Meritus Medical Center Program

Meritus Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency Program is designed to provide a dynamic and family-oriented training environment. As the largest healthcare system in Western Maryland, Meritus Health focuses on community health and wellness, allowing residents to learn from dedicated faculty and a diverse range of specialists. The mission of the program emphasizes the empowerment of resident physicians as they commit to serving the community with compassion, teamwork, and excellence.

Key Distinctions

The program consists of 18 residents (6-6-6 structure) and operates within a 327-bed facility that serves as a Level III Trauma Center and Level II Special Care Nursery (NICU). Among its notable features, the curriculum is flexible and includes osteopathic training for both D.O. and M.D. candidates. Additionally, it incorporates required education on nutrition and metabolic endocrinology, integrated Point of Care Ultrasound training, and a unique team-based grant application available to each incoming class. Storytelling and community engagement are central to the training ethos, fostering a reflective practice among residents

Curriculum and Rotations

The residency program offers an extensive curriculum that includes various rotations. Residents, for instance, experience a newly established inpatient medicine service aimed at comprehensively care for patients in the Family Medicine Practice. This initiative emphasizes teamwork and leadership training, preparing residents to recognize conditions that necessitate hospitalization and to deliver high-quality care during this critical period. Interns manage care for 5-8 patients daily while receiving supervision from senior residents and faculty members.

The curriculum also includes rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, geriatrics, musculoskeletal medicine, surgery, critical care, and psychiatry. For example, each resident spends two months in the obstetrics rotation, where they partner with midwives and family physicians to manage labor and delivery experiences, accumulating the required number of deliveries necessary for graduation. Each of these rotations is constructed to enable residents to emerge from the program with a well-rounded experience in family medicine, capable of addressing diverse medical scenarios.

Research and Quality Improvement

Research and scholarly activity are integral components of the residency experience. Residents are required to engage in various scholarly activities each year, including case presentations, journal clubs, and quality improvement initiatives. These experiences develop residents' skills in clinical governance and enable them to contribute substantially to the overarching goals of health care delivery improvements.

Application Requirements and Competitiveness

To be eligible for the Family Medicine Residency Program, applicants must meet certain criteria. This includes graduating from medical school within three years of entering residency. Prospective residents should also note that candidates who have taken more than two attempts to pass USMLE I & II or COMLEX I & II evaluations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. It is also crucial to mention that the program does not accept or sponsor J-1, H1B, or other visas for international graduates.

The program is competitive, illustrated by the necessity for three letters of recommendation from clinical faculty, ideally including one from a family medicine physician. The application process typically goes through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), with interviews commencing in October and concluding by late January.

Day in the Life of a Resident

Residents generally work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., although individual schedules may vary based on rotations or unit needs. There are opportunities for didactic learning every Thursday afternoon as part of a coordinated curriculum. PGY-1 residents manage clinic patients 1-2 half days weekly, while PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents take on progressively more clinic responsibilities, including managing their panels of family medicine patients.

Visa Support

While the Family Medicine Residency Program does not sponsor J-1 or H1B visas for international medical graduates, it remains a valuable program with robust training for both D.O. and M.D. residents interested in family medicine.

Unique Aspects of the Program

The program promotes osteopathic principles, ensuring that both M.D. and D.O. residents gain exposure to osteopathic curriculum and treatment. Additionally, there is a focus on lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and community health aspects, which enrich the training experience. The stability of the faculty, a well-rounded curriculum, and a supportive environment cultivate a space for residents to grow both personally and professionally.