Program Overview

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Introduction to the Family Medicine Residency Program

The Family Medicine Residency Program at East Carolina University offers a comprehensive training experience that combines the resources of a large tertiary care medical center with the intimacy of a community-based setting. The program is designed to provide residents with a wide range of experiences and opportunities to work with diverse patient populations.

Program Structure

The program includes both standard and rural tracks, each with its own unique features and opportunities. Residents in both tracks have access to all the resources of the medical center and are assigned their own patients at their assigned continuity clinic site.

Standard Program

The standard program is based at the Family Medicine Center at East Carolina University, a large, stand-alone academic clinical facility located in Greenville, NC. The center has 60 exam rooms and offers a range of patient services, including geriatrics, pharmacotherapy, nutrition counseling, physical therapy, sports medicine, OB ultrasound, exercise stress testing, and behavioral counseling.

Rural Program

The rural program is based at one of three rural sites: Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in Ahoskie, Goshen Medical Center in Beulaville, or Rural Health Group Halifax Medical Specialists in Roanoke Rapids. Each site offers a range of patient services, including primary and pediatric care, pharmacy, laboratory services, diabetes education program, and behavioral health.

Patient Populations

The patient populations served by the program are diverse and include individuals from urban and rural areas. The ECU Health Medical Center serves a catchment area of 29 counties in eastern North Carolina, with a population of approximately 1.5 million people. The patient population is comprised of a mix of underserved, racially diverse individuals from the greater Greenville area, as well as hospital and university employees and their families.

Procedures and Training

Residents in the program perform a variety of procedures, including skin procedures, gynecological procedures, and newborn circumcision. They also have the opportunity to learn about exercise stress testing, holter monitor interpretation, spirometry interpretation, and no-scalpel vasectomy.

Electronic Medical Records

The program uses Epic, a fully integrated electronic medical record system, for both inpatient and outpatient functions.

Call Responsibilities

Residents have call responsibilities at the ECU Health Medical Center and other affiliated hospitals and clinics.

Moonlighting

Residents with a full, unrestricted North Carolina license are allowed to moonlight, with regional opportunities widely available.

Electives

A wide range of inpatient and outpatient electives are available, including endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, infectious disease, cardiology, and podiatry. Residents can also create their own electives within the ECU Health Medical Center or at remote locations.

Didactic Sessions

Didactic sessions are held every Thursday afternoon and include presentations on core topics related to inpatient care and grand rounds lectures. Residents also have the opportunity to present evidence-based medicine lectures.

Medical Student Education

Residents have the opportunity to interact with and teach medical students in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings.

Faculty

The program has over 30 academic physician faculty, as well as faculty in pharmacy, nutrition, behavioral medicine, and physical therapy. Faculty have a wide range of interests, including OB, pediatrics, geriatrics, sports medicine, procedural skills, and rural medicine.

Research Opportunities

Residents have the opportunity to pursue research interests and collaborate with faculty on existing projects.

Fellowships

One to three residents per year go on to fellowships, with the department currently offering fellowships in geriatrics, FMOB, hospice and palliative medicine, and sports medicine.

Resident Life

Most residents live within 10 miles of the hospital or clinic to which they are assigned, with many choosing to buy their own homes due to the affordable cost of living. Residents have access to a range of activities and amenities, including restaurants, parks, shopping malls, and cultural events.

Leisure Activities

Greenville and the surrounding areas offer a range of leisure activities, including outdoor pursuits such as fishing, kayaking, boating, biking, and hiking. The city is also close to North Carolina's capital city, Raleigh, and the renowned beaches of the Outer Banks.