Behavioral science faculty facilitators remain with their groups for all three years. Balint Training B alint training is a small group process that explores the physician-patient relationship. Adapting the traditional longitudinal Balint training model to residency, residents are scheduled several times during their training for four weeks, two hours a week, of Balint training. The Balint group is led by both an M.D. and PhD Psychologist, both with years of experience and training in Balint work. Procedures Training P rocedures training takes place in both block time and in FPC clinics.
Residents learn the full range of routine outpatient procedures under direct supervision.
Family practice faculty assist the residents in learning colposcopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, nasopharyngoscopy, vasectomy, hysteroscopy, LEEP, endometrial biopsy, and minor surgical procedures. Training S onoma County is unique in that it has a very high prevalence of HIV patients for a non-urban setting. Also unique is the remarkable community response to the HIV epidemic. The Residency has been an important part of this response since the beginning and remains on the cutting edge of HIV management. The Residency and local Public Health Department work together to involve community physicians as the primary care providers for HIV patients.