madison and Baraboo RTT residents take the ALSO (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics) course. Although not required, residents are encouraged to take the ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) course.

Additional Educational Opportunities

  • Hospital Conferences: Residents attend SMHMC and UWHC conferences related to their current hospital rotation.
  • Survival Skills Seminars: These weekly seminars, held July through October, are conducted by senior residents to provide support and information on common first-year call questions and issues.
  • Family Medicine Seminar Series: The weekly PGY-1 seminar series provides a comprehensive orientation to family medicine and ambulatory care.

Second and Third Year

Beginning in the second year, rural track residents live in Baraboo and become active members in the Baraboo practice. Residents serve on hospital committees, participate in county medical society activities, and become involved in the community, where local family physicians serve as role models.

Rotations

Second- and third-year rotations consist of eight-week blocks. During each block, residents do longitudinal and mini-block rotations, as described below:

Longitudinal Rotations

Five weeks of an eight-week block are spent as a practicing family physician at the Baraboo clinic under faculty supervision. Resident duties include:

  • Daily rounding at the hospital before office hours;
  • Scrubbing in on surgical patients;
  • Handling urgent care and learning practice management on-site; and
  • Seeing continuity patients in the clinic for five half-day sessions each longitudinal week.

Residents also take several longitudinal outpatient rotations with subspecialists who travel from Madison to Baraboo each week.

Mini-Block Rotations

Three weeks of an eight-week block are spent on rotation with a subspecialist to complete other required and elective rotations. These rotations take place in Madison and in Baraboo. During each mini-block week, residents see their continuity patients in the clinic for two or three half days.

Call Schedule

Second- and third-year rural track residents are on call once per week and one weekend day per month with faculty backup.

In addition, partner teams care for obstetrics patients in their practice, with faculty backup. Partners learn how to cover for each other's maternity patients so lifestyle does not become a deterrent to providing maternity care in their future practices.

Mentors

Each resident chooses a faculty mentor, who oversees the resident's education and assist the resident with acquiring the skills needed for rural practice.

Each resident is also assigned a faculty hospital preceptor who makes daily rounds with the resident in the hospital. Hospital preceptors rotate teaching responsibilities every six months.

Residents also work with other faculty through clinic precepting, on call, and during deliveries.

Additional Educational Opportunities

  • Wednesday Seminars: Baraboo RTT residents participate via teleconference in the St. Marys Hospital Joint Primary Care Conference and the PGY-2 and PGY-3 Family Medicine Seminar Series on Wednesday mornings.
  • Wednesday Noon Hour Activities: Following the Wednesday seminar, residents gather for lunch and participate in Chief Rounds (2 times per month) or Wildlife Sanctuary Seminar (2 times per month).
  • SCHHS Conferences: Baraboo residents also attend educational conferences on Thursday morning at St. Clare Hospital and participate in informal case discussions with faculty at Medical Associates Clinic.