A Unique Residency Program -
AHEC South Arkansas

The AHEC program is charged with the responsibility of transforming a medical school graduate into a competent physician ready to engage his medical specialty. We take the new physician, who has completed several years of medical studies and the limited application of these studies in clinical settings, and oversee his progression to one ready to enter medical practice. This oversight includes straightforward instruction by the faculty through didactic and "hands-on" provided by the residents and guidance toward the highest quality of such care.

We pursue these objectives in several areas. The classroom is used for direct instruction in a broad-based curriculum. At the patient's bedside, clinical skills, knowledge, and experience are transmitted from the teaching staff to the resident. In the ambulatory teaching center, the resident, under supervision and with guidance commensurate with his level of training, is allowed to practice in a setting much like that in which he will spend the majority of his professional life. Residents also train with physicians whose practices are subspecialty-oriented and thereby learn the importance of the relationship of family physicians to those in other specialties. The residency program has historically been known for it's emphasis on Obstetrical and G.I. procedures.

Our program is located in the fourth smallest medical community of any residency program in the United States. We think that is to your advantage! Most residents who come here from a large medical center setting are pleased with the true "community-based" setting in which they train. Each July 1st, five residents enter the program with a three-year commitment for a minimum of fifteen residents in training at all times. With faculty supervision, we have created a collegial system of learning and teaching.