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Curriculum Highlights

Our "Clinic First" curriculum represents the forefront of family medicine education. It offers seamless educational experiences and ensures consistent interaction with each resident's patient panel. The model includes full-day clinics for residents, emphasizing the preparation of family medicine physicians for contemporary practice and providing balance for those pursuing full scope medicine. Each year is distinct, offering progressive preparation for residents' autonomous practice. The rotations are primarily in two-week blocks, which have received high satisfaction from residents.

Program Year One

The first year of residency focus more on the inpatient rotations. We separate outpatient and inpatient responsibilities allowing residents to focus learning on one aspect of training at a time. This means if a resident starts the morning in the hospital, then they will continue with inpatient duties throughout the day rather than needing to switch mid-day. If residents start the day in an outpatient setting, they will continue their day in an outpatient setting.

Program Year Two

The second year further increases clinic presence to establish continuity with each resident's own patients while still providing community and inpatient experiences.

Program Year Three

The third year takes the clinic first approach to its ultimate conclusion. Residents will complete 52 individual weeks, which mimics a practicing family physician. Some weeks will include inpatient coverage with minimal clinic - similar to a rural family practice that sees its own Inpatient/Peds/OB. In your 3rd year we offer 12 weeks of electives which is time for each resident to focus on areas of greatest interest. Most weeks (32) will be in the outpatient continuity practice and specialty clinics seeing the panel that you have come to know well over the preceding 2 years.

Specialty Clinics

Our residency clinic hosts a variety of sub-specialty and procedural clinics. Typically, each clinic is staffed with one resident and one attending physician, ensuring focused and personalized care. Some of our specialty clinics include:

  • Procedure Clinic
  • Osteopathic manipulation
  • Dermoscopy
  • Colposcopy Clinic
  • Street Medicine Clinic
  • Travel Clinic
  • Rapid Access (Walk-In) Clinic
  • Vasectomy Clinic
  • Adolescent OB Clinic
  • Longitudinal Tribal Clinic rotation
  • Gender Affirming Care (T-Med) Clinic
  • Lifestyle Medicine Clinic
  • Nursing home visits

Obstetrics

Providence St. Peter Family Medicine is committed to teaching obstetrical care. Residents will learn from full scope family medicine faculty as well as OB/GYN hospitalists and community specialists. Our residency program is unopposed which allows residents to learn low to high-risk obstetrical care from a variety of attendings. Some residents have completed Obstetric Fellowships after graduating from our program.
Our program also provides obstetric care to adolescent pregnant patients (Adolescent OB Clinic) with a multidisciplinary team of providers, including residents, faculty, behavioral health providers, and nutritionist.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)

SPFM views addiction medicine as a core competency of primary care and is important in its mission to serve marginalized populations. All residents receive their buprenorphine training in their R-1 year and see patients for MAT in the course of their continuity clinic panel. To supplement training, residents can rotate at the community low-barrier buprenorphine clinic (the Olympia Bupe Clinic).

Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum

The Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum was started in Southwest Washington in 2021. Residents at St Peter Family Medicine (SPFM), Chehalis Family Medicine & Summit Pacific Family Medicine Residencies can complete the Curriculum and if desired, complete the requirements during Residency, to sit for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine certification exam. Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity (as defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine). The lifestyle medicine emphasis along with the vigorous family medicine curriculum leads to a healthcare delivery model aimed at treating the whole person. In 2023, SPFM had their first 2 graduates to be dual board certified in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. Additional information can be found at: https://lifestylemedicine.org/

Electronic Health Record

Our clinic uses EPIC which is connected with not only the hospital, emergency department, and L&D but with other institutions. Residents receive EPIC training during orientation prior to starting residency as well as additional training in the beginning weeks of R1 year to further customize and assist with efficiency.

Orientation & Health Systems Management

  • During the initial two weeks of the R1 year, we collaborate with the Chehalis Family Medicine Rural Training Program and the Summit Pacific Family Medicine Residency to deliver comprehensive onboarding training. Additionally, there will be two more weeks of orientation in July and also two more weeks in September after you are exposed to direct patient care.
  • At the end of the 2nd year, you will spend a month with Chehalis Family Medicine Rural Training program and Summit Pacific Family Medicine Residency in a rotation called Health Systems Management to prepare you for yoru R3 year. You will be exposed to various community medicine and practice management experiences as well as alllowed time to work on scholarly activity and quality improvements during this rotation.

St Peter Family Medicine - Block Rotation Schedule

Year I
Year II
Year III

Ambulatory Pediatrics - 4 weeks

Ambulatory Pediatrics - 4 weeks

Continuity Clinic/Rapid Access Clinic- 30 weeks

Elective- 4 weeks Continuity Clinic - 12 weeks GYN - 2 weeks
Community Medicine - 2 weeks Health Systems Management- 4 weeks Local Electives - 8 weeks
Emergency Medicine - 4 weeks Emergency Pediatrics, Mary Bridge, Tacoma - 4 weeks Away Electives - 4 weeks
Family Medicine Orientation - 4 weeks Adult Inpatient Medicine - 6-8 weeks Adolescent OB clinic - longitudinal for 6 months
GYN - 2 weeks

Night Inpatient Adult Medicine- 6-8 weeks

Inpatient Medicine Service - 6-7 weeks
Inpatient Pediatrics - 8 weeks Specialty Clinics (listed above)- longitudinal Geriatrics - 2 weeks
Orthopedics- 4 weeks Local Elective - 4 weeks Specialty Clinics (listed above) - longitudinal
Inpatient Adult Medicine - 8 weeks Away Elective - 4 weeks Dermatology - longitudinal
Night OB/Pediatrics- 4 weeks Surgery - 2 weeks

Tribal OB clinic- longitudinal

Obstetrics - 8 weeks

Geriatrics - 2 weeks