Medical residency program at Scott AFB creates best doctors possible

Published Sept. 8, 2010
By Senior Airman Samantha S. Crane
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- When a Tricare patient assigned to Scott Air Force Base schedules an appointment, there's a good chance they could be seen at the Belleville Family Medicine Clinic, which is located near St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Ill.

This stems from a unique partnership formed by Scott Air Force Base, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Saint Louis University and Southern Illinois Healthcare through a medical residency program.

The program selects eight military residents and six civilian residents each year to fulfill a three-year residency program on their path to certification as a family medicine physician. At all times, there are 42 residents practicing within the program, 14 in each year.

According to Dr. Charles Robacker, Belleville Family Medicine Clinic program director, the fact that the residents are hand selected means the patients assigned here are seen by the best doctors possible.

"They are the cream of the Air Force crop," he said.

Residents rotate through eight different clinics including acupuncture, colonoscopy, vasectomy and osteopathic manipulation. As each clinic operates at a different location, the doctors also rotate through the offices of all four program sponsors, spending time at the 375th Medical Group clinic on base, St. Elizabeth's, SLU and SIH.

"We have pediatrics to geriatrics," said Master Sgt. Christina Meyer, Belleville Family Medicine Clinic superintendent, "whereas a normal family practice clinic would refer patients out for specialty care, we do it here."

While the residents are already doctors, the program is necessary for those seeking certification as a family medicine physician. After completing the residency, doctors are eligible to take the American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination.

When they pass, they receive certification to practice family medicine.

Currently, 15 faculty members -- 10 military and five civilian -- who have already completed a residency, fill the role of preceptors. Preceptors act as teachers who can help residents develop plans to care for patients and watch over their work. During their first year in the curriculum, a faculty member will see all the patients a resident sees to help them work through each patient's unique medical case. By the end of the curriculum, residents become much more independent, but always have faculty available to help answer any questions they may have.

While military patients are assigned to military doctors and civilian patients to civilian doctors, all doctors work together to decide the best course of action for a patient and learn from each other's unique experiences and skills.

The clinic is currently supported by 19 medical technicians and eight administration technicians comprised of active duty, civilian and contract employees assigned to Scott.

Each serves a two- to three-year rotation. Along with the faculty members, everyone but the residents take part in deployment rotations. Their experience at the Belleville clinic helps prepare the technicians for deployment more than just working at the Scott clinic would.

"Your day-to-day experience as a medical technician is much more rewarding because you get to see the different procedures and clinics rather than working on the same types of patients and just taking vital signs," said Sergeant Meyer. "This also makes them much more prepared for what they will see during deployments."

Technicians also receive extra training each Wednesday afternoon when the clinic takes part in training required by the residency curriculum. During the training, doctors and technicians receive lectures and hands-on training, which gives the Airmen assigned more opportunity to learn and grow in ways other assignments to base clinics aren't normally able to provide.

With approximately 8,500 Tricare patients assigned, the clinic sees 80 to 90 patients a day and is the biggest clinic within the 375th Medical Group.

"We're turning out a great product," said Maj. Kirstin Vitrikas, "The doctors here get to see a higher volume of patients, many who are sicker than those seen in a typical family practice, so we're turning out more well-trained doctors."