Family Medicine Residency Program

Sherly Abraham, MD
Chair of Family Medicine

Haidy Rivero, MD
Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Family Medicine Residency Training Program at The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC). We were approved for training in May 1993 and have since developed an outstanding program.

The TBHC Family Medicine Residency is a comprehensive program designed to train highly skilled and compassionate family medicine physicians. Grounded in a patient-centered medical home model, the curriculum emphasizes continuity of care, comprehensive services and accessible care for patients.

Residents will gain experience caring for a diverse population with complex health conditions, providing them with a well-rounded foundation in family medicine.

The program features a “dive-in” approach, with a concise, two-week orientation period that allows residents to quickly begin their clinical training.

All rotations are completed within our hospital network, ensuring a seamless and integrated learning experience. The program emphasizes the core specialties of family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, offering block rotations that utilize the facilities of our hospital and leverage the expertise of multiple residency and fellowship programs. Residents will have access to a variety of specialty rotations and electives, expanding their knowledge and skills.

The program includes rotations at two family medicine practices (FMP) sites—Downtown Campus and La Providencia—as well as Williamsburg Family Health Center and St. Felix, providing residents with exposure to different communities and patient populations.

Residents will be assigned a panel of patients from the beginning of residency, fostering continuity of care, responsibility and relationship building with patients. Additionally, we are committed to improving residents’ longitudinal pediatrics experience, providing residents with in-depth exposure to pediatric care.

The Family Medicine department has an independent and consistently busy inpatient service overseen by two family medicine-trained hospitalists. Residents will work 12-hour shifts, five to six days per week during this rotation, and will be responsible for managing patients with complex medical and social problems. As part of the inpatient experience, our residents participate in daily Multidisciplinary Rounds—meetings that teach them to address barriers and facilitate early patient discharges in a safe and efficient manner. The chair of the Family Medicine department leads these meetings.

The program offers a strong inpatient geriatric experience; interdisciplinary rounds include wound care, pharmacy, physical therapy and diatetics. We are expanding our outpatient geriatrics services with the addition of a new family medicine-trained geriatrician.

Overnight calls are covered through a Night Float system (Sunday through Friday) throughout the three years. Residents in outpatient rotations cover Saturday 24-hour calls. The program combines traditional bedside teaching with lectures. Residents are expected to be self-directed learners and participate in various conferences, including journal club, lunch and learn sessions and OB/GYN and pediatrics lectures. Lectures are delivered by our faculty, who are experts in their respective fields. The program also benefits from guest speakers from within the institution and across the United States. The department holds monthly meetings focused on quality and safety, incorporating a multidisciplinary approach.

Our busy adult inpatient service trains our residents so well that many progress to hospitalist jobs. We provide hands-on experience with challenging patients who have multiple medical problems and social issues, ensuring our residents are well-prepared for the demands of hospitalist work.

Graduates of the program have pursued careers in hospitalist medicine, urgent care, leadership positions, fellowships and academics.

By providing a comprehensive and well-structured curriculum, The Brooklyn Hospital Center Family Medicine Residency Program is committed to training exceptional family medicine physicians who are prepared to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities.

Residency Program Team

Residency Coordinator
Valrina McLeod
vmcleod@tbh.org
P: 718-250-8817
F: 718-250-6609

Chair
Sherly Abraham, MD

Program Director
Haidy Rivero, MD