Beebe residency program selected for national pilot project

Beebe Healthcare’s R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education announced its family medicine residency program is one of just 25 across the country selected to participate in a special pilot project facilitated by the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine.

The project is designed to elevate the importance of competency-based medical education while integrating a more individualized and personalized approach to learning for medical residents.

“There is so much benefit in developing individualized learning plans for our residents, with consideration for each person’s special needs, strengths and goals,” said Joyce Robert, MD, FAAFP, program director. “We are incredibly excited to be part of this project, and to have the opportunity to lead the way and set an example for other residency programs to follow.”

In addition to implementing new hands-on approaches in the clinical training environment, the STFM program will put new technologies in the hands of residency program leaders, who will be spending more time on direct observation as they work with clinical residents. The goal is to allow for real-time assessments in medical training environments. The program also promotes the importance of communication, teamwork and leadership from a professional development standpoint, along with work/life balance and wellness on a personal level.

“This project encourages us to look at what we are doing through a different lens, and take a more holistic approach as we grow our people and therefore our program,” said Robert. “It’s a chance to be at the forefront of positive change, and we are excited to be part of it.”

Beebe’s family medicine residency program welcomed its inaugural cohort of residents in summer 2023 and recently announced its second group of residents, who will come onboard in July. Robert leads the program along with Miri Shlomi, MD, associate program director, both of whom will participate in a series of conferences sponsored by STFM as Beebe adopts and implements its competency-based medical education curriculum. They and their colleagues will have opportunities in the future to share their experiences and learned best practices through their activism in the Delaware Academy of Family Physicians.

Robert was recently inducted as DAFP president-elect, and Ryan Arias, DO, primary care physician and faculty member with Beebe’s family medicine residency program, was named DAFP Teacher of the Year.

“We have come a long way in a short period of time,” said Robert. “So many wonderful things are happening because our team is made up of a group of people who are passionate about the work, dedicated to doing things the right way, and committed to growing in a way that positions Beebe as a premier place to come for family medicine residency training.”