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Transitional Year Residency
Thank you for your interest in the UPMC Shadyside Transitional Year program. Our program is described on this Web page, but I invite you to look also at information about the UPMC Shadyside Internal Medicine program, as it will provide many additional details regarding the city of Pittsburgh, our hospital and its faculty, and the internal medicine curriculum into which the Transitional Year program is integrated. The Transitional Year program at UPMC Shadyside is a one-year program that has grown increasingly since its inception in the mid-1970s. One of the main reasons for its popularity is that some subspecialty residency boards require a broad-based clinical year for certification. Others are strongly recommending it. Likewise, many medical students see the program as an opportunity to define interests and aptitudes better and to get some solid hands-on experience before committing to a specific program. Students who have not yet made a career choice or specialty selection, or who are planning to serve in organizations such as the public health service, should also consider the Transitional Year Residency Program. Over the course of the year, the transitional resident gains exposure to a variety specialties and, at the same time, acquires the preparatory skills and knowledge vital to success in future clinical activities. Although the Transitional Year Residency qualifies for the first postgraduate year as defined by the American Medical Association, it is not intended to be a complete graduate education for the practice of medicine but as an entry into further specialization, including internal medicine and family practice. Unlike preliminary year medicine, the transitional year is fully funded by the government as a separate year and does not decrease funding to the subsequently chosen subspecialty institution. In this time of increasing fiscal concern among training institutions, this funding advantage for the transitional year is particularly important to the subspecialty programs where residents train after their transitional year. More important, only the transitional year is accredited by a separate resident review committee, insuring high standards for those programs meeting the requirements. Gary H. Tabas, MD, FACP Curriculum The Transitional Year is designed to provide a broad experience in general medicine, in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Transitional residents receive four months of general medicine inpatient training within the Department of Medicine. The year also includes a month each of emergency medicine and intensive care, providing experience in the management of acute illness. A selective month (see below) provides the sixth month of fundamental clinical skills. Ambulatory experience consists of a one-month block rotation in an internist's office. The remaining months are elective and can be taken in medical or nonmedical subspecialties at UPMC Shadyside, UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Montefiore, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, or other UPMC hospitals. One elective can be a nonclinical research month. A special Transitional Year Conference is held every two months to discuss residency-related issues as well as academic topics of interest to Transitional Year residents.
Electives:
If you have questions, call or write our program at
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