Info for Applicants - 2010 Match

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in our residency training program.Our basic requirements for consideration for interview include:

• graduation from medical school within the past five years (not flexible)
• your medical school MUST be ON the approved Texas Medical Board list (scroll down for link to "substantial equivalence") and NOT on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board list of disapproved schools (no exceptions)
• passage of USMLE I and II, including CSA (preferably on first attempt) OR COMLEX for Osteopathic students. Obviously, the better your scores, the stronger will be your application
• some U.S. clinical experience
• three letters of recommendation, at least two of which MUST be from family doctors

We accept applications only through ERAS. Please do not email me long attachments in an attempt to circumvent the process because I will not read them. If you meet our criteria outlined above, then apply through ERAS. This will ensure that your application is reviewed.

Osteopathic students may apply to our program through either or both Match processes, however you will only be guaranteed a dual-accredited slot by matching through the AOA Match.

We will begin our interview season for the class entering in 2010 in September 2009 for Osteopathic students and October 2009 for all. We hope to conclude interviews by end of January 2010. We will begin screening applications immediately as they become available through ERAS. We will schedule interviews until we have interviewed sufficient candidates to fill our class, so you are encouraged to apply early.

Our program does sponsor J1 visas. Our program does NOT sponsor H-1 visas.UTMB does NOT sponsor externships or observerships for persons who have already graduated from medical school.

Please see our Residency website for more detailed information regarding our program. For specific questions that may not be covered, please contact our recruiter, Mr. Louis Johnston. His contact information is listed on the webpage.

Lisa R. Nash, D.O.

Program Director

UTMB Family Medicine Residency

Integrative Medicine in Residency - FYI

Integrative Medicine in Residency (IMR) is a 200-hour curriculum development project of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona, that is creating and delivering competency-based online integrative medical training to residents. IMR is a required component of the eight residency programs listed below, and is incorporated over the three years of your residency. Learning is accomplished through a combination of: web-based curriculum, program-specific experiential exercises, and group process-oriented activities.

Eight family medicine residencies nationwide are participating in the pilot phase of this program:
· Beth Israel Family Medicine
· Carolinas Medical Center
· Hennepin County Medical Center
· Maine Medical Center – Portland
· Maine Dartmouth – Augusta
· University of Arizona
· University of Connecticut
· University of Texas Medical Branch

Year 1 Content
Introduction to Integrative Medicine
Prevention and Wellness: US Preventive Services, Nutrition and Diet, Supplements for Prevention, Physical Activity, Sleep, Stress and Mind-Body Medicine, Spirituality
Tools in Integrative Medicine : Motivational Interviewing for Behavioral Change

Year 2 Content
Pediatric Topics: ADD/ADHD, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Asthma and Allergies
Women's Health Topics: Menopause, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, Depression, Eating Disorders, PMS, prenatal care and lactation
Acute Care Topics: Back Pain, Urinary Tract Infection, Gastroenteritis, Otitis media,Vaginitis, Chest Pain/GERD, Upper Respiratory Infection
Tools in Integrative Medicine: Integrative Medicine Intake Process, Botanicals, Mind-Body Medicine

Year 3 Content
Chronic Illness: Cardiovascular Disease (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease), Diabetes Mellitus II, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Obesity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chronic Back Pain
Special Topics: HIV, Cancer Survivorship
Tools in Integrative Medicine: Integrative Medicine Care Plan Process, Manual Medicine, Energy Medicine, Whole Systems, Practice Management

All courses have an interactive core content and contain case studies allowing you to apply the new knowledge to patients encountered in family medicine. Content includes evidence-based Conventional and Complementary approaches to the management of the medical problems presented.

Throughout the curriculum we will emphasize well-being and balance for physicians – this interactive and experiential part of the curriculum will encourage residents to work on an individual plan to maintain their well-being and balance while in residency.

For more information on the IMR program at the University of Texas Medical Branch Family Medicine Residency, please contact: Victor Sierpina, MD, 409-772-1847, vssierpi@utmb.edu

Redecorating

I like it! What do you think?

Thanks, Diane!

UTMB FMR Class of 2012

Resident Salary Increase Proposed

We are pleased to announce approval to increase House Staff salaries effective September 1, 2009. Please Note: These increases are subject to approval of UTMB's final budget for FY 2010 by the UT System Board of Regents.

PGY1 - $44,168
PGY2 - $45,500
PGY3 - $47,179

(Personal note... this is approximately DOUBLE what I earned as a resident. At that time, before duty hour restrictions, approximately $2.63 an hour. And it was uphill in the snow both ways.)

Amazing

Wal-Mart plans to market an EHR, undercutting rivals by at least HALF the cost! Read the report here.

Happy 2009 Match Day to us!

WE FILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

growing again

It's exciting times here in Galveston. Lately the news is all good regarding the future of UTMB. The powers in Austin seem to be behind rebuilding and finally the UTS Board of Regents has also pledged their support. The current tentative plan includes restoration of 500+ hospital beds here on the island, which will put us in great shape with our hospital service.

We're also taking advantage of this opportunity to seriously consider some changes the Residency program has been interested in for a long time. This is very timely, considering the national interest in the patient centered medical home. We are looking to move from the very large and not particularly patient-centered mega clinic housing all residents and faculty (approximately 40 - 50 doctors) to smaller clinics that more closely resemble environments where our graduates are likely to practice after graduation.

We have submitted a proposal to the RC-FM for approval to move 4 residents (two PGY2 and two PGY3) to our Stewart Road Family Health clinic, where they will join 3 - 4 faculty in that practice.

We have also submitted a proposal for expansion of the Rural Training Track to conduct the final 19 months of training at our rural site. This proposal is also for 4 residents, two PGY2 and two PGY3. It's taken 10 years and hurricane Ike to get to this point and I can't tell you how excited I am that we're finally taking this step. When we hear from the RC-FM, I will post a detailed outline of the new curriculum.

A third proposal in the works is for a new clinical site on the mainland that will mirror the Stewart Road Family Health clinic. That site should be ready for residents at the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year. One year farther down the road potentially is a revitalization of an old partnership with the county public health system. That partnership was rated very highly by residents in the program during its lifetime and will be an excellent addition to our clinical site options if we are successful in negotiating that renewal.

Most likely we will retain some campus or near-campus presence as well, so that could bring our outpatient facilities to five sites. It is also quite likely that we may continue our hospital service in two locations - one on the mainland and one here on campus.

It's been awhile getting to this point, and some gloomy and disheartening times to live through getting here, but the future truly is beginning to look bright for the UTMB FM program!