Preventive Medicine Residency Columbia - Curriculum
Preventive medicine educational experiences
Residents concurrently participate in academic, clinical and practicum rotation experiences throughout the two-year program, during their second and third residency years. Each resident will plan with the program director a personalized curriculum based on academic needs, professional goals, and the fulfillment of ACGME and program requirements.
Academic component
Preventive Medicine residents are required to complete a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) or equivalent degree before residency graduation. Residents who already have a MPH or equivalent degree may be required to complete additional rotations and additional courses to meet the specific ACGME requirements. MPH studies are completed at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. The MPH program includes the core courses of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB) Track, or the Biostatistics-Epidemiology Track. Tuition costs are covered by the residency program.
Completion of research or scholarly activity is required by the end of residency. Residents have the opportunity to conduct research with the help of a faculty adviser on an independent project or as a part of ongoing project to fulfill this requirement.
Weekly preventive medicine didactic seminars. Seminar sessions cover various topics related to the practical application and current topics in preventive medicine and public health. Didactic sessions also include journal clubs and board review sessions.
Inter-professional conferences, didactic sessions, and grand round lectures offered by other clinical specialties and academic departments throughout Prisma Health and UofSC are available for attendance.
Practicum and clinical component
Our curriculum entails required preventive medicine practicum rotations and activities with the availability of elective rotations as well. The practicum experiences are designed to afford residents the opportunity to apply and reinforce the concepts learned from the academic component of the curriculum. Practicum rotations are completed in various settings such as hospitals, managed care organizations, state and local health departments, and community-based organizations. Each resident must complete rotation time at a governmental public health agency and participate in a clinical quality/patient safety assessment and improvement activity.
Our residents rotate through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) gaining exposure to the state, regional, and local public health agency setting. Residents are also encouraged to seek out projects and elective rotation opportunities that will further develop progress towards individual preventive medicine skill development and knowledge base.
Residents are required to complete at least two months each year in a clinical setting providing patient care. Clinical activities may take place at various sites of Prisma Health affiliated clinics or at other locations with one of our community-based partners such as the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Hopehealth and Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers.
Clinical rotation options include primary care clinics and subspecialties including the following:
- Occupational medicine
- Addiction medicine
- Pediatrics
- Family medicine
- Internal medicine
- Infectious disease
- Family planning and gynecology
- Travel medicine
- Rural health
- Lifestyle medicine
- Community medicine
There are a number of options for away-elective rotations that are offered by our institution or other agencies, a few examples include: Global Health Elective, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Policy, and others.