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The PRIME curriculum

Clinical research training during residency

  • Innovations In Education
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Abstract

AIM: The Primary Medical Education (PRIME) program is an outpatient-based, internal medicine residency track nested within the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) categorical medicine program. Primary Medical Education is based at the San Francisco Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), 1 of 3 teaching hospitals at UCSF. The program accepts 8 UCSF medicine residents annually, who differentiate into PRIME after internship. In 2000, we implemented a novel research methods curriculum with the dual purposes of teaching basic epidemiology skills and providing mentored opportunities for clinical research projects during residency.

SETTING: Single academic internal medicine program.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The PRIME curriculum utilizes didactic lecture, frequent journal clubs, work-in-progress sessions, and active mentoring to enable residents to “try out” a clinical research project during residency.

PROGRAM EVALUATION: Among 32 residents in 4 years, 22 residents have produced 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 1 paper under review, and 2 book chapters. Their clinical evaluations are equivalent to other UCSF medicine residents.

DISCUSSION: While learning skills in evidence-based medicine, residents can conduct high-quality research. Utilizing a collaboration of General Internal Medicine researchers and educators, our curriculum affords residents the opportunity to “try-out” clinical research as a potential future career choice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Internal Medicine Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

    R. J. Kohlwes MD, MPH, R. L. Shunk MD, A. Avins MD, J. Garber MD, S. Bent MD & M. G. Shlipak MD, MPH

  2. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    R. J. Kohlwes MD, MPH, R. L. Shunk MD, A. Avins MD, J. Garber MD, S. Bent MD & M. G. Shlipak MD, MPH

Authors
  1. R. J. Kohlwes MD, MPH
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  2. R. L. Shunk MD
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  3. A. Avins MD
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  4. J. Garber MD
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  5. S. Bent MD
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  6. M. G. Shlipak MD, MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. J. Kohlwes MD, MPH.

Additional information

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Calvin Chou, MD, PhD, Kewchang Lee, MD, Patricia Cornett, MD, Sharad Jain, MD, Mary Whooley, MD, Tracy Minichiello, MD, Robert Baron, MD, MPH, Elizabeth Harleman, MD, Thomas Koepsell, MD, MPH, and Richard Deyo, MD, MPH. We also appreciate the input and leadership of Dr. Harry Hollander, the Internal Medicine Residency Director at the University of California, San Francisco.

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Kohlwes, R.J., Shunk, R.L., Avins, A. et al. The PRIME curriculum. J GEN INTERN MED 21, 506–509 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00438.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2006.00438.x

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