We have several longitudinal curricula that are integrated throughout all three years of training. These curricula span a wide range of topics that are essential to our residents’ professional development. Please read about a selection of them below. 

Residents-as-Teachers Curriculum

The CHOP Residency Program is committed to providing our residents with a strong foundation in education through the three-year residents-as-teachers curriculum.

Intern year

Medical student education is the focus of the teaching curriculum in the first year of training. Residents learn core teaching skills, such as providing feedback and teaching at the bedside. 

Supervisory residents

Starting in the second year, the focus of the teaching curriculum shifts to the residents’ role as a rising senior and the challenges of leading a team. This includes an education-focused leadership retreat in preparation for leading rounds and managing teams effectively. There are also Academic Half Day sessions during the PL2 and PL3 years during which senior residents learn and practice skills in delivering chalk talks, debriefing clinical events, coaching junior learners, and using games to reinforce clinical reasoning principles. 

The Teach Senior Block is the main focus of the teaching curriculum in the third year, during which time the residents lead a variety of medical student educational activities, such as bedside teaching and simulation. They also facilitate nighttime teaching for our overnight teams.

Quality and Patient Safety 

Residents participate in a three-year longitudinal quality improvement (QI) and patient safety curriculum. In the PL1 year, residents learn foundational knowledge about patient safety and QI methodology. PL2 residents participate in sessions about psychological safety and equity-focused QI. PL3 residents participate in a simulated root cause analysis. Finally, there is a longitudinal QI curriculum that occurs within the Y cohorts and provides an opportunity to apply principles and concepts to a QI project selected by the residents. 

Residents are also invited to participate in the Housestaff Quality and Safety Council which addresses key trainee-related safety and quality issues and provides opportunities for involvement in institutional initiatives. The group also facilitates a resident-led Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement Conference that occurs multiple times throughout the year.

VitalTALK Communication Skills Training

VitalTALK is an evidenced-based and validated methodology that employs simulation to teach patient-centered and empathic communication skills. Our residents participate in a 4-hour intensive training during each year of training. Topics covered include: Delivering Serious News (PL1s), Mapping Goals of Care (PL2s), and Addressing Microaggressions (PL3s).  We believe that equipping trainees with skills in trauma-informed communication, emotional de-escalation, and therapeutic boundary setting will support them in creating sustained well-being in a field that requires us to interact with families experiencing repeated stress and adversity.