department of medicine

Internal Medicine Residency Program

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Outpatient Continuity Practice

Emergency Department

Fellowship

Research

International Experiences

Living in Philadelphia

Q: How many PGY-1 positions are available?
A: There are 32 categorical positions and 8 preliminary positions available for 2010.

Q: By what criteria are house staff selected?
A: We look for applicants who are well-rounded, value professionalism and teamwork and possess a strong academic record.

Q: What is the salary?
A: Next year’s salary has not been announced. The current PGY-1 salary is $46,613.

Q: How many clinical training sites are there?
A: Three: Temple University Hospital, the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Abington Memorial Hospital.  However, there are opportunities to work in other hospitals and facilities across the region as part of electives or away rotations. International experiences through the Global Health elective are also available.

Q: How much time do I spend at each site as a PGY-1?
A: As an intern, you will spend all of your time at Temple University Hospital, unless you choose to do elective rotation at affiliate hospitals.

Q: What is the breakdown of rotations?

Q: How often will I be on call my first year?
A: During your intern year, you will have 6-8 call blocks. Interns and residents are on call every 5th night on the inpatient teaching service. In the Respiratory ICU and the Cardiac ICU, call is every 4th night.

Q: How many non-call months will I have as an intern?
A: Interns average 6-7 blocks of non-call time. The number of non-call months increase in the 2nd and 3rd years of the program.

Q: When are my days off?
A: All housestaff on rotations with call have 4 days off every month. Interns usually have their days off during the week while on the floor services and during the weekend while in the ICUs. During electives, interns typically have 2 weekends off and 2 weekends with reserve duty or guest float (see below).

Q: What is a typical day on ward service like?
A:  A typical day non-call:

Q: What is the department's approach to work hour reform?
A: We have a no-tolerance policy regarding work hour violations. Any duty hour violations are acted upon to ensure that problems do not recur.

Q: Are there required ambulatory rotations?
A: Yes. Each year, housestaff are assigned to an Ambulatory Block rotation for 4 weeks. Second and third year residents also do ambulatory-based electives including Cardiology, GI, Heme/Onc, HIV, Pulmonary, Renal, Primary Care, and Dermatology. We have a dedicated Associate Program Director and Chief Resident who help direct ambulatory education during your residency.

Q: Is there a Night Float System?
A: Yes. Night floats at TUH take care of patients whose teams are not on call. Night floats do NOT do admissions. Each intern will have one block of night float. Shifts are Sunday through Thursday, 6:00 pm to 8:00 am, ensuring 2 days off every week. Interns who are on elective are assigned to “guest float” and work 6:00 pm to 8:00 am on Friday and Saturday nights. Again, most interns do one “guest float” weekend per elective. Overnight, a second year resident and a third year resident are in-house to serve as resources in the event of questions or complex management decisions.

Q: How many people are on a team?
A: A typical team is made up of one attending, one resident, one intern and two 3rd year medical students.

Q: What is the patient mix?
A: Located in North Philadelphia, TUH cares for an underserved urban population. In addition, TUH is a tertiary care center with well-respected subspecialty departments. We receive many referrals from the surrounding suburban region resulting in a diverse patient population.

Q: Who are the attendings providing inpatient care? Are there private attendings?
A: There are 15 inpatient general medicine services staffed by GIM faculty or hospitalists. Each team has one dedicated attending. Your attending performs teaching rounds and didactics daily. On occasion, one or two patients on your service may be staffed by an attending other than your general medicine attending. However, this is the exception and not the rule. There are also 4 inpatient subspecialty services each staffed by a subspecialty attending. While you are on the subspecialty service, the intern does not take overnight call.

Q: Are there non-teaching services?
A: Yes. Patients who are expected to require a 24-48 hour admission are triaged to the Clinical Decision Unit (CDU). This unit is staffed solely by our hospitalists.

Q: Is food provided at work?
A: Meal money is placed on your TUH ID card for overnight calls. Snacks are provided in the resident lounge. Lunch is usually served at Noon Conference 3 days per week.

Q: Are white coats provided?
A: Yes. The Department provides 2 long white coats to all house staff annually.

Q: Are scrubs provided?
A: Yes.

Q: Are lockers provided?
A: Yes.

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OUTPATIENT CONTINUITY PRACTICE:

Q: Where and when will I have clinic?
A: The Medicine Group Practice is the resident-run clinic located on the 4th floor of the Outpatient Building which is attached to the hospital. The practice has dedicated faculty who oversee your educational experience. We have introduced the microfirm system this year to simulate a small-group practice. Usually, there is one attending assigned to each microfirm, which consists of 6-7 residents of varying levels. Each resident has clinic one half-day per week on average. There are no outpatient practice responsibilities during night float, ICU, vacation or post-call. When you are away from clinic, your microfirm residents and attending will care for your patients and keep you updated.

Q: What is the faculty to resident ratio?
A: 1:4.

Q: What is the Clinic Case of the Week?
A: Ambulatory Grand Rounds occurs every Monday at noon. Common outpatient issues, such as prostate cancer screening or outpatient diabetes management, are reviewed by a specialist at this conference. Prior to each clinic session, a faculty member leads a small group, case-based discussion of that week’s ambulatory topic (pre-clinic case of the week). The case and recommended review articles are emailed to the residents ahead of time.

Q: Is there a separate Primary Care Program?
A: Yes. We have a dedicated Primary Care Program. Dr. Shiva Chandrasekaran is the Program Director of the Primary Care Track. Each year, 2 interested residents join the track. This year, we have a separate Match designated to the Primary Care Track.

Residents in the Primary Care Program have clinic in the General Internal Medicine faculty practice at Jones Hall (adjacent to TUH). Residents work together during their weekly continuity clinic on Friday afternoon. Residents are expected to function as partners in a group practice with their co-residents and faculty supervisors. There are specific weekly primary care program conferences with a focus on psychosocial issues in primary care, systems-based practice and clinical case conferences. Each resident in the Primary Care Program is assigned to a second community preceptor experience in addition to their weekly continuity practice.

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EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT:

Q: What is the experience like in the ED?
A: During your 4 week ED rotation, you function as a member of the ED team, triaging all types of patients who present for care including fast track, general medicine, neurology, OB/GYN, surgery, and trauma patients. Upper year residents may spend additional time in the ED by request.

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FELLOWSHIP:

Q: Do residents match into competitive fellowships?
A: Yes. Residents have multiple opportunities to become involved in research, scholarly activity, and work closely with renowned physicians in our various subspecialty departments. Our residents have a very high fellowship match rate into some of the most competitive programs in the country including Johns Hopkins, Cornell, M.D. Anderson, Columbia, Vanderbilt, Mayo Clinic and Temple.

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RESEARCH:

Q: Is there a research requirement?
A: No. However, all residents are offered the opportunity to and are strongly encouraged to complete a scholarly project during their residency. Scholarship is broadly defined and includes reviews of clinical topics, original work resulting in abstracts or manuscripts and laboratory experience. Many residents actively engage in research.

Q: Are there research electives?
A: Yes. Residents may choose to do up to 3 research blocks during their residency.

Q: How can I get involved in research?
A: There is an annual research day at the start of the year. Dr. Moyer and representatives from each division present information on the many options for research that are available at TUH and FCCC.

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INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES:

Q: Are there opportunities for international rotations?
A: Yes. Our residents are increasingly involved in international work through the Global Health elective and have experienced medicine across the globe including Nicaragua, Korea, India, Bolivia, Peru, and Botswana. You can organize your own trip or rotate at a site affiliated with Temple University School of Medicine. For more information please see the web site at:

http://www.temple.edu/medicine/education/mdprograms/medical_education/

international_health.htm

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LIVING IN PHILADELPHIA:

Q: Where will I live?
A: Most residents live in Center City or in areas just outside downtown including Rittenhouse, Bella Vista, Old City, Queen Village, Fairmont, East Falls, Roxborough, Manayunk, and Conshohocken. Compared with other large east coast cities, the cost of living in Philadelphia is very reasonable.

Q: What about transportation to and from work?
A: Most residents travel by car and park for free in Temple's parking garages.  Residents who live in Center City can take the subway to Temple Hospital which has a stop two blocks away.

Q: What is there to do outside of work?
A: Philadelphia is a multi-cultural city, full of history, and offers something for all tastes. Attractions include the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fairmont Park, Independence Mall, The Kimmel Center, Franklin Institute, Academy of Music, Walnut Street Theatre and the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. Philadelphia also has a wide variety of eateries for every budget with several nationally acclaimed five star restaurants as well as countless BYOBs. Philadelphia is centrally located with easy access to New York, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., the Poconos, Atlantic City and the Jersey shore.

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