Family Medicine Residency Program
A message from the Program Director
The Nuvance Health System Family Medicine Residency Program offers a significant opportunity for medical school graduates seeking to advance their education and become family physicians. Nuvance Health System provides an abundance of resources through a network of seven major hospitals, an extensive primary care network, and specialized outpatient facilities.
Nuvance Health System Family Medicine residents will gain comprehensive experience in obstetrics, acquire knowledge in inpatient and outpatient pediatric services, and receive exposure to various other subspecialties. Inpatient adult medicine training will occur primarily at our main site, Northern Dutchess Hospital, under the supervision of board-certified physicians. Residents will provide holistic patient care and assume primary responsibility for patient management, commensurate with their training year and abilities.
Our outpatient Family Medicine Practices (FMP) in Kingston, NY, and Rhinebeck, NY, offer residents the opportunity to care for a diverse patient population. Residents will provide longitudinal primary care services for their patient panel, perform procedures, and develop the skills necessary to practice effectively in an outpatient setting.
The Nuvance Health System Family Medicine Residency Program places a high priority on resident well-being and strives to ensure a supportive and healthy training environment. Nuvance Health System offers residents a range of services and resources to help maintain work-life balance and support their overall wellness during their training.
Our program seeks motivated residents who are striving to become the top leaders in family medicine to join us in our mission to provide exceptional healthcare to the communities we serve.
Sincerely,
Hossam Hafez, MD
Program Director, Nuvance Health Family Medicine Residency Program
Program Structure
The Nuvance Health Family Medicine Residency Program is a three-year training program based at Northern Dutchess Hospital (NDH), a Nuvance Health facility in Rhinebeck, NY. Residents rotate every 4 weeks through a diverse curriculum of specialties, while attending to a longitudinal patient panel at the outpatient continuity clinic. As a Family Medicine resident, you will conduct a significant portion of your training at Northern Dutchess Hospital, including surgical, OB, Cariology, Neurology, Infectious Disease, Geriatric and Inpatient floor experience. Residents also rotate through Vassar Brothers Medical Center (VBMC) for specialty experiences. Residents select their own electives, which may include any family medicine subspecialty, a research month, or any other rotation discussed and agreed upon in conjunction with your Program Director.
The outpatient Family Medicine Practice (FMP) for the Nuvance Health Family Medicine Program has two locations. Rhinebeck Primary care is located at Northern Dutchess Hospital and Kingston Medical Mall is located in Kingston, NY. The faculty at Nuvance Health and the faculty at Kingston Medical Mall work together to provide each resident with a variety of clinical experiences in inpatient and outpatient medicine. Residents at the FMP provide primary care services to a patient panel and gain valuable experience integrating obstetrical care and behavioral health into primary care.
Rotation Schedules (sample)
An example of one resident’s training schedule in this program is shown below. This is just an example and may be adjusted by the program director to ensure adequate experience and ACGME compliance.
Family Medicine Practice
Rhinebeck Primary Care is located at Northern Dutchess Hospital. It contains 12 patient exam rooms, a waiting room, a precepting room, faculty/resident work area and a conference room.
The Family Medicine Practice (FMP) / Continuity Clinic at Kingston Medical Mall is located at 1200 Ulster Avenue, Kingston, NY. The FMP contains 25 patient exam rooms, a waiting room, precepting rooms, faculty/resident work area, conference room, dentistry operatory, behavioral health rooms and lactation room.
Residents during the PGY1 year will complete two half-day sessions per week in the FMP, three half-day sessions in the PGY2 year, and four half-day sessions during the PGY3 year. Residents will be paired into one of four teams for the length of their training program with residents from varying levels.
Academic and Research Offerings
Boot Camp / Orientation
As a new resident, you will participate in an intern boot camp and orientation during your first week here. This will help you adjust to residency life and provide you with an overview of programs, topics and required information. Non-patient care/medical knowledge curriculum topics are covered as well, including interpersonal communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice, and practice-based learning and improvements.
ABFM In-Training Exam
Residents’ medical knowledge and clinical reasoning will be benchmarked for measuring longitudinal growth through the results of the annual American Board of Family Medicine In-Training Examination. All family medicine residents will complete the exam in October of each year. Results will be reviewed with the Program Director to inform discussions and individualization of curriculum and clinical training (e.g., reading material, board prep and electives).
Research Opportunities
Each resident in the Nuvance Health Family Medicine Residency Program is paired with a faculty mentor who will encourage and support you through the research process. Mentors are tasked with assisting residents in background research, feasibility, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, study design, implementation and analysis, and quality improvement projects.
Research elective experiences are available for residents who wish to pursue a more in-depth experience, and Nuvance Health’s experienced research faculty are available for guidance and support. Family Medicine residents are encouraged to present all research either within the department, locally, regionally or nationally – including during the annual Nuvance Health Program’s Resident Research Day, where residents of all specialties may present posters and oral presentations showcasing their work.
Academic Didactic Schedule
Weekly:
Noon conference – Mandatory conferences are held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays in the Nuvance Health Family Medicine Residency Program. All lectures are designed to provide residents with a broad range of knowledge on the ACGME competencies and prepare them to provide exceptional patient care. Conference topics will vary, and may either be presented by a faculty member, a guest lecturer or a resident. We believe that academic inquiry is an important part of learning, so we make sure each resident has ample opportunity to present their own research, a journal article or a unique patient care case during their time in the program.
Quality and Process Improvement (Q&PI) – Third-year residents will present a patient case and discuss strategies for continued quality and process improvement, and how those strategies should be implemented.
Board Review – Held every Monday from September – April. Topics targeted at board examinations will be presented by Core Faculty members to PGY 3 resdients.
Monthly:
Teaching Days – Residents from each class will convene for a group learning exercise to prepare them for the next step in their training. First-year residents will review basic sciences and patient care practices. Second-year residents will pursue specialized and advanced care topics. Third-year residents will learn valuable practice management concepts.
Journal Club – A second- or third-year resident will review and present a journal article to initiate discussion of current or emerging medical advances.
Grand Rounds – Faculty or visiting guest speakers will lead discussions on a wide variety of medical topics with all residents.
Quarterly:
Quarterly meeting with Program Director – All residents will meet with the Program Director after the CCC meetings to discuss their short term goals, progress and areas for improvement.
Nuvance Health GME-Wide Resident Forums –The Resident Forum serves as a venue for residents of all programs to air any concerns in a resident-only session. No faculty, leadership or administrative staff are present, unless invited. Two representatives from the resident forum will sit on the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) and bring forward any concerns discussed during the resident forum meetings.
Nuvance Health Residency Joint-Program Lecture Series – In conjunction with all residency programs, lecture topics include GME-wide topics such as resident fatigue, burnout, resident wellness and other concerns. Sessions will be hosted by the GME office and invited speakers will present. Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Fatigue
- Stress and depression
- Substance abuse
- Disruptive behavior
- Burnout
- Boundary violations
- Impairment
- Instructive feedback
How to Apply
The Nuvance Health Family Medicine Residency Program at Northern Dutchess Hospital thanks you for your interest in applying to our program. We accept all applications through the ERAS and participate annually in the NRMP Match Program. Interviews will be virtual via Thalamus for the 2021-22 recruitment season.
Requirements: The following items are required for consideration of interview. All items must be received through ERAS application portal:
- Personal Statement
- Current CV
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- No more than 2 attempts on each USMLE
- MSPE (Dean’s) Letter
- J1 visa holders welcome
Applications are due through ERAS on November 30.
We accept eight (8) residents each year, for a total of 24 family medicine residents. We want our community to be tight-knit, and each resident to feel they are an important part of the program while providing an excellent educational experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will I train?The majority of training takes place at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY and at the outpatient continuity clinics in Kingston and Rhinebeck, NY. Some specialty experiences and electives, if selected, may occur at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, NY or Danbury Hospital in Danbury, CT.
Where can I find out more about Dutchess County and the Hudson Valley?
Dutchess County Tourism – https://www.dutchesstourism.com/
Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce – https://www.dcrcoc.org/
Explore the Hudson Valley – https://explorethehudsonvalley.com/
O Positive Festival – https://opositivefestival.org/kingston/
Will I be able to work with medical students?
We have MS4s from Touro School of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown and PA students from Marist College rotating on inpatient medicine.
Do you have any rotations with 24-hour call?
OB is the only rotation that has 24-hour calls. We have a night float system during inpatient medicine and ICU.
What are the rules around vacation?
Residents have 4 weeks of vacation per year. Residents may take off up to one week at a time, preferably at the beginning or end of the rotation.
Fast Facts
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- A diverse, varied curriculum including longitudinal primary care and specialty experiences in pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics, critical care and more
- Experience in both a community-based hospital and a large medical center, each with state-of-the-art resources and high-quality patient care
- Extensive outpatient patient care experience serving communities in need
- Team-based care models and incremental patient care responsibility
- One-on-one mentorship and guidance with experienced and passionate faculty
- Research opportunities
- A state-of-the-art simulation lab in Danbury
- High patient volume offers a wide variety of cases
During the first year of training interns complete specialized, monthlong rotations in obstetrics and gynecology, inpatient pediatrics and intensive care. Residents will also begin providing primary care services in outpatient and inpatient settings that will continue throughout their training. Inpatient teams provide day and night coverage at Northern Dutchess Hospital, and each resident provides outpatient primary care services in a continuity clinic. These diverse experiences set the foundation for residents to develop as well-rounded, experienced and compassionate physicians.
During the second year of training, residents will begin to develop as leaders of the patient care team, taking the lead on inpatient night rotations and in the Northern Dutchess Hospital Emergency Department. Second-year residents also treat older patients at the Center for Healthy Aging, and pediatric populations in outpatient and inpatient settings. During this year, residents develop a variety of clinical skills, gaining experience with obstetric care, surgery, inpatient pediatrics and musculoskeletal/sports medicine treatments.
During the third year of training, residents will act as leaders of the patient care team in all settings. Senior residents complete a rotation in Health Systems Management to prepare for independent patient care and develop valuable practice management skills. Additionally, senior residents spend two rotations leading adult inpatient care teams and one rotation leading an inpatient obstetric team. Residents will consult with their faculty mentors to select elective rotations each year and provide ongoing care to their continuity care patient panel throughout the program.
STIPEND
PGY-1: $76,728
PGY-2: $79,798
PGY-3: $82,990
Annual educational stipend
BENEFITS
- Full benefits package, including medical/prescription, dental and vision
- Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
- Basic life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
- Short- and long-term disability
- 3 lab coats are provided first year of residency
- 20 days of paid time off (PTO) per academic year
- Employee assistance program (EAP)
- Employee discount program
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
- Annual resident and family welcome party
- Wellness initiatives for work-life balance
- End-of-year recognition banquet
- Quarterly activities and additional social events
WORK HOURS/CALL
- No more than 80 hours per week
- No more than 24 consecutive hours of clinical activity
- At least 14 hours off after 24 hours of in-house call
- A minimum of one day off out of seven