Educational Tracks

The Family Medicine Residency at IU Health Primary Care Central Indianapolis offers many educational tracks for our residents to select from. While not required, these tracks provide our residents an opportunity to individualize their training to meet their personal and professional goals. Residents apply for their preferred tracks during their intern year and begin their track at the start of their PGY-2 year. Residents are also given the opportunity to join additional training pathways offered through IU School of Medicine.

Obstetrics Track

Family medicine residents on this track gain additional obstetrics experience working with family physicians privileged in obstetrics. They have the opportunity for increased exposure to operative obstetrics. During their second and third year of residency training residents on this track will gain additional prenatal care experience through continuity clinics working both at the residency clinic and a local FQHC where IU School of Medicine faculty provide prenatal services. This track includes focused experience in ultrasound services, support to attend formal ultrasound courses and additional electives in women’s health. Participants in this track will participate in monthly journal club.

Video Playlist - Obstetrics Track

Learn more about the Obstetrics Track.

LGBTQ+ Health Track

The LGBTQ+ Health Track is intended to supplement the clinical training of residents interested in and committed to the whole-person care of sexual and gender minority patients. Through a collaboration with the Eskenazi Health Gender Health Program and other clinical partners in the Indianapolis area, select residents will be offered experiences during residency in clinics that serve the LGBTQ+ community and graduate with advanced skills like gender-affirming medical treatment. In addition to direct clinical experience and supervision, residents will be expected to engage in scholarly and volunteer/advocacy activities promoting health and wellness of the LGBTQ+ community as well as attend didactics teaching topics of advanced competency in the care of these patients. Opportunities for interprofessional collaboration as well as leadership in peer and medical education on LGBTQ+ health topics will also be core to the resident’s experience.

Chronic Pain Opioid Use Disorder Track

Providing care for patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder is an in-demand area across the country. Residents on this track will participate in several specialty clinics including the Comprehensive Pain Assessment Clinic (CoPAC), Buprenorphine clinic, and Acupuncture clinic. Residents will become proficient at initiating and maintaining buprenorphine for the use of chronic pain and addiction. Our specialty clinics allow residents to work in interprofessional teams that routinely include chaplains, social workers and physical therapists. In addition to the clinical experience, residents will participate in track didactics sessions, journal club and participate in the development of scholarship which may take many forms including: QI projects, case reports, presentations at local or national conferences as well as development of protocols, guidelines or educational materials.

Video Playlist - CPOUD Track

Learn more about the Chronic Pain Opioid Use Disorder (CPOUD) Track from the first two residents to complete the program.

Geriatrics Track

As our population ages, we will need a workforce that is well equipped to provide patient centered care for older adults. The geriatrics track provides specialized opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge in caring for older adults. Residents will gain a wealth of experience with exposure to geriatrics care in multiple settings including inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care. In the clinic they will learn the approach to the care of older adults based on the four M’s ofgeriatrics: Mind, Mobility, Medications, What Matters Most. Residents will participate in educational seminars on topics specific to geriatrics including pharmacology, geriatric assessment tools, palliative care, and ethical issues. They will also participate in case conferences and workshops with hands-on training ingeriatricsprocedures, cognitive assessments, and mobility evaluations. There will be opportunities to participate in research, engage in scholarly publications, and attend conferences. Residents will receive mentoring from board certified geriatricians as well as our geriatric fellows. These opportunities collectively provide a robust training environment that equips residents with the skills needed to excel in the field of geriatrics.

Sports Medicine Track

The Sports Medicine Track primary focus is to prepare those who would like to pursue a primary care sports medicine fellowship but is also available to residents who wish to pursue additional training in musculoskeletal medicine. The track will function as a supplement to sports medicine and orthopedic rotations already included in the family medicine residency curriculum. Specific goals of the track include a curriculum focused on mentorship, education, event coverage, and scholarly activity. While the sports medicine track is not required, a concentration in sports medicine throughout residency will provide the learner with the experience, knowledge, and skills to help manage routine primary care musculoskeletal injuries and provide those pursuing fellowship opportunities to become competitive applicants.

Global Health Track

Residents at IU Indianapolis Family Medicine Residency have the opportunity to participate in the IU School of Medicine interdepartmental Global Health Track.This track engages highly motivated residents from all specialties to understand the social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors that contribute to health and disease throughout the world.

Highlights of the global health track include:

Local or international global health elective
Quarterly half day conferences that include didactic sessions, case reports, hands-on-learning, journal clubs, and group discussions
Mentorship: Twice/year meetings with global health mentor to discuss track progress, explore global health opportunities for career after residency, and inspire long-term commitment to global health issues
Scholarly project on a global health topic

Residents who successfully complete the global health track receive a certification in global health from the IU Center for Global Health Equity.

Lifestyle Medicine

The residency program is excited to be among the nationwide family medicine residency programs who is a home institution for residents to access and complete the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum. This pathway is self-directed with dedicated lectures during didactics, workshops, electives and special clinics to complete all Curriculum requirements.

The Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum consists of both educational and practicum components. Its educational component includes 40 hours of interactive virtual didactic material along with 60 hours of application activities designed to be completed over a one- to three-year time period. The practicum component includes 400 lifestyle medicine-related patient encounters, 10 hours of (Intensive) therapeutic lifestyle change (ITLC or TLC) program experience and 10 hours of group facilitation experience.

Upon completion of the education and practicum components, residents qualify to sit for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) certification exam.

Additional Degree Offerings

The IU School of Medicine offers some additional non-clinical opportunities to further your educational goals by pursuing certificate programs, graduate degrees, and fellowships. Residents seeking to complete an additional degree during training would generally require an extension to their residency to meet the educational requirements of both programs.