Competency 1:  Patient Care:  Residents must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Residents are expected to::

	Complete a comprehensive GI consultation including chief complaint, history of present illness, past history, review of systems, personal and social history (including detailed dietary history if warranted) and complete physical examination with particular focus on the gastrointestinal examination.  An assessment and diagnostic/treatment plan should be attempted.
	Recognize which GI problems can be effectively diagnosed and treated by a family physician, and which problems require referral for specialty care.
	Develop skill in performing flexible fiberoptic sigmoidoscopy.

Competency 2:  Medical Knowledge:  Residents must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care. Residents are expected to:

	Understand normal GI and hepatic anatomy and physiology.
	Understand how to work up dysphagia.
	Understand the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of various peptic diseases, including GERD, Barrett’s esophagus and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, peptic ulcer disease and the role of H. pylori infection in the pathogenesis of these conditions.
	Understand various pancreatic diseases, including the diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis and adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
	Understand the differential diagnosis and treatment of acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
	Understand the differential diagnosis of chronic diarrheal diseases, their diagnosis and treatment.
	Understand hepatic diagnostic procedures including liver function tests, and the subsequent work up of abnormal liver function tests.
	Understand the diagnostic evaluation for acute hepatitis and the treatment of fulminant liver failure.
	Understand the differential diagnosis and treatment of chronic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.
	Understand the epidemiology of colon cancer, appropriate evidence-based screening for colon cancer and treatment of colon cancer.
	Understand the treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.
	Understand appropriate use of endoscopic GI techniques for diagnosis and treatment of GI diseases.
	Understand appropriate use and formulations for enteral and parenteral nutrition.

Competency 3:  Practice Based Learning and Improvement:  Residents must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and life-long learning. Residents are expected to    develop skills and habits to be able to meet the following goals: o identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise; o set learning and improvement goals;   o identify and perform appropriate learning activities o systematically analyze practice using quality improvement methods, and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement;   o incorporate formative evaluation feedback into daily practice;

Locate, appraise and assimilate evidence from scientific studies that relate to the health problems of patients who are seen on the GI rotation.

Use information technology to manage information, access on-line medical information and support their own education.

Competency 4:  Interpersonal and Communication Skills:  Residents must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. Residents are expected to:

	Create and sustain a therapeutic and ethical relationship with patients.
	Provide appropriate patient education on GI and hepatic diagnoses and treatment plans based on the literacy level of patients and their caregivers.
	Help to communicate treatment plans of the gastroenterologist with the patient’s primary care physician.

Competency 5:  Professionalism:  Residents must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles. Residents are expected to:

	Dress appropriately based upon the standards present for attending physicians in their office or the hospital.
	Be on time for their rotations with the gastroenterologists.
	Complete any readings or other adjunct educational materials provided by the attending gastroenterologists.
	Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to patients’ perception of illness, and include these perceptions and patient preferences in formulation of management plans.
	Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to patients’ culture, age, gender and disabilities.

Competency 6:  Systems-Based Practice:  Residents must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care. Residents are expected to:

	Describe several ways in which the primary care provider and specialist can work as a healthcare team when providing care to a patient with chronic GI or hepatic disease.
	Describe the financial implications of health care evaluation and treatment decisions of patients with acute or chronic GI or hepatic disease.
	Understand the formulary implications for medication selection based upon insurance coverage (or lack of coverage) for a given patient.