Resident Research

With education a heightened priority, Carle aims to build residency program.

As an oral maxillofacial surgical resident, Dr. Stephen Holm is perfecting his specialty at Carle Foundation Hospital. He spends hours each day fixing cleft palettes, removing wisdom teeth and performing emergency surgery on patients with facial trauma.

But Dr. Holm isn’t the only one benefiting from his time here. 

“There is a clear connection between education and high quality health care,” says Dr. Terry Hatch, Carle Clinic Association, who oversees Carle’s medical residency program. “(The residency program) is a very strong asset for Carle.”

Carle has had a graduate medical education (GME) program since the 1940s, when the OMFS residency started. But as we renew our focus on education, we are looking to build our residency program – a move that will strengthen Carle and ultimately enhance patient care.

What can our residency program offer us?

Residents, fresh from medical school, can help introduce the latest ideas and challenge old methods. They are more likely to work at Carle once their residency is finished or to return down the road. The program also helps recruit other talented professionals who want to work in a learning environment.

Carle already offers three residency programs: OMFS, colon-rectal surgery and family practice. We are planning to add a fourth, geriatrics, this summer. The new program, a sub-specialty of family practice, will offer two residents on-the-job training.

Over the next few years, Carle hopes to create two more residencies, general surgery and electrophysiology. For the latter program, we are searching for a partner hospital with a cardiology residency, which is a requirement to have an EP program.

The Hospital also plans to strengthen ties with the University of Illinois’ College of Medicine. We are already the primary teaching site for the University’s Internal Medicine program. The University, not Carle, is the sponsor organization for the Internal Medicine residents, though we are actively involved in their education.

As we continue to build our GME program, Carle will select new residencies with care, according to Dr. Hatch. The Hospital considers whether a program is reasonable, how it relates to our strategic goals and whether it meets regional needs and resources. We also must find attending physicians who are willing to champion these young doctors.

For his part, OMFS resident Dr. Holm says he is glad he found champions at Carle.

“Carle has given me so many opportunities to learn,” he said. “This has been a great place for me to grow.”

Residents by the Numbers:

• 4 Oral Maxillofacial Surgery residents
• 15 Family Practice residents
• 2 Geriatric (a sub-specialty of Family Practice) residents