Patient care experiences are only part of the training as a resident in the VCU Med-Peds program. The program uses an academic half-day model with protected time for core conferences in both internal medicine and pediatrics. In addition, there are a wide variety of other conference types sponsored by the categorical programs that help support your education, encourage intellectual curiosity, and provide the skills needed for lifelong learning.
Conference Schedules
View the internal medicine conference schedule and pediatrics conference schedule for dates and times of recurring meetings.
Conference Descriptions
Med-Peds ARCHway Conference
This monthly conference allows residents to explore clinical and other topics that are unique to med-peds practice. ARCHway is mnemonic for the four foci of conference: Adulthood Guide (encompasses career development and professionalism), Research and QI, Chronicles in Review (highlights interesting med-peds relevant journal articles and guideline changes), and Humanism in Medicine (aims to prompt discussion surrounding patient care topics, resiliency and self-care during residency). The conference format varies and includes guest speakers, panel discussions, practical demonstrations of medical technology and critically appraised topics.
"Morning" Reports (internal medicine)
Intern Report is a weekly case-based conference just for interns on inpatient rotations. This is a fantastic opportunity for interns to practice diagnostic reasoning and presentation skills among their peers. Inpatient Report (a.k.a. "Morning" report) is designed for residents on inpatient services, though interns are welcome to participate. It is also case-based and has a more nuanced focus on assessment and management skills. Ambulatory Report is a conference that focuses on a topic specific to outpatient medicine. All conferences are presented by an intern or resident and facilitated by an attending.
Core Conference (medicine and pediatrics)
Interns on internal medicine rotations attend Intern Core Conference on Tuesday afternoons, and residents on internal medicine rotations attend Resident Core Conference on Thursday afternoons. All trainees on pediatrics rotations attend pediatric Core Conference on Tuesday afternoons. All Core Conferences are conducted as a three-hour block of protected time. Each Core Conference series has an integrated, longitudinal curriculum that covers core content or evidence-based updates in a variety of interactive formats, including didactic sessions, small group exercises, audience response systems, problem-based learning, journal club, etc.
Noon Report / Case Conference (pediatrics)
A senior-level resident will present an interesting case as an unknown. Residents and students are encouraged to participate in the discussion in order to develop a comprehensive differential diagnosis and management plan. Once the diagnosis is disclosed, the assigned resident will give a brief discussion of a salient or unusual aspect of the case. The supervising attending will provide additional comments/moderation of the discussion.
Med-Peds Housestaff Meeting
This monthly conference serves as the resident business meeting. Program information is discussed, and the meeting also serves as an open forum for resident feedback. It’s also a great opportunity to socialize with fellow residents.