Inpatient Medicine

Inpatient training in Internal Medicine is designed to enable residents to achieve the knowledge, skills and attitudes of competent general internists. Through the inpatient rotations at Piedmont Athens Regional, residents are expected to gain proficiency in the diagnosis and management of inpatient medical illnesses and their associated care needs. Learning occurs through hands on, supervised clinical experiences, amplified by bedside teaching.

Teaching rounds and didactic conferences occur 5-6 days per week and are designed to reinforce the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and natural history of diseases treated by general internists. Faculty supervisors demonstrate appropriate skills in diagnosis, judgment and resourcefulness in therapy. Residents receive instruction and feedback to master interviewing, communication and interpersonal skills that are necessary to elicit and record a thorough and accurate history. Teaching also trains residents on how to establish and nurture a therapeutic physician-patient relationship, and initiate or motivate the patient to implement optimal medical management. Residents receive instruction and feedback to master physical exam skills; demonstrate the humanistic treatment and care of patients.
 

PGY-1

• Complete comprehensive and concise written documentation for patient care including admission H&Ps, daily progress notes, and discharge summaries and other discharge paperwork.
• Orally present patients effectively in a variety of patient care settings including work rounds, sign-out rounds, and in requesting consultation.
• Build effective therapeutic relationships with patients.
• Teach medical students effectively and provide peer teaching on discrete clinical topics.
• Cultivate respectful relationships with coworkers.
   

PGY-2

• Review and provide feedback to PGY1 residents on written documentation; complete a resident addendum note on all new admissions.
• Teach effectively in informal settings in the context of shared work and in formal settings such as morning report and visit rounds.
• Provide effective team leadership including setting expectations, reinforcing productive behaviors, providing feedback.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary team meetings with patients and families.
• Assist PGY1 residents in negotiating conflicts and managing difficult patients.
   

PGY-3

• Review and provide feedback to PGY1 residents on written documentation
• Supervise PGY-1 residents in patient care activities, including ordering appropriate tests and imaging studies
• Teach effectively in both formal and informal settings about common inpatient conditions
• Provide effective team leadership including setting expectations, reinforcing productive behaviors, providing feedback.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary team meetings with patients and families.
• Assist PGY-1&2 residents in engaging patients in shared decision making, especially during crucial conversations.

Sample Wards Schedule