Didactics Information

Faculty Chairs:  Carol Cordy, MD                                                                      

Didactics are held at the Swedish First Hill Residency Clinic for all residents on Tuesday afternoons from 2:45 to 5:00 PM. This is protected time and residents are expected to attend unless they are 1) on call in the hospital, 2) post-call, 3) taking care of patients in active labor, 4) on vacation, sick leave or CME, or 4) doing a rotation that prevents them from being able to didactics. Minimum attendance for R1’s is 40%, R2’s 70% and R3’s 75%. Failure to meet these minimum attendance expectations may delay advancement to the next year of residency or graduation from residency.  Attendance is taken at didactics and it is the responsibility of each resident to make sure they sign the attendance sheet.

An 18-month master schedule of topics has been developed, covering all curricular areas. Each curriculum committee can change and refine this schedule depending on resident interest and educational need.

The curricular areas covered in didactics are:

Didactics are presented by faculty, second and third year residents and outside speakers. Residents and faculty will present lectures and workshops from based on their interest and experience. Each second year resident will present at least one lecture or workshop each academic year and each third year resident will present at least two lectures or workshops each academic year.  Members of each of the various curriculum committees listed above are responsible for inviting outside speakers as well as arranging for faculty and resident speakers.

The majority of topics will be presented twice every three years. By using a case-base format and evidence-based studies or a workshop format, the expectation is that residents will continue to benefit from hearing topics a second time.

Lectures and workshops can be given in three 35-minute time slots, two one hours time slots or one 2 hour time slot, as the curriculum committees and speakers feel is appropriate. The goal is that all didactics be 1) relevant to family practice, 2) cased-based, 3) evidence-based, 4) well prepared, and 5) interactive. Short handouts with diagnostic and treatment flow sheets and with references to articles or web sites are encouraged rather than copies of articles.  Summaries of didactics presentations in PDA formats are also encouraged and can be ‘beamed’ among attendees for future reference.