Special Interest Tracks
Our program offers the following structured tracks in four areas: health equity, research, and advocacy (H.E.A.R.T.) in community or global health, integrative medicine, and HIV medicine. Residents who are interested in one or more of these tracks can deepen their understanding of this area during their residency experience. Residents who commit to and complete the requirements of a track receive a certificate on graduation.
Click the tabs below for detailed information on each track.
Integrative Medicine (IMR) Track
Lead Faculty: Dr. Tyler Evans, D.O.
Integrative medicine, also formerly described as complementary and alternative medicine, is the expansion of a physician’s knowledge base to include cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary paradigms of healthcare—including nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, herbal medicine, traditional systems of healing, mind-body medicine and energy medicine. The addition of these modalities into a physician’s “tool belt” allows for more evidence-based therapeutic options and a patient-centered approach to treatment plans that are less side effect-inducing and often more cost-effective.
The IMR track is a longitudinal curriculum of 200 hours of online modules offered through the University of Arizona-affiliated Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Residents also engage in on-site activities including integrative medicine-focused journal clubs, meet guest speakers from various integrative modalities, and actively incorporate integrative principles into their clinical care throughout their residency. They are also encouraged to engage in research related to integrative medicine.
Generally, 4-5 residents are accepted into this track per year.
Health Equity Advocacy and Research Training (HEART) Track
Lead Faculty: Dr. Nora Gimpel, M.D. and Dr. Victoria Udezi, M.D.
The HEART curriculum consists of theoretical and hands on opportunities for family medicine residents that express further interest and commitment to seeking solutions to health inequities in Texas and beyond. This track exposes residents to longitudinal academic, research, advocacy, and clinical training throughout their residency.
Residents also complete a graduate certificate in public health (paid for by the department), and foster relationships with local community health partners to build their credentials as family physicians actively involved in working towards health equity.
Generally, two residents are accepted into this track per year.
Global Health (GH) Track
Lead Faculty: Dr. Victoria Udezi, M.D. and Nora Gimpel, M.D.
The constant influx and efflux of people of diverse backgrounds through the United States, including Texas, means primary care physicians must deeply understand concepts of cultural responsiveness, geography, travel, immigration, global diseases, and care in limited-resource settings. A growing number of physicians also seek global careers, and practice medicine in settings all over the world.
It is therefore the mission of the GH track to advance global health equity through mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships that train residents in the core competencies of global health education, preparing them to care for diverse populations in the United States and abroad. The curriculum consists of at least one two-week clinical experience nationally or internationally. Residents also participate in coursework to receive a diploma in international medicine and public health and gain additional procedural skills, longitudinal research, and academic opportunities.
Generally, 2 residents are accepted into this track per year.
HIV Medicine Track
Lead Faculty: Dr. Emily Levy Kamugisha, M.D., AAHIVS and Dr. Ellen Kitchell, M.D., AAHIVS
Globally, more than 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, including over a million in the United States. Family medicine physicians form a crucial part of the fight against this deadly disease, helping reduce healthcare disparities in caring for marginalized populations and supporting patients' lifelong health journey. The HIV Medicine Track offers residents an opportunity to become expert primary care physicians for people living with and at risk for HIV.
The HIV Medicine Track is a longitudinal HIV Primary Care experience spanning the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years of residency training. Residents will learn to provide innovative longitudinal primary care to their own panel of continuity patients as part of a multidisciplinary team at Parkland Health's HIV Clinic (ACCESS), working with faculty preceptors who are expert in both primary care and HIV medicine. Residents will also have opportunities to experience inpatient HIV medicine, administration of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and other sexual health care, jail HIV care, management of hepatitis C, pediatric HIV care, transgender HIV care, perinatal HIV medicine, and other elective experiences. Didactics structured around the National HIV Curriculum will provide residents with a strong education in HIV medicine. Participating residents will also have the opportunity to present research and scholarly activity at National conferences. Residents who successfully complete the HIV track will be qualified to take the HIV Specialist certification examination from the American Academy of HIV Medicine.
This track will begin in Academic Year 2024-2025 and plans to accept 2 residents into this track per year.
We want to support all our residents to pursue their passions. If you have an area of interest that isn’t one of the above pre-built tracks, click here to learn about our Departmental Distinctions.