Procedures


The residency emphasizes the acquisition of procedural skills by the residents.  If family medicine doctors can perform the procedure, the opportunity exists while at this program to gain experience in that procedure--although it may require the use of elective time. 

Residents are exposed to and participate in outpatient procedures while

• In clinic at the UAB Health Center
  • The Family Practice Center in the UAB Health Center houses a procedure room where procedures are performed daily with a dedicated procedures nurse, including dermatologic procedures and flexible sigmoidoscopies.  In addition, both the Family Practice Center and the OB/GYN-Women's Health Clinic have ultrasound and colposcopy facilities.
• On non-core rotations such as (but not limited to)
  • Gynecology
  • Surgery (dermatologic procedures)
  • Cardiology (stress tests)
  • Dermatology
• On the rural medicine rotation
  • There is a required month of rural medicine as a PGY-3; however some residents choose to use all three months of elective time on rural medicine rotations as well. There are groups of family medicine doctors within 45 minutes of Huntsville (an easy daily drive) that perform a full range of procedures including OB, endoscopy, and dermatology.
• During electives, for example:
  • Urology--vasectomies
  • Pulmonology--pulmonary function tests
  • Podiatry
  • Endoscopy

Furthermore, residents have opportunity to gain experience with inpatient procedures while

• On core inpatient rotations such as:
  • Internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics (lines, intubation, ventilator management, paracentesis, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture, critical care, resuscitation, circumcisions, etc.)
  • OB/GYN (deliveries, c-sections, D&Cs, D&Es, endometrial biopsies, etc.)
  • Surgery (lines, critical care, dermatologic procedures, laparascopy and laparotomy, etc.)
• On rural medicine rotations (a full range of procedures)
• On electives (a full range of options is available as long as the resident can identify a preceptor willing to host you)

In general, the following procedures are commonly available for residents:

• Circumcisions
• Colonoscopy/gastroscopy (during rural medicine and electives)
• Dermatologic procedures (suturing, skin biopsy, nail diseases, corns/calluses/ganglions, abscesses/cysts/lipomas, acne therapy, local anesthesia, warts, etc.) 
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy
• Gynecologic procedures (endometrial biopsy, D&Cs, D&Es, colposcopy, LEEP/LETZ/LOOP, etc.)
• Inpatient procedures (lines, LPs, paracentesis, thoracentesis, etc.)
• Joint aspiration/injection
• Obstetrical procedures (deliveries, c-sections, D&Cs, D&Es, ultrasounds, etc.)
• Stress EKGs