An Ambulatory Clinical Teaching Unit: Filling the Outpatient Gap in Internal Medicine Residency Training

The majority of time in a core General Internal Medicine (GIM) residency is spent focusing on inpatient medicine, with relatively little time devoted to ambulatory medicine. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada has mandated an improvement in ambulatory exposure. Unfortunately, most ambulatory experiences tend to lack formal structure, a dedicated educational curriculum, and graduated learner-specific responsibilities. The recent Royal College recognition of GIM as a subspecialty places renewed emphasis on core IM training providing a more comprehensive exposure to outpatient medicine as management of patients with multiple complex conditions may be best managed by a general internist. In July 2015, McMaster University opened an outpatient medicine clinic which is designed to be an Ambulatory Clinical Teaching Unit (A-CTU). The A-CTU provides a structured clinical environment which is focused on the management of medically-complex patients. It uses a multidisciplinary model, graded learner levels of responsibility and a dedicated educational curriculum. The unique structure of the A-CTU allows for the assessment of milestones and EP As (entrustable professional activities) pertaining to consultation skills and chronic disease management, in keeping with competence by design.