Primary Care Residency Program

William Branch, MD Vice-Chairman for Primary Care Department of Medicine Chief, Division of General Medicine

Stacy Higgins, MD Program Director -Primary Care Internal Medicine

General internists know some of the truly rewarding aspects of medical practice. Care of the whole patient is in the generalist's hands-from bumps and bruises to complex illnesses to matters of emotional well-being. In recognition of the prominence that general internal medicine plays in the realm of health care, the Department of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine has created the Primary Care Internal Medicine Residency.

The goal of the Primary Care Residency is to train physicians in the art of generalist practice. Care by generalists is comprehensive, coordinated, and longitudinal. It is comprehensive in that it deals with all of a patient's problems-from the treatment of a minor infection to chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, to potentially catastrophic events, such as myocardial infarction. The general internist must be an expert diagnostician, capable of managing serious illnesses. The generalist is also a central figure in coordinating subspecialty consultation and relating the specialists' recommendations to a patient's overall needs. The ongoing nature of the relationship between patient and doctor means that the generalist must be highly trained in both listening and communication skills. The generalist answers a patient's anxieties and concerns by guiding patients in decisions about treatment options and intensity of care.

The inpatient experiences of a primary care resident at Emory are identical, though somewhat fewer in number, to those of Emory's traditional internal medicine training program. On the other hand, the outpatient experiences-occupying one-third of the training time-provide greater depth of training and a more comprehensive curriculum than traditional training in internal medicine. As the following pages will outline, the Division of General Medicine at Emory has dedicated itself to training a cadre of highly skilled primary care internists to serve with distinction in Atlanta, in the Southeast, and throughout the nation.

Questions about the Primary Care Residency Program are best answered by emailing Dr. Higgins.