Residency Celebrations!

We know that backlighting is a photo no-no but with a group this big what are we to do?

Over the course of 3 years residents will have a lot of life events to celebrate. No matter if it’s a marriage, a baby or finding a position that allows you to move home, this group is very supportive. Just last week we had all three! Not only did current residents and faculty attend, but staff from our FMC office and recent graduates came to show support too. Once part of the residency, always part of the residency!

Global Health Guatemala February 2019

This February, four residents, alongside program faculty, medical students and a public health student traveled to rural Guatemala. Wu Qu Kawoq, also known as the Maya Health Alliance, continues to be out fantastic NGO. The organization formed with the goal of providing grassroots healthcare delivered in native languages to many of the rural communities of Guatemala who previously were unable to access care. They are now one of the largest providers of healthcare in Guatemala and we are proud to work alongside them for in a culturally sensitive and continuity minded partnership.

You can see more more highlights of our Guatemala trip below. To learn more about our Global Health Curriculum click here. You can read more about the Mayan Health Alliance here.

Our core resident team along with two of the women most important to the health of Chocola, one of the communities we serve in Guatemala.

We traveled first to the small rural, coffee and chocolate farming town of Chocola. The team sets up clinic for the week in a small building centered in the community and provides care to numerous children and families – everything from treating acute infections, to minor injuries, chronic diabetes, hypertension and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

This model allows for follow up within the same week and we had several patients return for additional check ups or medications.

For the second week we traveled to the city of Tecpan which served as our base for daily clinics in more remote and outlying communities.

Places like Chichimuch, Chutiestantia, and Santiago were reached only after a long bus ride, and we set up day long clinics treating many of the same things as we did our first week.

We encountered more Mayan language speaking people when working in the Guatemalan highlands outside of Tecapn and gained a better understanding of the inspiration behind the Mayan Health Alliance. With incredible interpreters and a strong team we were able to provide care in those native languages.

All in all, we cared for 331 patients and will be able to provide follow up and continuity of care when our next team arrives in April.

Second Look 2019

(As we get ready for second look 2019 enjoy this UPDATED post with most commonly FAQs)

While we can't promise lanterns, The Transept is a cool converted church where we will host the resident and office staff cocktail hour on Jan 18..

Now that it's January, it's time to start thinking about Second Look Weekend! This year we will be hosting our events Friday Jan 18th and Saturday Jan 19th. Before we get to the details-- and trust us, they are exciting-- we figured we would answer some questions first.

What is Second Look?

Second look is a weekend-long event that allows you to come back and visit Cincinnati without all the pressure of interview day. You can meet more residents and attendings, ask any questions that may have come to mind, and also get a sense of if you can truly live in Cincinnati for the next 3-5 years. 

Is it mandatory?

Nope! While we invite all of our interviewees, this is not a mandatory event. We understand that you are medical students who have rotations and clinical duties which can make it hard (not to mention expensive) to come back. 

Winter wonderland? Yes

Cold? Also yes

[Editors Note: The forecast currently calls for snow so this Californian will wear triple layers]

Can my family come?

Absolutely! We welcome you to bring any of the “significant figures” (math joke) in your life. In the past we have had spouses, partners, siblings, and children. Remember that moving to Cincinnati does not just affect you. Making sure that the people in your support network can see themselves here is important to us too. Do remember to RSVP for these folks if they are joining any of the events. 

Your eyes do not deceive you. The night sky does say Cincinnati!

What should I bring?  Do I need a suit?

No suit required for this event, but make sure that you bring warm clothes and check the weather before hand. (Trust us, one of our Californian residents current has her office set to 82 and is working on transitioning blankets into daywear).  If you stick with business casual and warm coat you should be fine. No need to bring copies of your resumes or professional folios. We always recommend bringing a sense of adventure!

While we are pretty sure we wont meet Fiona at the Zoo, we do usually get to pet a friendly penguin.

[Editor Note 1: You should 100% follow the Cincinnati Zoo on Instagram because they keep posting adorable photos of all the baby animals]

[Editor Note 2: I don’t care what anyone says, Winsol the Aardvark has been lovable since day one]

What is happening?

By now you should have gotten an e-mail from the program coordinator regarding the schedule. We start from 7-11 on Friday at The Transept for a cocktail hour with the residents- this gives you the chance to get a sense of us in a less formal atmosphere. Then Saturday from 9:30 to noon is the legendary Cincinnati bus tour. This is a can't-miss introduction to the city with commentary by our very own Reid Hartman and Jeff Schlaudecker. Finally we have lunch from 1-5 at the Cincinnati Zoo. Probably slightly more formal in tone, you can meet with residents and attendings to find out even more about our program. Also we usually get to pet a baby animal of some sort... which is awesome. (FMP applicants please note you have a slightly different schedule and we will reach out to you directly)

What if I can only come to part of the event?

Let us know! We would love to see you as much as we can. 

My roommate/best friend/adviser said that if I really want to be considered I have to go? 

It is our pleasure to host you for Friday night the 18th at Spring Hills Suites!

See question 2, definitely not mandatory. Being able to come does not affect your position on the rank list. Communication is key from here on out. Email us and stay in touch. If there are any questions we can answer, let us know! If you want to come for a visit on a different date, reach out! Making sure to show us your interest in super important. 

Wait! You are paying for a hotel?!?!?

Yep! We are pleased to offer lodging for Friday the 18th at Spring Hills Suites. 

Intern Love Part 2

Our interns continue to prove that one of the best ways to adapt to a new city and new responsibilities is to practice wellness. This weekend they enjoyed a hike at Red River Gorge a beautiful spot about 2 hours from Cincinnati. Look at the smiling faces and after 3 months of residency!

Boat Day

A mix of office staff, residents, family and friends enjoying time outside the office.

A few of downtown Cincinnati, still meaning to try the new ferris wheel .

A team that plays together stays together! As an opportunity to bond outside of the office we had an FMC Boat Day this past weekend with residents and office staff. Not only did we get a river’s eye view of the Cincinnati skyline (look at that photo!), we learned some dance moves and got to cool off with the river breeze.

The office staff truly is the heart of our clinic and some of our most important teachers in the particle of medicine. We love getting to spend time with them and are thrilled that they will join us at interview dinners this year!

Newest Research

We are delighted to report that our research division, headed by Dr. Chris White, has recent received two grants which will allow our family medicine department to continue its role in advancing our field to meet for the current health care needs both close and far from home. 

Transformational Fellowship Training for Community Primary Care Champions is a new $2million 5-year HRSA award in partnership with the newly accredited Physician-Assistant program at Mount St. Joseph University. The $2 million will create a new faculty-development fellowship under Program Director Dr. Megan Rich. Early-career PCPs will be trained in leadership, healthcare transformation, and education through a curriculum built on quality improvement, the social determinants of health, substance use disorders, collaborative mental health care, medical education curriculum, and provider wellness. Each of the 20 fellows (2018-2023) will complete a mentored practice transformation project through community-participatory learning. We will build bridges between community practice sites, UC, and Mount St. Joseph University PA Program, and involved UC team members include Dr. Megan Rich, Dr. Chris White, Dr. Soni Regan, Daniel Hargraves, and Dr. Jeffrey Schlaudecker. This awesome new grant runs alongside the current Primary Care Transformation $1.75m HRSA grant (2015-2020) focusing on the residency and involving the above team plus Dr. Anna Goroncy and Dr. Reid Hartmann.

Enhancing Community Providers Competence in Providing MAT for Substance Use Disorders is a supplement we were just awarded (based on our outstanding work last year) for $87,500.00 which will pay for the multi-talented Daniel Hargraves to again lead several educational endeavors helping primary care providers improve care in the setting of our current opioid epidemic. Another dinner/book club (New Book!), revamped naloxone skills sessions for residents and physician assistant trainees at Mount St. Joseph University, and a collaborative effort with The Christ Hospital's Opioid Task Force for a CME day are a few highlights. Dr. Chris White, Dr. Hilja Ruegg, Dr. Reid Hartmann, Dr. Pat Wigle, and Sarah Brubaker are all involved.

I'm Gonna Let You Finish Mr. Clemens But...

Illustration of Cincinnati is late 1800s

Mark Twain is suppose to have said "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always 20 years behind the times*." With all due respect this is no longer true of the Queen City! From the redevelopment of the historic downtown district, Over-the-Rhine (or OTR for short), to the record breaking attendance of the new profession soccer team, FC Cincinnati, this city is undergoing a transformation - and is a great place to complete residency. 

One example of a local favorite spot is Woodburn Ave located in East Walnut Hills. Less than 5 minutes from the hospital many residents and faculty choose to make this community their home. It is an up-and-coming hipster-hood with small restaurants, art studios, bike stores and the always popular O-Pie-O (which only serves pie based foods- think tarts, pot pies, quiches, empanadas, and of course the seasonal pie-a-la-mode). 

You can often find a group of residents celebrating a birthday (as pictured here), playing trivia, supporting local businesses during the Friday night Walking-on-Woodbrun event, or taking their pets to one of the dog-friends eating spots! 

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Keep on the lookout for more "Mr. Clemens posts" about residency in Cincinnati

*a note to the history buffs, according to "The Quote Investigator" Mark Twain may not have actually uttered these words... but it is such a common story we will let it slide. 

Welcome to July

But now it's July and time for work (whatever happened to summer vacation?). We are excited that our 7 brand new residents are off to a wonderful start! They've been in Cincinnati for a few weeks getting to know the city, the hospital and each other.

The last few weeks of June are a busy time in any residency and our program in no exception. From graduation for the 3rd year residents to welcoming the brand new interns, there is always something to do. 

July also means the start of 4th-year medical students looking at residency programs and making decisions about career paths. If you are looking for a full-spectrum family medicine residency with a focus on urban underserved and global health, take a look at us! Located in Cincinnati, Ohio at The Christ Hospital and affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, our training program gives you a unique opportunity to experience the diversity and breadth of family medicine.