Internal Medicine Residency Clinical Scholars in Informatics Pathway

The Clinical Scholars in Informatics (CSI) pathway is a two-year program designed for residents to further develop clinical skills in informatics and health information technologies with the support and guidance of a mentorship team.

Pathway Curriculum

These skills can open up opportunities for:

  • Research
  • Improving healthcare quality and safety
  • Making Electronic Health Record workflows more efficient

Through a competitive application process, two PGY1 residents are selected for the pathway to begin their PGY2 and PGY3 years.

A group of men and women of mixed ages and ethnicities sits around a restaurant table

In their training, Clinical Scholars in Informatics residents will:

  • Obtain EPIC Physician Builder certification with privileges to modify the Wake Forest Electronic Health Record in collaboration with Wake Forest Information Technology Services (ITS). This includes travel to EPIC headquarters to complete training as well as building a marketable skillset that can be valuable for future fellowship and faculty positions
  • Receive commendation and a certificate of completion during the yearly Internal Medicine Awards Day
  • Have an opportunity to shape a future career in informatics, complementing a career in internal medicine specialties or subspecialties
  • Receive a $2,500 stipend to be used for data extraction, statistical analysis, travel for presentations/conferences or informatics-related educational materials. This stipend is in addition to current residency travel funding
  • Be granted two elective informatics blocks in the PGY2 year with additional elective time (one to two months) that can be used for informatics in the PGY3 year
  • Participate in informatics journal club
  • Be granted a loaner laptop to be used for an informatics-related project

Clinical Scholars in Informatics residents are expected to:

  • Design and implement an informatics-related project (can be in general medicine or a subspecialty area) by the end of their PGY2 year
  • Evaluate the impact of the project within the health system and submit to both the Wake Forest Quality Improvement Showcase and Internal Medicine Research Day in their PGY3 year
  • Draft and submit a completed manuscript of the project and evaluation of impact in a relevant journal

Clinical Scholars in Informatics Curriculum schedule

Rotations

Residents on the CSI Pathway will continue with their upper-level track rotations as previously assigned. As stated, residents are granted two elective informatics blocks in the PGY2 year.

2020-2022 Clinical Scholars in Informatics (CSI) Residents

Four men and one woman, all wearing white coats, stand outside with arms around each other and smile. A brick building and green-leafed tree are in the background

Matthew Ellis, MD; Bradley Rowland, MD; Travis Skipina, MD; Nikhil Patel, MD; and Sarah Stern, MD

Nikhil Patel, MD
Mentor Team: Ajay Dharod, MD (Informatics); Brandon Stacey, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine), Richa Bundy, MPH (Biostatistician), Adam Moses, MHA (Informatics)
Project Title: "Design and Implementation of Clinical Decision Support Tool for Management of Device Therapy in Congestive Heart Failure"

Travis Skipina, MD
Mentor Team: Ajay Dharod, MD (Informatics); Erin Barnes (Infectious Disease), Richa Bundy, MPH (Biostatistician), Adam Moses, MHA (Informatics)
Project Title: "Accurate identification of intravenous drug users at a tertiary teaching hospital: a harm reduction and cost-savings effort"

Matthew Ellis, MD
Mentor Team: Ajay Dharod, MD (Informatics); Nancy Denizard-Thompson, MD (Internal Medicine), Nyree Thorne, MD (Gastroenterology), Sean Hernandez, MD (Informatics), Richa Bundy, MPH (Biostatistician), Adam Moses, MHA (Informatics), Lauren Witek, MS (Biostatistician)
Project Title: "Implementing High-Value Care: Reducing Cost through Improving Provider Awareness of Laboratory Test Expenses"

Bradley Rowland, MD
Mentor Team: Ajay Dharod, MD (Informatics); Donna Williams, MD (Internal Medicine), Richa Bundy, MPH (Biostatistician), Adam Moses, MHA (Informatics), Lauren Witek, MS (Biostatistician)
Project Title: "Validating and Operationalizing Cognitive Computing to Reduce Unplanned Readmissions"

Sarah Stern, MD
Mentor Team: Ajay Dharod, MD (Informatics); Christopher Kelly, MD (Internal Medicine), Matthew Gorris (Endocrinology), Richa Bundy, MPH (Biostatistician), Adam Moses, MHA (Informatics), Lauren Witek, MS (Biostatistician)
Project Title: "Improving Insulin Safety in Hospitalized Patients through EMR-Based Clinical Decision Support"

CSI-Related, Peer-Reviewed Presentations, Posters, Manuscripts and Other Funding