Department of
Internal Medicine Eastern Division

Curriculum

Our curriculum is grounded in an encouraging and nurturing environment that fosters personal growth and independence. All residents have a continuity clinic and will build meaningful relationships with their patients and the clinical staff and attendings. This outpatient experience runs the entire duration of residency and, by being in the same location, allows residents to develop their capabilities toward independent practice in an environment that supports their personal growth.

Year 1: Foundations of Internal Medicine

In the first year of our residency program, PGY-1 residents develop the core skills for making critical healthcare decisions. Faculty modeling is key in providing our PGY-1 residents the support they need as new house staff.

Clinical Rotations

  • Internal Medicine Ward Service (4 blocks)
  • Intensive Care Unit (2 blocks)
  • Emergency Department (1 block)
  • Internal Medicine Clinic (1 block)
  • Night Float (1 block)
  • Electives (3 blocks)
    • Choose from cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology, etc.

Year 2: Intermediate Internal Medicine

In the second year of our residency program, PGY-2 residents have more autonomy and continued faculty support. Mentoring the PGY-1 class is a key component of this year. PGY-2 residents select electives for their final year of residency, helping prepare for their chosen career path, whether it is subspecialty training, hospital medicine, or general IM.

Clinical Rotations

  • Internal Medicine Ward Service (2 blocks)
  • Intensive Care Unit (1 block)
  • Cardiology (1 block)
  • Pulmonology (1 block)
  • Nephrology (1 block)
  • Emergency Department (1 block)
  • Electives (5 blocks)
    • Choose from cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology, etc.

Year 3: Advanced Internal Medicine

In the final year of our residency program, PGY-3 residents are the primary drivers of healthcare on our services. They mentor junior residents and lead journal club and M&M. PGY-3 residents practice with a great deal of autonomy, maintaining faculty support. Residents are supported and prepped for job/fellowship interviews, contract negotiations, and graduation.

Clinical Rotations

  • Internal Medicine Ward Service (2 blocks)
  • Intensive Care Unit (2 blocks)
  • Neurology (1 block)
  • Substance Abuse and Recovery (1 block)
  • Night Float (1 block)
  • Elective (5 blocks)
    • Choose from cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, endocrinology, neurology, etc.

Didactics and Conferences

  • Grand Rounds: Weekly lectures on advanced topics in internal medicine
  • Morning Report: Case-based discussions between faculty and residents
  • Teaching Rounds: Resident-led discussions on complex cases with junior residents and medical students
  • Journal Club: Monthly review, discussion and critical interpretation of medical literature
  • Simulation Training: Semi-annual sessions to practice clinical skills and emergency scenarios
  • Advanced Procedure Workshops: Opportunities to refine skills in procedures such as central line placement, lumbar puncture, etc.
  • Ethics and Professionalism: Discussions on ethical dilemmas and professionalism in healthcare
  • Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) Conferences: Monthly review of cases to identify areas for improvement
  • Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Projects: Residents participate in ongoing quality improvement initiatives within the hospital or clinic settings
  • Population Health: Residents learn fundamental population health skills
  • Research Methods: Sessions on research design, data analysis and scholarly activity
  • Board Review: Regular sessions to prepare for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) exam
  • Career Planning and Preparation: Guidance on fellowship applications, job searches and transitioning to independent practice
  • Negotiation Skills: Training sessions on contracts, job placement, etc.

Throughout all three years, residents will develop a well-rounded skill set that will help prepare them to be innovators and leaders in the career path of their choosing.

Signature Programs

In addition to our core internal medicine curriculum providing rigorous training in both inpatient and outpatient internal medicine, our residency has four signature programs, each one addressing a major health challenge in Appalachia and beyond.

Mountain Metabolics

Diabetes, obesity and related metabolic conditions continue to be a primary threat to human health across West Virginia and the globe. To meet this challenge, residents learn from our team at the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Health. They will learn about an interdisciplinary initiative to prevent and treat obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders across the lifespan; including endocrinology, embedded behavioral health and obesity medicine experts.

Residents will learn cutting-edge medical and population health approaches to care from prevention to the highest quality treatment for active diseases with end-stage microvascular and macrovascular complications. We have a 360-degree approach to metabolic conditions, including focusing on sleep, movement, food and stress, applied to all patients across the spectrum of pre-diabetes, type I DM, type II DM and diabetes in pregnancy and attendant cardiac, neurologic, oncologic and mental health complications.

Our campus is home to an innovative Farm to You program, which works with local farmers to provide fresh, locally-grown produce to community members at no cost to promote healthier eating habits in our region. Our IMR curriculum fits seamlessly with the Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track offered through the WVU medical student curriculum. Through this wide range of resources, residents master advanced skills in treating metabolic conditions and impacting the lives of their patients and community. 

Recovery and Hope

Substance use disorders (SUD) have ravaged Appalachia, as it has affected other parts of America, resulting in premature death and social devastation. Working alongside mental health, addiction and psychiatry teams, our residents learn to screen for and treat SUD and comorbid illnesses and coordinate care. A diverse group of experts which includes psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists among other health professionals, provide training in best practices for treating SUD and its related conditions.

Through experiences in the inpatient psychiatric unit at Berkeley Medical Center, outpatient clinics and at our Crisis Support and Recovery Center located in downtown Martinsburg, residents hone their skills and gain an advanced understanding of how internal medicine doctors care for patients with SUD, working within a team of professionals, from prevention to recovery.

Healthcare is Human

Created in 2020 by Eastern Internal Medicine Residency program director Ryan McCarthy, M.D., in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Healthcare is Human (HIH) is an innovative narrative medicine initiative. Using Appalachian storytelling, HIH produces artifacts to teach narrative medicine practices. These artifacts include interviews, podcasts, poems, photographs, articles and more.

Residents are trained in the narrative skills of close reading and reflective writing. Through a series of lectures, events and experiences, HIH’s goal is to keep humanity at the center of medical care for patients and practitioners. Through creative experiences in arts and humanities, HIH promotes residents’ well-being and self-reflection.

HIH has been featured on TED, Arthur P. Gold Foundation, Narrative Mindworks, KevinMD, and several short films and museum exhibitions such as 1,000 Days in Appalachia. Residents will have the opportunity to create their own original narrative medicine projects for local, state and national presentations and work with the HIH creative team.

Healthcare is Human is active on Facebook, Instagram and the Healthcare is Human Podcast. 

Take Me Home

West Virginia has a unique culture of caring for illness, dying, death and grief, centered around preserving independence and family. Our curriculum provides residents with the opportunity to work in a variety of settings to develop advanced skills in end-of-life care.

Incorporating the palliative care service at the BMC and Hospice of the Panhandle Inpatient Facility (located in Kearneysville, WV, a short drive from the BMC), residents develop their communication skills, goal clarification, conduct family meetings and learn symptom management. Advanced skills are taught and modeled by working on multidisciplinary teams including social workers, nurses, chaplains, case managers and other palliative care experts.