Specialized Tracks for Residency Training

The IU School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine offers many specialized tracks for residents at the IU Health Primary Care Central Indianapolis Family Medicine Residency. Residents can select from any of the available tracks.

Women's Health Track

The Women’s Health Track allows residents an increased concentration in both obstetrics and gynecology. With the guidance of practicing family medicine faculty, family medicine residents gain obstetrics experience with several faculty physicians privileged in operative obstetrics. During the second and third year of residency training, residents on this track are assigned to an outreach obstetric clinic, a federally qualified health center, as one of their continuity clinics, where IU School of Medicine faculty provide patient services. This clinical setting allows for increased outpatient management of women’s health in obstetrics and gynecologic procedures. This track includes focused experience in ultrasound services, support to attend formal ultrasound courses and additional electives in Women’s Health. Call systems are developed with participants for cesarean deliveries, tubal ligations and D&Cs with the family medicine faculty. Participants in this track are encouraged to participate in monthly journal club.

Video playlist

Learn more about the Women's Health 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 Transgender Health and Wellness 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. The resident’s experience will be facilitated through collaboration with track leadership and an individually assigned mentor with whom the resident will meet at minimum twice annually.

Video Playlist

Learn more about the LGBTQ+ subspecialty track from the first two residents to complete the program.

Global Health Track

The Global Health Residency Track at IU School of Medicine is designed to foster appreciation of the health disparities that exist throughout the world. The program offers valuable mentor relationships between faculty and residents that inspire long-term commitments to global health issues. Program components include an international field experience that residents complete at an approved partnership site. Participants in the Global Health Residency Track are given special preference for scheduling their international experience. Residents accepted into the track should expect to use their two away electives for this experience.

Colon Health Track

The Colon Health Track trains residents who are interested in providing screening endoscopy services to their future patient populations. Many rural and underserved populations have decreased screening rates for colon cancer, and a primary care physician performing this screening increases both convenience and compliance. This track involves a formal curriculum for screening and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders beyond those required for the core residency competencies. It also provides a longitudinal opportunity to perform colonoscopies under the direction of other primary care physicians during the second and third year of residency. Each resident in this track is expected to complete at least 100 colonoscopies and perform a screening colonoscopy with standard biopsy techniques independently before graduation.

Sports Medicine Track

Residents interested in pursuing sports medicine fellowship or those with a significant interest in sports medicine activities are encouraged to consider taking part in the sports medicine track, which provides special education opportunities over the course of the three-year residency. Residents who complete this track are competitive for sports medicine fellowship positions throughout the United States.

PGY1

During the first year of resident training, residents on the sports medicine track have the opportunity to work alongside a senior resident or sports medicine fellow at high school football games, masters-level swimming events and boxing events alongside a teaching physician, collaborate with teaching attendings on scholarly projects, participate in medical student teaching activities and participate in paid high school pre-participation physical events.
PGY2

During the second year of residency, family medicine residents on this track have the opportunity to work as the head team physician at a local high school, cover IUPUI women’s softball team in the spring, and continue covering masters-level swimming and boxing events alongside a teaching physician. PGY2 residents continue to work on scholarly projects and research activities and participate in paid high school pre-participation physical events. Additionally, scheduling support is provided to allow away rotations in sports medicine in the spring in order to gain experience and audition for sports medicine fellowship positions. There is also residency support to attend the AMSSM annual meeting.
PGY3

During the third year, family medicine residents continue their roles as head physician at local high schools, and residents at this stage of training have the opportunity to cover IUPUI women’s volleyball along with masters-level swimming and boxing events alongside a teaching physician. There is an additional sports medicine focused orthopedic rotation with the opportunity to work with musculoskeletal radiology. Scheduling support is continued to allow away rotations in sports medicine (if not already taken). Additionally, residency support is available to attend one of the ACSM team physician courses.

Third-year residents on the sports medicine track can present monthly lectures for the medical student clerkship and take a leadership role in organizing the high school pre-participation physical events. Residents can begin official fellowship application process in late summer and interview with fellowships during the fall.