Block 3 (2017-18 academic year)          

 

    Block 3 Announcements and Events

 

"Who, me?" "YES, YOU!! GET INVOLVED!"  The residency needs your help and expertise! 

Your input is critically important to how the residency runs. Consider what you are most
intersted in and let Dr. Potts know where you might want to get involved!
 

There are multiple committee opportunities to be active citizens of our residency community. This will make sure that more perspectives are heard as we make decisions that affect everyone.

Executive Committee: Approves all policy changes in the residency, including final decisions of curricular changes. Meets on an occasional first Tuesday of the calendar month 730-830 am Jaquith Ground. Some policy changes are approved throughout the year by electronic communication.

Curriculum Committee: Is a subcommittee of the Executive Committee overseeing the curriculum (rotations and longitudinal components.) Meets on first Tuesday of the calendar month most months of the year 730-830am Jaquith Ground

Program Evaluation Committee: Completes annual program evaluation, including proposing action items for innovations and improvements to the residency. Meetings scheduled for 8/30 and 9/27 and will meet at the Curriculum Retreat in February.

Evaluation Taskforce: This committee is working to update and improve our evaluation process to ensure a feasible and effective evaluation system. Resident input is critically needed for this group to be successful! The meetings are scheduled as needed.
 

Outpatient Curriculum Task Force:  This task force works collectively to develop a standardized outpatient curriculum based on a set of core topics at each of the three health centers. The team will focus on designing sessions to supplement the robust residency workshop curriculum by developing a list of standardized clinical topics with resources and faculty champions at each health center.    

Diversity Taskforce: New committee to oversee recruitment efforts to encourage and promote diversity and inclusion in our residency. 

Hospital Medicine Announcements (from Jason Numbers, MD, Neha Wacks, MD)
A reminder that the residents this month need to be completing their 100, 200, and 300 level classes for Epic training as scheduled.

"Potts-luck" Dinner for Residents 

All residents are invited Tuesday, October 10th at 6 pm to Dr. Potts; (43 Nelson Way, Barre) for a pottluck get- together. Our last was wonderful but got moved to the hospital secondary to a laboring patient (or two) so I look forward to hosting this one at home! 

September 5 Intern Retreat
Our annual Intern Retreat (for both Worcester and Fitchburg PGY-1s) was held on Tuesday, Sept. 5 featuring the usual team building exercises and including a High and Low Ropes course in Hopkinton at the MetroWest YMCA Family Outdoor Center...here are some pics!

Recruitment Update
We are one month away from the opening of ERAS applications which will soon be followed by the beginning of interviews on October 25. We met many prospective applicants at the annual residency fair at the AAFP Conference in late July. Dr. Potts and Michael Smith were  pleased to be joined by our three chief residents!

PGY-2  Mindfulness Workshop  
PGY2s and PGY3s along with Dr. Sethi and Dr. Runyan attended a joint workshop at the UMass Center for Mindfulness (CFM) in Shrewsbury on August 8. Residents were welcomed by staff at the CFM, toured the facility, and participated in a guided Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) exercise. All residents are encouraged to visit the CFM  website  for information regarding free and reduced priced programs and events.                                             

Residents were invited to participate in a relaxing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction exercise led by Patti Holland

Residents were all smiles after the informative (and relaxing) workshop at the Center for Mindfulness

Into The Magic Shop

 

 

 

I received this e-mail from one of our recent graduates. I have nothing to say by way if introducing or commenting on the e-mail; it speaks for itself and she graciously gave me permission to share it. So, I will continue to show up with my meditation bell, repeat the instructions and practice with whomever is willing to try.

 

 

 

I also just finished this book, Into The Magic Shop by James Doty, MD , which is part memoir, part instruction manual, and part scientific commentary on what is possible when the commitment to a mindfulness practice is sustained. Although I do not think the author intended for the book's audience to be limited to medical practitioners, the applicability of his findings, which are grounded in personal discovery but supported by scientific evidence, applies so delightfully to physicians.

As a neurosurgeon obsessed with the anatomy and functionality of the brain, understanding the connections between the brain and the heart become paramount in order to live an authentic and meaningful life as a healer. As family medicine residents, you intuitively understand the importance of this connection and your training supports its exploration. It reminded me that not every medical specialty training does, but hopefully somewhere along the path, learning to heal oneself becomes inextricably intertwined in healing others.

 

Finally, this month, a systematic review article was published in the American Journal of Medicine on brief mindfulness based practices for healthcare providers, demonstrating an overall positive impact on levels of stress, anxiety, resiliency and burnout. 

 

So now ... I invite you (hear the meditation chime ringing gently) to settle into a comfortable posture, to feel your feet grounded on the earth beneath you, and begin to turn your attention inwards, feeling the rise of your chest and belly with each inhale and the fall with each exhale. The rest is magic.

                                        Residents of Block 1

                                                                       

Veronica Torres, MD, PGY-2

Hahnemann Family Health Center

Veronica Torres, MD is a 2016 graduate of Boston University School of Medicine and earned her BS in Chemistry from Rice University in 2011. A native of Puerto Rico, Veronica enjoys working with a diverse patient population and is interested in teaching. She also enjoys cooking, salsa dancing and reading.

From our residents: "I want to nominate Veronica Torres (known in some circles as VT) for resident of the block. I've gotten to work with her for three blocks of FMIS now. It took her about 3 days in her first block to get her feet under her and she has been stellar ever since... most importantly, she values patient care above all else and goes out of her way to ensure safety for her patients. Its really been a pleasure working with her and whichever intern's have her as a senior this year are going to have an amazing role model!"

Dr. Gilchrist: "Veronica has clearly stepped up into her role as a PGY2 and is a positive role model for all of us on how to provide compassionate care for our patients. I am always impressed by her ability to manage challenging situations and keep a calm demeanor. Residency can be difficult at times but she is able care for her patients and do so with a great attitude."

Benjamin Slocum, PGY-2

Family Health Center of Worcester

Benjamin Slocum, DO is a 2016 graduate of University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and a 2012 graduate of University of Maine-Orono where he received his BS in Biology. Benjamin's academic interests include community health and addiction medicine. He also enjoys soccer, sailing and hiking.   

From our residents:  "Ben Slocum is an outstanding doctor and colleague. His passion for patient care is obvious in the first few minutes of working with him. He is gentle, thoughtful and positive all the time. He embraces challenges and is always eager to learn and teach others.  Simply said, Ben is awesome!"

"Ben Slocum!! What can I say about young Benjamin. He's always in a great mood, a delight to be around and a well rounded gentlemen. He and his intrepid partner in crime, went out of their way to make our class custom beer glasses with an invite to his home to try his homemade brew. If that doesn't deserve ROB I don't know what does!! "                                                 

                                                    Residents of Block 2

An-Hoa Giang, MD, PGY-1

Family Health Center of Worcester
 

An-Hoa Giang, MD is a 2017 graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine where she was enrolled in the joint MD/MPH program. She is a 2011 graduate of the University of Rochester, where she completed her BS in Microbiology and Immunology. An-Hoa's academic interests include maternal child health and global health and her personal interests include rock climbing, skiing and cooking. 

From our residents: "I would like to nominate An-Hoa for resident of the block. Five reasons:  She transformed the dingy MCH room into a welcoming little studio apartment;  is always smiling and energetic; her  passion for delivering obstetric care was apparent every single day; sh e is eager to learn and looks for more work to do than what is expected of her; s he is hard working, reliable, and an absolute joy to be around.  In summary, she is amazing and I have no doubt she will excel in future rotations to come. I cannot wait to work with her in the future." 

Dr. Melnitsky: "An-Hoa is extremely caring, professional and poised. She was a pleasure to work with on her MCH rotation and is a very enthusiastic and quick learner."

       
 

Harshal Patel, DO, PGY-2

Barre Family Health Center 

                                                               

Harshal Patel, DO is a 2016 graduate of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and graduated  in 2010 from SUNY-Albany with a BS in Biology and Psychology. Harshal is a member of the Executive Board for his school's chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. He also enjoys cooking and skiing.

From our residents: "He is always in a pleasant mood, also ready to crack a joke, and genuinely has your back through thick and think. He is always trying to come up with innovative ways to try and improve literally everything. I think how brilliant he is is understated because he is so humble. He is someone I know I could call up at anytime, day-or-night, and he would be there. A great guy, a good friend, and an outstanding doctor. We are so lucky to have Dr. Hershey Bear at UMass with us."

Dr. Wacks: "Harshal is doing a great job on FMIS jumping into his new role as senior. He is attentive to his team's needs and works relentlessly to improve processes. Harshal also prioritizes teaching and effectively balances patient care with the teaching. He deeply cares about his patients and takes the time to address both their medical and psychosocial needs. Great work on FMIS!"

                                                   Workshop Schedule 


PGY-1            

       10/3 Intimate Partner Violence
              Drs. Seymour, Runyan, Shields

     10/24 In-Training Exam  

PGY-2     

    9/12 HC Based
           PGY-2 Stork Training 
            HC Faculty
 

  9/19 Operation Housecall
           Sue Swanson, Maura Sullivan
.

  9/26  Life Long Learning
          Test Taking Skills - ITE Prep
           Drs. Baldor and Domino

  10/3 Disability Evaluation Fitness for duty
           Maria Michas, MD

10/10 HC-based
         HC Faculty
 
10/17 Managing patients with pain and addiction problems
          Dr. Baxter

10/24 In-Training Exam 

10/31 Labor Support/Coaching
          Drs. Shields/ Melnitsky/Carter-Henry/Barnard

 

PGY-3     

   9/12  HC-Based

           HC Faculty

   9/19 SWING DATE

   9/26 Life Long Learning
          Test Taking Skills - ITE Prep
          Drs. Baldor and Domino

10/10 HC based

10/17 SWING DATE

10/24 In-Training Exam

10/31 Independent Project Time