A: The number of procedures varies based on resident interest. Minimum standards exist for many procedures, but there is ample opportunity to perform additional procedures as desired.
Some examples of procedures that frequently take place in the Family Medicine Center include Knee aspirations and injections, carpal tunnel injections, incision and drainage, colposcopy, skin biopsies, suturing, IUD placement, Nexplanon placement and removal, and skin tag removal.
A:
PGY-I: (Varies widely based on the rotation)
Morning rounds (rotation specific)
Noon lunch/conference (rotation specific)
AM/PM rotation specific patient care
Sign-out (rotation specific)
*1 half-day FMC patient care each week
PGY-II:
Morning report at FMC
AM and PM patient care based on monthly rotation schedules
* 2 full days in FMC patient continuity care each week
PGY-III:
Morning Report at FMC
*2 full days FMC patient continuity care each week
*1 half-day acute/same day visits each week
A: ICU is the hardest rotation by far. If you feel you are struggling, make sure to let your seniors know so they can help. You learn a lot of medicine that month. It’s going to demand the most out of you, but you really get the most out of it.
Kory Bishop, M.D., 2018 Residency Graduate
A: On most of the services that you rotate on within the hospital, you are not treated any differently than any other resident. If you are on an ICU rotation, you are not the “family medicine intern” on the ICU team. You are just part of the team! On some rotations, such as general surgery, patient care expectations are the same between surgical and FM interns. However, there is a distinct effort made to tailor educational sessions and involvement in surgical cases (pre and post-operative care) to fit what you need to know or have experience in to practice in outpatient and hospitalist roles.
Chris Haydanek, 2020 Residency Graduate
A: Time management skills, keeping a planner or calendar with important upcoming dates; keeping a record of fulfilled requirements; write everything down! Periodically, take the time to update what you have completed and what is left to be done. Ask your seniors about how they tackled all of these requirements.
Judithe Paulius, D.O., 2018 Residency Graduate
A: Residents live all around the city. Fairlawn is a really nice community. There is a great area called Highland Square with some small coffee shops, some fun bars, and good brunch spots. Overall, it is very easy to find affordable housing within 15-20 minutes of the hospital, if not closer.
Zach Vallandingham, 2019 Graduate
A: North Canton is a very cute, historic town that was previously the headquarters for Hoover Vacuum Company. They have a fantastic library, a great “Y”, and a bunch of neat shops and restaurants. The drive is about 20-25 minutes.
Alex Barlekamp, 2019 Graduate
A: Overall, the cost of living in the Akron area is very reasonable. There are numerous apartment complexes in the downtown area, around the Akron University campus. There is also a strong rental market for those looking for a rental home. A number of residents have also purchased homes in the area.
A: There is a little of everything here in Akron! Downtown Akron itself has been growing the last few years and is home to some really good restaurants, as well as the Akron Art Museum, and the Akron Rubber Ducks (AA-Baseball). Blossom Music Center is located about 20 minutes north of Akron and hosts some of the biggest names in music throughout the summer.
Akron also boasts plenty of outdoor activities, including kayaking at the Portage Lakes or the Cuyahoga River, too many Metroparks to count, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. The area parks have hundreds of miles of trails. Akron also has many good golf courses.
Akron has a surprisingly good craft brew scene. For example, Hopping Frog brewery consistently ranks in the top 5-10 craft breweries in the nation. There are also a bunch of other local breweries. Northeast Ohio has a few local wineries and meaderies as well. There are also plenty of restaurants in downtown Akron and the surrounding areas.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in Akron, Cleveland is only about 30-40 minutes away. Cleveland’s Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts district outside of New York City. Cleveland is also home to the Cavaliers (NBA), Indians (MLB), Browns (NFL), Lake Erie Monsters (AHL), and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland has many great restaurants, breweries, and a fantastic 4-seasons indoor market with produce, butchers, and bakeries.
A: Absolutely! I played volleyball with one of my co-residents every Tuesday night, and basketball at the “Y” a few mornings a week with another co-resident.
Alex Barlekamp, 2019 Graduate
A: Scheduling events as a full class of eight is tough, but we try to plan a dinner/cookout on occasion. Aside from these larger group events, there are plenty of smaller get-togethers that take place, including some with residents outside of the Family Medicine program.
Chris Haydanek, 2020 Graduate
A: As a resident in the Summa Family Medicine program there are ample opportunities to work closely with medical students at all levels of training. Dozens of medical students spend time with the Family Medicine team throughout the course of the year. Residents have the opportunity to work one-on-one with students, and to pass on their clinical knowledge to medical students in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
Additionally, the majority of our full-time faculty have completed an Academic Medicine fellowship. This goes to show what a priority education is here at the family medicine program. It offers our residents a unique chance to learn from the experts the techniques needed to be effective educators.
Electives and Sub-Internships are available for medical students in their 3rd and 4th years. We always encourage those interested in Summa’s Family Medicine program to schedule a rotation. It is a great way to get to know the residents, and to see what it is like to work and train in a fantastic program!
A: There is plenty of inpatient experience built into the curriculum. The Family Medicine Inpatient Service (FMIS) covers family medicine patients admitted to the Summa - Akron Campus hospital, as well as newborns and postpartum women who have delivered with family medicine residents and attendings.
- PGY 1 - 2 months of FMIS
(Med Team) - (PGY 1 ICU, CCU, Peds x 2 months, OB, Surgery, etc.)
- PGY 2 - 2 months of FMIS and 6 weeks of FMIS night-float
- PGY 3 - 2 months of FMIS
As a PGY 1, you also have additional months on inpatient services, including one month each on ICU and CCU. These rotations provide great experiences dealing with acutely ill patients. As a PGY 1, you also spend a month with the Internal Medicine resident team. All of these rotations are a great way to get to know the other residents here at Summa.
For anyone interested in pursuing a career that includes inpatient medicine, there are opportunities for electives in ICU, additional time on FMIS, and other inpatient subspecialty rotations.
A: Our program uses a “night float” system to cover the FMIS team. Second-year residents cover weeknights in a two or four-week block of time. Third-year residents rotate weekend night coverage and overnight on holidays.
Interns do have some overnights throughout the year. Schedules are rotation dependent. Interns all do one month of overnight shifts on Labor & Delivery with the OB residents. Interns also do some night shifts on CCU, ICU, and Med Team.
A: Wellness has become a part of the daily discussion here at Summa, especially at the FMC. We have had lectures and open forums to discuss the topic as house staff. In these settings, we learn about the signs of burnout, how to assess ourselves, and how to recognize warning signs in others.
There is a strong focus on wellness In the FMC. We have regular group meetings to talk about wellness. Faculty make a point of discussing how we as residents are keeping ourselves well, and they encourage us to pursue hobbies and interests outside of medicine. Most of the "wellness," activities at the FMC happen spontaneously. As a whole, the FMC has a very upbeat and welcoming aura. We enjoy lunch in the resident lounge with faculty and staff members. We coordinate Friday morning breakfasts at Virtues restaurant breakfast buffet. We squeeze in afternoon walks to the smoothie shop, or through the on-campus Serenity Garden.
There are other activities that residents participate in outside of the hospital. There are weekly ultimate frisbee and soccer games with some of the other Summa residents, and pick-up basketball at the YMCA before work hours.
A: Summa has a very impressive track record of our residents being accepted into many prestigious fellowships in the following areas:
*Fellowships offered at Summa
PGY 2 residents have a scheduled rotation in Sports medicine and Orthopedics. Our residents get to work with local high schools and colleges to provide pre-participation physicals each academic year. We also have the opportunity to be a part of the sideline medical team for the Akron Marathon series, local high school teams, and the Local AA Baseball team, the Akron Rubber Ducks.
A: PGY I residents spend 8 weeks working with the Ob-Gyn residents on the L&D floor. During these months, residents learn the skills needed to safely manage laboring patients. They gain hands-on experience in deliveries and the management of basic complications of the delivery process, and in postpartum care.
PGY 2 and PGY 3 residents have the opportunity to take over primary care of pregnant women receiving their prenatal care through the Family Medicine Center, and as the pregnancy progresses have an opportunity to manage the labor and delivery for these new mothers. If the family chooses to have their children seen at the FMC, these residents can also take over primary care for the new infants.
A number of graduates from our program have been accepted into Women’s Health fellowships.
A: Family medicine residents have the luxury of protected didactic time on Wednesday afternoons each week. Some of the common didactic session topics are noted below:
