Scholarly Activity
The clinical scholars curriculum program has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Previously, faculty have engaged in grant-funded research on nutrition and bipolar disorder, mindfulness-based interventions in the setting of addiction, and the impact of narrative medicine on the patient-doctor relationship.
Past grant funding includes a major federal grant to investigate how to deliver medication-assisted treatment for opiate use disorder to the rural and remote Native American populations of our state.
Current grant funding supports development of curriculum associated with a street medicine program and the pilot of a clinic-embedded dental hygiene program for patients ages 0-5!
As part of the curriculum, there is focused time learning about critical reading of journal articles, developing good clinical questions, and thinking about research design in the analysis of the medical literature. As a resident, you will present to your colleagues and faculty at least once per year on a prevention topic, a journal club, a case conference, and a patient safety event complete with RCA2 analysis. These presentations are highly supported by faculty advisors and help you become confident in navigating the medical literature and communicating about clinical cases in a variety of ways.
The resident-required scholarly projects are flexible with the goal of allowing you to pursue a clinical question they are passionate about answering or improving an aspect of care that they identify as relevant and significant. Extensive support and potential funding from the Eastern Maine Medical Center Clinical Research Center are available for those with passion for research. Protected longitudinal time known as “Scholarly Activity Days” help support forward momentum for resident projects. We also participate in Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN) providing a structured format and support for residents to contribute to a growing body of evidence-based medical literature. Every PGY 1 resident has the opportunity to write a Good Evidence Matters (GEM) through FPIN to meet one of their required scholarly activities and learn an approach to critically reading journal articles while getting published!
All residents in their PGY 3 year are expected to produce a poster from a Quality Improvement or Research project that is presented in June at the EMMC Annual Student and Resident Research Expo, an interprofessional event for the family medicine residents, pharmacy and nursing residents, and students from all these programs. Some residents may additionally participate in multidisciplinary case reports for publication, grant writing, and presenting at regional or national conferences, for which there is financial support available.
Interested residents can develop a research rotation and work with a faculty mentor to produce a publishable paper during the course of their residency. Coursework and resources are available to support you in these activities with our faculty, EMMC Clinical Research, and the nearby University of Maine.