Internal Medicine Training Program Information

We have a three year program approved by the American Board of Internal Medicine and accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education.

Each year 35 first-year (PGY-1) residents are accepted into the program (21 categorical and 14 preliminary). There are 21 PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents and three Chief Residents.

Training is structured to help residents acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and experience incrementally, enabling them to handle increasing responsibilities in patient care. Residents are prepared through this training for careers in primary care practice or for further training in medical specialties.

First-Year Medical Resident Rotations (PGY-1)

Second-Year Medical Resident Rotations (PGY-2)

Third-Year Medical Resident Rotations (PGY-3)

* A “night float” system has been established at LICH for residents at every level so that they are not required to be in hospital for more than 12 hours

Preliminary Medicine

Candidates who require one year of internal medicine training in preparation for anesthesiology, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, neurology, radiology, ophthalmology or other specialty training are fully integrated into the clinical and educational activities of the first year internal medicine training program.

Inpatient Care

Residents train in a clinically stimulating environment that provides diverse learning opportunities. Residents have the opportunity over their three years of training to develop the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions. Incrementally, residents are expected to assume more responsibility and independence commensurate with their level of training. The clinical rotations at each training level are summarized in program description. Call schedules are Q5 on the medical floors and Q4 in Coronary care/arrhythmia unit for every level of residents along with established night float system.

Outpatient Care

Residents spend approximately 33% of their time in ambulatory settings over their three years of training. It is here they learn the fundamentals of primary care internal medicine, preventive care, behavioral medicine and community-oriented medicine. Residents provide continuity ambulatory care to a panel of patients accrued from hospital discharges and through scheduled new patient visits. PGY-1 residents spend ½ day twice a week in clinic; PGY-2 residents spend ½ day twice a week in clinic and one month of ambulatory block rotation; PGY-3 residents spend ½ day twice a week in clinic and two months of ambulatory block rotation. During ambulatory block rotations residents rotate through medical as well as non-medical specialty clinics including rehabilitation medicine, orthopedics, adolescent medicine, gynecology, otolaryngology and ophthalmology.

Teaching Activities and Educational Conferences

A didactic curriculum and small group sessions complement the clinical experience. Residents are required to participate in the educational activities of the department including daily morning report, noontime conferences and bimonthly journal club and textbook review. The noontime conferences include introductory lectures covering general and subspecialty medical topics, medical ethics, psychosocial issues in medicine, non-medical specialty topics, and monthly morbidity/mortality rounds and clinicopathologic conferences where residents have an opportunity to present cases and pertinent literature reviews to the assembled attendings, residents and medical students. Weekly Grand Rounds feature guest lecturers covering a wide range of medical topics.

Research

Residents are expected to complete a research project prior to completing their training. Residents may choose to participate in ongoing clinical research projects or may develop a project under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Each year the research efforts of our residents are judged by a panel of the faculty and awards are presented at graduation. The research efforts of our residents are frequently judged worthy of publication in peer-reviewed journals or presentation at national and international meetings.

Medical Student Teaching

Residents at all training levels are actively involved in the teaching of medical students. Each year more than 100 3rd and 4th year medical students rotate through the Department of Internal Medicine from SUNY Downstate, St. George’s Medical School and Ross Medical School. These students are an essential part of the training environment and are fully integrated into the rounding teams on all the clinical units and on subspecialty electives.

Fellowships

LICH offers independent fellowships in gastroenterology and nephrology, and fellowships in cardiology affiliated with Beth Israel Medical Center, in hematology/oncology and pulmonary medicine affiliated with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and in infectious diseases affiliated with Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.

Evaluations

Supervising attending physicians evaluate residents monthly. The residency evaluation committee of the Department of Medicine consisting of representative teaching attendings and the Chief Residents review the overall performance of all residents quarterly. Each resident then reviews the evaluation with the program director to assure that the resident is progressing satisfactorily. If remedial help is necessary a plan is formulated to help the resident develop to his or her full potential.

Mentorship Program

Department of Medicine at LICH has established a mentorship program were every first year resident is assigned a mentor from the teaching faculty. The assigned mentor will have bimonthly discussions with the resident and review all his/her evaluation. This process not only gives the resident an excellent opportunity to improve his/her performance but also builds relationship between faculty and residents.