FAQs: Poudre Valley Hospital/Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency program

We offer a well-rounded medical education in a program with a national reputation for excellence. The strengths of our residency program include: full-scope family medicine curriculum; strong experiences in pediatrics, obstetrics, procedures, lifestyle medicine, behavioral medicine, and practice management; location highlighted in nationally noted “Best Places to Live”; numerous electives to shape residents training; and diverse learning from top-quality faculty.

Definitely! Our residents have gone into practice throughout the United States, from rural to metropolitan areas. Of all our graduates, 24 percent practice in Fort Collins.

All of our graduates have found jobs after completing the program. The following is a summary of graduate practice locations: 26 percent in rural/small town (<10,000); 46 percent in small town to medium city (10,000-100,000); 23 percent in large city (100,000-500,000); 5 percent in metro area or suburb (>500,000); approximately two-thirds of our graduates practice in Colorado.

Residents enjoy excellent relationships with local specialists and are on a first-name basis. The residents are able to gain valuable experience from working with the specialists.

Yes! When you become a second and third year resident, you will work closely with the interns to provide knowledge and expertise as their teachers. We also have a robust medical student clerkship program which provides additional teaching opportunities for residents. Specific conference hours are focused on teaching skills for upper-level residents.

We accept seven interns each year.

We look for applicants who are well-rounded people. While academic record is considered, we seek applicants who exhibit strong interpersonal skills, a commitment to service, interest in the underserved, compassionate care, and some likelihood of practicing in the service area of UCHealth.

Interviews are conducted November through January.

We accept applications from international medical graduates who meet the criteria outlined on our website.

Our program provides training in the following procedures: colposcopy, dermatology procedures, endometrial biopsy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, LEEP, joint aspiration/injection, OB ultrasound, and vasectomy. Our residents have an average of 80-plus deliveries by the time they graduate.

Yes, our residency program offers a nationally-recognized practice management curriculum. During the third year, residents receive instruction from a variety of experts in the business aspects of medicine.

Yes, our program offers a night float system for both interns and upper-levels.

We have educational conferences for residents every Monday and Wednesday that focus on various curriculum topics. Residents are active participants in the conference planning committee.

Both are a priority. Our residency program aims to educate residents while providing world-class health care to patients at the same time.

Yes. Evidence-based medicine is integrated into many conferences, particularly information mastery and problem-based learning, as well as clinic teaching. Residents receive extensive instruction and experience with computer applications. Patient care is enhanced with our electronic health record. Our clinic and hospital are wireless environments.

The vast majority of hospital experience is at Poudre Valley Hospital. Trauma surgery is done at the nearby Medical Center of the Rockies. For one month in the second year, residents have a rural rotation at approved rural sites in Colorado.

Yes, residents are provided funding and five educational days per year to attend conferences or to complete online CME.

Interns are monitored by upper level residents and attendings. They receive feedback and evaluations on a regular basis to understand their progress.

Each week we have “feedback Friday” where each member of the team provides constructive feedback to all other members, individually and confidentially. We host joint faculty developments with our community preceptors to discuss the art of giving feedback to residents, and we encourage all faculty, staff and residents to give specific and direct feedback. We feel it’s the best mechanism for growth and improvement.

The hospital medicine team is coordinated by the upper-level resident with faculty backup. Residents are responsible for the care of their own hospitalized patients, with the help of the medicine team.

The Family Medicine Center has a diverse mix of patients. We currently have 65% Medicaid, 12% Medicare, 13% commercial, 3% self-pay and 7% state programs (CICP, CHP+). The age mix of clinic patients is Pediatrics 27.3%, Adults 60.8%, and Geriatrics 11.9%.

No. It is not required that you know how to speak Spanish. Bilingual skills are an asset since our clinic frequently takes care of Hispanic patients. The Hispanic population is the largest ethnically diverse population in Fort Collins making up about 11 percent of our community.