Although the experiences in the three hospitals may vary, in all cases the resident is given much of the responsibility and the necessary latitude for achieving two broad goals -the development of comfort in acute care situations and the development of practical procedural skills. In the first year, two months are spent on a general medical ward. Consulting internists and senior medical residents contribute to the teaching. The resident has an opportunity to learn how to coordinate patient care around a wide variety of Internal Medicine problems. The second year rotation is two months long and in most cases is a physician-based experience with a general internist.
Residents actively share responsibility for the assessment, management and discharge of patients.
Other opportunities are available depending on the particular interests and goals of the resident, e.g. intensive care unit, coronary care unit, infectious diseases. Electives in Obstetrics are available in the second and third year of the residency program. Community based settings in the Hamilton area are available for these R2 and R3 experiences. All of these experiences are complemented by office obstetrics and gynecology which occur in the family practice settings. The Pediatric experiences are centered at St. Joseph's Hospital, a secondary level care facility.