Education

Didactics

  • Bootcamp Lecture Series
    • Every July, faculty present core lectures series to incoming fellows to review pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of various rheumatic diseases.
  • Cadaver lab
    • Full day session for all rheumatology fellows practicing blind and ultrasound guided joint injections on human cadavers.
  • Rheumatology Core Curriculum
    • Evening lecture series throughout the year to review general concepts about rheumatic diseases and methodologies thereof, hosted by rheumatology and internal medicine faculty as well as guest lecturers from outside institutions.
  • Rheumatology Board Review
    • Formal review sessions led by rheumatology faculty to review key topics and CARE questions to better prepare fellows for their board exam throughout their entire fellowship.
  • Internal Medicine Grand Rounds
    • Weekly clinical or translational conferences for all members of the Internal Medicine Department.

Conferences

  • Rheumatology Case Conference
    • Weekly conference in which one fellow presents an interesting clinical case and teaching point followed by in depth discussion by all division faculty, fellows, and consult residents and students.
  • Rheumatology Division Journal Club
    • Weekly conference in which one fellow presents 1-2 pertinent articles from basic or clinical science followed by robust discussion by the faculty, fellows, and residents with the purpose of staying up to date on the literature and learning techniques in critical appraisal and application.
  • Subspecialty Conferences
    • Radiology Conference:
      • Monthly conference where basic concepts in musculoskeletal radiology are reviewed and cases examined with Musculoskeletal Radiologist.
    • Dermatology/Rheumatology Clinical Conference
      • Monthly conference focusing on dermatological manifestations of rheumatic diseases with the Dermatology Division.
    • Renal Pathology/Rheumatology Conference
      • Quarterly conference where clinical cases are reviewed with our Renal Pathologist.
    • Neurology/Rheumatology Conference
      • Semi-annually conference with the neurology division to present and discuss cases that overlap the two specialties.

Certificates

  • Clinical Research Curriculum
    • The Clinical Research Curriculum is a two-year introductory lecture series designed to promote clinical research expertise among clinical investigators at the fellow and junior faculty levels. Since the program began in 1999, we have had over 1000 participants from a variety of Texas Medical Center institutions. Most of the classes are offered at no charge.
  • Masters of Science in Clinical Research
    • The Master of Science in Clinical Research Degree Program at the Medical School is designed as a focused, flexible, affordable program to train clinical investigators in designing and conducting patient-oriented research that is of exemplary quality. The curriculum accommodates clinicians’ busy schedules; the courses are concentrated on Wednesdays afternoon. The degree requires a minimum of 3 years of coursework; the time required for degree completion depends on the amount of time and effort a student devotes to the program.
  • Physician Educator Certificate
    • Sponsored by the Office of Educational Programs, was launched in 2016 and is currently available to residents and fellows interested in developing their teaching skills. The 8-month program includes monthly workshops covering a variety of topics (e.g., Effective Communication with Challenging Learners and Small Group Teaching Strategies). Participants complete peer observations of their own teaching and write a reflection paper based on the feedback they receive.
  • Certificate in Healthcare Management
    • Sponsored by the University of Houston and Rice University, it aims to give participants the tools they need to make informed management decisions in their healthcare careers. This month-long course covers a variety of topics, including Negotiation Techniques, Personal Finance, and Strategic Healthcare Planning.
  • Certificate Program in Humanities and Ethics
    • Pilot program starting 2022 for upper level residents and fellows to expose participants to topics such as race and healthcare, death and dying, caregiver and patient narratives, bioethics, physician-writers, narrative medicine, and the visual arts.
  • USSONAR or APCA certification
    • Second year fellows can become certified in USSONAR or APCA during their ultrasound curriculum.