Published in:
01-03-2017 | Innovation and Improvement: Innovations in Medical Education
Development and Implementation of a Novel HIV Primary Care Track for Internal Medicine Residents
Published in: Journal of General Internal Medicine | Issue 3/2017
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Background
Declining mortality has led to a rising number of persons living with HIV (PLWH) and concerns about a future shortage of HIV practitioners.
Aim
To develop an HIV Primary Care Track for internal medicine residents.
Setting
Academic hospital and community health center with a history of caring for PLWH and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients.
Participants
Internal medicine residents.
Program Description
We enrolled four residents annually in a 3-year track with the goal of having each provide continuity care to at least 20 PLWH. The curriculum included small group learning sessions, outpatient electives, a global health opportunity, and the development of a scholarly project.
Program Evaluation
All residents successfully accrued 20 or more PLWH as continuity patients. Senior residents passed the American Academy of HIV Medicine certification exam, and 75 % of graduates took positions in primary care involving PLWH. Clinical performance of residents in HIV care quality measures was comparable to those reported in published cohorts.
Discussion
We developed and implemented a novel track to train medical residents in the care of PLWH and LGBT patients. Our results suggest that a designated residency track can serve as a model for training the next generation of HIV practitioners.