Primary Care of Vulnerable Populations Track

While the PCVP track is integrated within the larger Categorical Internal Medicine Residency Program, there are unique characteristics that set it apart.

• A 3 + 1 + 1 schedule that allows for additional ambulatory rotations and populations health training
• Co-directors and core faculty focused on primary care
• Balance of core internal medicine requirements (inpatient, critical care) and subspecialties
• Community engagement and health system collaboration
• Additional experiences in leadership, medical education, quality improvement, point-of-care ultrasound, advocacy
• Personalized mentoring to support individual career goals
• NMRP match

All PCVP residents are assigned to a “Residency House” alongside the categorical internal medicine residents. PCVP residents have continuity clinics and panels of patients that they co-manage with their primary care preceptors.

In the first year, PCVP residents will have six (6) additional weeks of ambulatory experiences, compared to categorical interns. In the second and third years, PCVP residents will spend approximately six months of each year in the ambulatory setting.

The ambulatory blocks for PCVP residents are carefully designed to allow for ample continuity experience with patients in clinic, specialized outpatient training in the various fields of internal medicine, community engagement projects, didactics, leadership development, and protected time for scholarship. The track allows for personalization and flexibility to tailor the training experience to the resident’s interests and career goals.

Prior to ambulatory clinic, high-yield primary care topics are presented by the PGY-3 resident as part of the Resident-as-Teacher program. There is a 3-year revolving curriculum that includes primary care topics focusing on interactive and case-based scenarios and using innovative teaching methods including problem-based learning and flipped-classroom styles.

Didactic sessions are conducted by primary care faculty as well as health-care system experts and community leaders.

Ambulatory Y week didactics occur every Tuesday morning with core topics, subspecialty topics, and time for POCUS and simulation.

There are unique activities that include community engagement, wellness, and narrative writing.

During their ambulatory Z week, PCVP residents will receive a comprehensive curriculum focusing interactive and case-based scenarios, problem-based learning, and flipped-classroom styles. Special didactics will focus on social justice topics such as structural and social determinants of health, systemic racism, population health, and advocacy.

Administrative and Scholarly Time: This is built in to the PCVP ambulatory block weeks and will include time for self-directed learning, careful follow up of patients, quality improvement project with a focus on reducing disparities, and refinement of academic skills in research and writing. 

Community Engagement: We believe that multidisciplinary, wrap-around care is crucial to vulnerable populations. PCVP residents will partner with a community organization of their choice to learn about the organization and how it can be a resource to our patients. 

PCVP Ambulatory experience -- example

Y week – Continuity Clinic/Ambulatory week

Z week – PCVP track week

The MetroHealth System, Population Health, Institute for Hope, and the Leadership in Medicine Education Pathway allow the PCVP track residents to train in medical education, quality improvement or research, and advocacy.

During the second year, residents in each house are expected to participate in a QI project. Results are presented to the residency program. Residents are encouraged to participate in scholarly activities. The program offers resources and guidance and financially supports residents to attend local, regional, and national conferences.

Residents receive regular guidance in discussions of their career development and rotational preference. They form mentorships with the various faculty to guide decisions regarding career paths.

Dr. Vikas Gampa

Dr. Gampa is the Director for the PCVP Track. An Ohio native, Dr. Gampa graduated from The Ohio State University and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York City.

He completed a primary care Internal Medicine residency at Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following residency, he obtained an MPH from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and was a Fellow in the Rural Health Leadership Fellowship through Massachusetts General Hospital.

As a fellow, he provided care for the Sicangu Lakota community at the Indian Health Service in Rosebud, South Dakota. His areas of interests include health equity for marginalized communities, LGBTQ+ care, and medical education.

He enjoys exploring national parks, dancing with his partner, and cooking at home.

Dr. Jayne Barr

Dr. Barr is the Associate Director for the PCVP Track. Dr. Barr grew up in West Virginia and Ohio. She graduated from Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia and completed her residency training in the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics program at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Following residency, she started a Med-Peds private practice in Circleville, Ohio. After 15 years, she joined as a Med-Peds hospitalist at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital as well as preceptor of the Combined Med-Peds clinic.

In 2016, Dr. Barr served as the Med-Peds Program Director at Western Michigan University School of Medicine and in 2020 joined MetroHealth as Associate Program Director in the Internal Medicine residency program with a focus on primary care.

Her areas of clinical interest are Quality Improvement, transitions of care, point-of-care ultrasound, and population health. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, bike riding, and discovering Cleveland’s MetroParks.

We are looking for applicants that are empathetic, diverse, motivated, self-directed, and collaborative learners. We believe in a holistic review of all the applications we receive. Our interviews are being held virtually October through January. During your virtual visit, you will have time to meet and talk with our residents.

In ERAS, there is a separate Primary Care for Vulnerable Populations track option which has a unique NRMP number. PCVP candidates who are selected to interview (including those who apply to both PCVP and categorical tracks), will be scheduled with the PCVP co-directors on Tuesday mornings via Thalamus. 

Please refer to the Application Process for further information.