Eight doctors are unpacking their stethoscopes this week as the inaugural group of residents participate in orientation and introductions to the new residency program at Utah Valley Family Practice Center and Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.
Four first-year and four second-year residents will participate in the program. The residents are physicians who have graduated from medical school and are seeking speciality training in the field of family practice. As part of the program, the residents will participate in rotations with attending physicians in many different areas of medicine, including: family medicine, internal medicine, gastroenterology, cardiology, rheumatology, intensive care, neurology, pediatrics, newborn intensive care, obstetrics, gynecology, general surgery, emergency medicine and radiology."The program emphasizes preparation for practice in any setting, with a particular focus on the breadth of skills necessary to practice in a rural community," said Dr. Jack Cox, residency director.
The majority of rotations will take place at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, with some rotations at American Fork Hospital and Orem Community Hospital.
A key element in the program will be the clinical experience at the Family Practice Center and IHC Prenatal Care Center. The residents will be junior partners in the practice and will see patients as well as be involved with the management and administrative decisions associated with the centers.
All patient care will be supervised by an attending physician. Interaction with patients is important to the education process, and residents typically devote more time to each patient visit.
Until remodeling is completed on the old Granite Furniture building in early September, the residents will see patients at the Family Practice Center's current location at 930 N. 500 West, Suite 4 in Provo, and the Prenatal Care Center located at 465 W. 400 North in Orem (adjacent to Orem Community Hospital). New patients are being accepted.