The Department of Medicine

Internal Medicine Residency Program Curriculum

Didactics

Our Internal Medicine Residency Program provides a structured, longitudinal didactic curriculum designed to complement residents’ clinical experiences and prepare them for independent practice and board certification. Educational sessions emphasize clinical reasoning, evidence-based medicine, patient safety, and practical application of core internal medicine knowledge.

Morning Reports

Morning Report is held daily from 11:45 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., except Wednesdays. Residents present assigned, case-based topics focused on core internal medicine conditions and areas identified through the program’s annual in-training examination (ITE) performance.

Topics are reviewed and updated annually to ensure the curriculum remains responsive to resident needs and evolving clinical practice. These interactive sessions emphasize clinical reasoning and allow residents to practice the evaluation, differential diagnosis, diagnostic approach, and management of common and complex medical conditions in a collaborative group setting.

Noon Conferences

Noon Conference is held daily from 12:20 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., except Wednesdays. Sessions are led by faculty from Internal Medicine and a broad range of medical subspecialties, providing residents with the opportunity to learn directly from experienced clinicians and educators.

Conference topics are aligned with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) content framework and are designed to reinforce core knowledge while highlighting practical approaches to patient care. The curriculum incorporates both foundational internal medicine topics and specialty-specific perspectives to provide a comprehensive educational experience.

Journal Club

Journal Club occurs monthly and is led by a PGY-2 resident, with faculty mentorship and participation. These sessions provide residents with an opportunity to critically evaluate medical literature and apply evidence to clinical practice.
Residents select and present relevant peer-reviewed articles, focusing on study design, methodology, statistical analysis, strengths and limitations, and the clinical significance of the findings. Discussions emphasize evidence-based medicine, critical appraisal, and the practical application of research to patient care.

Grand Rounds

Internal Medicine Grand Rounds is held each Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in Morrison's Conference Room at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Our Grand Rounds program features speakers from the local, regional, national, and international medical communities. Presentations span a broad range of topics in internal medicine, clinical medicine, medical education, research, and emerging areas of healthcare.

Grand Rounds provides residents and faculty with opportunities to engage with experts beyond our institution and remain current with advances in medicine. Sessions are also available for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.
Physicians interested in presenting at Internal Medicine Grand Rounds may contact Dr. Kim Morris at kmorris@utmck.edu.

Patient Safety Conference

Our Patient Safety Conference, formerly known as Morbidity and Mortality Conference, is held monthly and led by PGY3 residents. These conferences use real clinical cases to examine patient outcomes, systems of care, clinical decision-making, and opportunities for improvement. Discussions emphasize evidence-based standards of care, contributing factors, communication, systems-based practice, and strategies to reduce preventable harm.

Rather than focusing solely on individual errors, Patient Safety Conference promotes a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous quality improvement. Residents are encouraged to actively participate in case review and develop practical strategies to improve the safety and quality of care for our patients.

Team-based Learning Sessions

Collaborative Learning. Practical Skills. Better Patient Care.

Our Internal Medicine residency incorporates dedicated Team-Based Learning (TBL) sessions into the ambulatory rotations of our 4+2 schedule. These small-group sessions provide residents with an interactive learning environment focused on the practical knowledge and skills needed to care for patients in a variety of settings.

More Than a Traditional Classroom

TBL sessions incorporate a variety of active-learning experiences, including:

• Ambulatory Medicine: our program utilizes the Yale Internal Medicine Outpatient Curriculum.  Using a flipped classroom approach, residents prepare in advance and then apply their knowledge through case-based discussion, clinical problem-solving, and faculty-facilitated learning

• Simulation: hands-on scenarios that reinforce clinical decision-making and patient management

• Bioskills: faculty-led, hands-on procedural and clinical skills training ranging from joint injections to intubations.

• POCUS: point-of-care ultrasound instruction focused on practical bedside applications

By combining preparation, discussion, simulation, hands-on skills, and bedside technology, our TBL curriculum allows residents to apply what they learn rather than simply hear about it.

Our goal is to create an engaging learning environment where residents develop clinical knowledge, procedural skills, diagnostic reasoning, and confidence needed to provide excellent outpatient care.