Aspirus Wausau Family Medicine (AWFM)
Aspirus Wausau Family Medicine serves as the educational home for our residents, providing a comprehensive and supportive environment for learning. Clinical experiences are integrated with one-on-one teaching in diverse settings, ensuring personalized and practical education.
Our curriculum is designed to evolve with ACGME requirements and the dynamic needs of modern medicine. We utilize customized tracks that allow residents to tailor rotations based on their interests—whether in inpatient care, outpatient care, a combined approach, or obstetrics. Each resident is encouraged to become an independent learner, directing their educational goals through a flexible curriculum that supports individualized experiences.
Program Structure
The academic year is divided into 13 four-week blocks, offering a wide range of learning opportunities. Key highlights include:
Didactic Conferences
Emergency Medicine
Hospital Medicine Academic Team (HMAT)
Human Behavior & Mental Health
Longitudinal Addiction Medicine
Maternity Care & Women’s Health
Osteopathic Curriculum
Outpatient Family Medicine (OFM)
Pediatrics
Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Rural Medicine
Scholarly Activiy
Wellness
Didactic Conferences
Every Wednesday afternoon is reserved for dedicated conference time, providing residents with structured learning and professional development opportunities. These sessions include:
Local Subspecialty Speakers: Expert-led presentations on a wide range of topics
Case Presentations: Interactive discussions to enhance clinical reasoning
Board Preparation: Focused review sessions to support exam success
Hands-On Workshops: Practical skill-building activities
Wellness Activities: Initiatives to promote resident well-being and resilience
This protected time ensures residents receive comprehensive education beyond clinical practice, fostering growth in knowledge, skills, and self-care.
Emergency Medicine
Our Emergency Medicine curriculum provides residents with hands-on experience in acute care settings, ensuring confidence and competence in managing urgent and emergent conditions.
PGY-1:
Rotation Site: Aspirus Wausau Hospital Emergency Room, a 30-bed regional Level II Trauma Center
Learning Environment: Highly trained emergency physicians and staff serve as enthusiastic teachers, available to residents 24/7
PGY-3:
Residents may choose an additional Emergency Medicine rotation either:
At Aspirus Wausau Hospital
At the rural Aspirus ER in Medford, supervised by a faculty physician who is a graduate of our program
Didactic Integration:
The Emergency Medicine faculty overseeing the curriculum and Wausau rotation presents at Wednesday didactics once a month
Sessions include hands-on workshops such as:
Suturing techniques
Splinting and casting
This structured approach ensures residents develop essential emergency care skills in both urban and rural settings.
Hospital Medicine Academic Team (HMAT)
The Hospital Medicine Academic Team (HMAT) rotation provides residents with extensive inpatient medicine experience. Over the course of residency, residents complete 8–11 HMAT blocks, depending on their chosen track, managing a broad spectrum of medical conditions.
Schedule Overview:
Day Service: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Night Service: One week per block, 7:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.
Night Coverage: In-house nocturnists provide additional support
Weekends: Fully covered within the rotation—no separate weekend call and no 24-hour call
Team Structure:
A collaborative mix of senior and junior Family Medicine residents and Psychiatry interns work together to deliver high-quality patient care. Daily teaching rounds are conducted by faculty and residents, fostering a strong academic environment.
Teaching & Support:
Residents benefit from guidance and consultation provided by:
Family Physicians
Hospitalists
Internists
Subspecialty Physicians
Additionally, HMAT offers unique opportunities to collaborate with Pharmacy residents and Hospital Medicine fellows, who actively involve Family Medicine residents in procedures and advanced clinical learning.
Human Behavior & Mental Health
Our program emphasizes the importance of behavioral health in family medicine through a dedicated rotation and integrated learning experiences.
Rotation Details:
Timing: Second-year residents complete four weeks focused on Human Behavior and Mental Health
Clinical Exposure:
At least two weeks occur in the local healthcare center’s inpatient units
Residents collaborate closely with local psychiatry residents, fostering interdisciplinary learning and patient care
One week with a pain psychologist
Didactic Integration:
A child psychiatry series is scheduled every other year, led by a local child psychiatrist, covering pediatric and adolescent psychiatry topics
This rotation equips residents with the skills to address mental health needs across all age groups, reinforcing the holistic approach central to family medicine.
Comprehensive Obstetrics Training
Our residency program offers an exceptional opportunity to develop advanced obstetric skills in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Core Experience
Residents complete 8 weeks of obstetrics training at Aspirus St. Luke’s Duluth:
PGY-1: Work side-by-side with our dedicated OB Laborist and PA team for immersive, at-the-elbow training that builds confidence and sharpens essential skills.
PGY-2: Step into a more independent role, managing deliveries and assisting with cesarean sections, preparing for real-world practice.
OB Track – Elevate Your Expertise
For residents passionate about low-risk obstetrics, our OB Track offers an additional 8 weeks of intensive training at partner sites. This unique track includes:
Personalized mentorship with experienced obstetricians and family physicians
Expanded OB clinic exposure
Weekend call opportunities for enhanced clinical experience
The OB Track is designed to position you for success in a career focused on obstetrics.
Continuity of Care & Advanced Training
Residents also participate in our Obstetrics Continuity Clinic, providing longitudinal prenatal care and fostering strong patient relationships. To ensure readiness for any scenario, all first-year residents complete Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) training and an intensive OB Bootcamp, equipping them with the skills and confidence to deliver exceptional care.
Osteopathic Curriculum
Our osteopathic residents receive comprehensive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) under the guidance of a fellowship-trained osteopathic faculty physician. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning and clinical application to ensure residents develop advanced skills in osteopathic care.
Key Features:
Direct Supervision: Residents perform OMT on their own clinic patients and participate in dedicated referral cases under the supervision of our osteopathic site director.
Skill Development: Focused training enhances palpatory and treatment techniques, building confidence and expertise in osteopathic principles.
Collaborative Learning:
Residents also participate in quarterly OMT workshops through the University of Wisconsin Statewide Osteopathic Collaborative, joining peers from across Wisconsin. These workshops provide:
Additional hands-on training
Educational sessions with osteopathic faculty statewide
Opportunities to foster a community of learning and professional growth
Outpatient Family Medicine (OFM)
From day one, residents begin caring for their own continuity panel of patients, inherited from graduating residents and building their own. This continuity experience is central to developing strong patient relationships and comprehensive care skills.
Clinic Schedule:
Average of four half-days per week in the outpatient clinic throughout all three years, depending on rotations
Dedicated OFM blocks each year to deepen outpatient expertise
Patient Population & Services:
We serve a diverse community, providing care across all life stages and specialties, including:
Pediatrics
Maternity Care
Geriatrics
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT)
Office-based addiction treatment, including long-acting injectables
Special populations, such as transgender care and Hmong/Southeast Asian communities
Embedded Clinics:
We offer an embedded OMT clinic and an Addiction Medicine clinic, ensuring residents gain hands-on experience in these critical areas of family medicine.
Pediatrics Curriculum
Our Pediatrics curriculum provides residents with comprehensive inpatient and outpatient experiences across the Aspirus system, ensuring well-rounded training in pediatric care.
PGY-1:
Inpatient Pediatrics: One HMAT block where resident is focused on inpatient pediatric care
Training:
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) during June orientation
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) provided locally in the fall of intern year
PGY-2 & PGY-3:
Outpatient Pediatrics: One block each year focused on outpatient care
Rotation Options:
Pediatric clinic in Wausau
Rural settings for broader experience
PGY-2 or PGY-3:
Inpatient Rotation: One-month rotation at Marshfield Children’s Hospital, offering exposure to complex pediatric cases
This curriculum ensures residents gain the skills and confidence to provide exceptional care for pediatric patients in diverse clinical environments.
Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Our hospital offers a comprehensive POCUS program designed to integrate ultrasound skills into everyday clinical practice.
Curriculum Highlights:
Longitudinal Training: Residents participate in a structured POCUS curriculum throughout residency
Elective Opportunities: Additional rotations available for advanced ultrasound training
Clinic-Based Ultrasound: Ultrasound equipment is available in our outpatient clinic for hands-on learning
Credentialing: Residents graduate with POCUS credentials, ensuring proficiency and confidence in bedside ultrasound
This program equips residents with essential diagnostic skills that enhance patient care across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Rural Medicine Rotation
Our program values the importance of rural healthcare and provides residents with immersive experiences in community-based medicine.
Core Rotation:
Timing: Second-year residents complete a one-block rotation in Antigo
Clinical Exposure:
Family Medicine Clinic
Obstetrics (OB)
Emergency Room (ER)
Hospitalist services
Native American health
Convalescent care
Community Integration:
Residents engage in activities designed to deepen their understanding of rural health, which may include:
Visits with the county health department
Exposure to alternative healthcare providers
Additional Opportunities:
Residents interested in expanding their rural experience can choose additional rotations—both required and elective—at rural sites, as well as continuity clinics in underserved communities.
Scholarly Activity
At Aspirus Wausau Family Medicine, we foster a culture of academic excellence and lifelong learning. Faculty and residents actively engage in scholarly pursuits, including research, writing for publication, and quality improvement initiatives.
Key Components:
CITI Training: All residents complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) certification to ensure ethical and effective research practices.
Mentorship & Guidance: Residents receive individualized support from faculty mentors throughout their scholarly projects.
Quality Improvement: Residents work in teams to design and implement quality improvement initiatives that enhance patient care and clinical outcomes.
Writing Opportunities:
Case Reports
Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN) Help Desk Answers
Other scholarly publications
Journal Club Leadership: Residents lead monthly journal club sessions, promoting critical appraisal of medical literature and evidence-based practice.
System-Wide Collaboration: Residents participate in a monthly Aspirus system-wide case conference, providing exposure to complex cases and interdisciplinary learning across the health system.
Our program ensures residents graduate with the skills and experience to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of family medicine.
Resident Wellness
At the Aspirus Wausau Family Medicine Residency Program, we prioritize the health and well-being of our residents. Our wellness initiatives are designed to foster balance, resilience, and community throughout training.
Program Highlights:
Resident Retreats:
Twice a year, residents enjoy retreats planned by the chief residents. Family members are welcome, and time away from clinic and rotations is provided. Recent retreats have included:Wausau Woodchucks baseball game
Whitewater rafting
Escape room adventures
Paintball
Wisconsin Dells waterpark
Individual Wellness Days:
Residents receive two half-days per year to use as they choose—whether for errands, outdoor activities, or simply relaxing.Group Wellness Activities:
When a month includes a fifth Wednesday, residents participate in group activities such as:Art projects
Cheese tasting
Lego building
Mini golf
Botanical garden visits
Flexible Medical Care:
Residents may attend local medical and dental appointments during work hours without using Personal Time Off.Call Schedule Designed for Balance:
The HMAT rotation eliminates 24-hour call shifts, allowing for more weekends off throughout the year.Professional Development Support:
Annual CME/professional development funds
Five CME days per year for conferences or exam preparation (Step 3/COMLEX 3 and Board Certification)
Institutional Wellness Resources:
WiNC, our sponsoring institution, provides excellent resources for resident wellness, further supporting physical, emotional, and professional well-being. Click here.
