Internal Medicine Residency Program Overview
The residency program in categorical Internal Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center is structured to train 14 clinically competent physicians who can function and excel in any internal medicine setting. Maricopa Medical Center serves as an emergency tertiary referral hospital for Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) for the metropolitan Phoenix area and the state of Arizona.
Clinical competence and academic excellence is attained in the Department of Medicine by giving greater responsibility to the resident through exposure to the wealth of clinical pathology seen at Maricopa Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. Residents are supervised by more than 40 full-time board certified internists and specialists at MMC and 30 full-time board certified internists and specialists at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale and Mayo Clinic Hospital.
Residents write all orders and are fully responsible for patient management. Most hospitalized internal medicine patients are assigned to a general medicine, cardiology, HIV, or critical care teams consisting of one attending physician, residents and medical students.
During the 36-month training period, residents will rotate through every specialty of internal medicine, including neurology and dermatology. Residents are part of an ambulatory practice team and see their own patients at a Maricopa Integrated Health System Family Health Center located throughout Phoenix. Residents follow patients in and out of the hospital allowing for continuity of learning and patient care.
Approximately 45% of the training time in the Internal Medicine Residency Program is spent in the ambulatory setting getting direct teaching and supervision from generalists and specialists from Maricopa Medical Center (MMC) and the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale.
Residents are given a great deal of autonomy and opportunity for hands-on procedural experience commensurate with skills and training. Residents will become proficient in procedures common to Internal Medicine such as central venous line placement including Swan-Ganz catheterization, lumbar puncture, thoracentesis, paracentesis, large joint aspiration, flexible sigmoidoscopy, exercise treadmill interpretation, etc. Paramedical personnel perform most ancillary procedures such as venopunctures, electrocardiograms, x-rays, venopuncture for peripheral IV access, arterial puncture for blood gas and scheduling tests. This allows time to be spent evaluating patients, studying in the library or resting on call.
Program Director
Dr. Raj is a graduate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, N.Y. and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. She is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Raj is the Internal Medicine Program Director and Clerkship Director at Maricopa Medical Center. She also holds faculty appointments at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and at Mayo Medical School and was a Dean's Teaching Scholar at the University of Arizona in 2001-2002.
Affiliations
The residency program in Internal Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center is a major affiliate of the University of Arizona and the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. Medical residents currently rotate at Maricopa Medical Center as well as Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. In addition, Internal Medicine residents from Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, and Mayo Clinic Rochester and Scottsdale periodically rotate through the Department of Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center.
Highlights of the Program
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One of the highest 3-year ABIM Board pass rates in the state of AZ at more than 94%.
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Our Internal Medicine residency program has been given 5-year full accreditation by the ACGME, the longest in the state of Arizona.
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MIHS has been given an institutional 5-year full accreditation by the ACGME
PGY-I YEAR
The categorical PGY-I year offers a set of basic primary care rotations which will enable the internal medicine resident to acquire superior patient management skills as well as build a solid general medicine base upon which to develop specialty knowledge. Residents will maintain a half day continuity clinic at a Maricopa Integrated Health System Family Health Center. Practical "hands-on" exposure mixed with regular didactic sessions are the norm. Residents may rotate to Mayo Clinic Hospital during the PGY-I year.
PGY-I Categorical Rotations
*Fifteen working days (3 weeks) of vacation may be taken during the PGY-1 year. These are assigned based primarily on written requests.
- Internal Medicine Wards - 6 months
- Critical Care - 1 month
- Cardiology - 1 month
- Emergency Room - 1 month
- Ambulatory Care - 1 month
- Night Float - 1 month
- Electives - 1 month
Other Benefits:
- $1,000 educational allowance
- Time off for approved CME
- Free meals
- Free parking
- Vacation* - 3 weeks
PGY-II YEAR
During the PGY-II year, residents begin spending more time on subspecialty electives and focus on refining general medical skills. Residents are required to give a medical noon conference in a case report and literature review format which is printed and may be submitted for publication. Assistance is given by faculty advisors which are assigned at the beginning of residency.
Residents will rotate at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale during the PGY-II year. Residents will also maintain a half day continuity clinic at their Maricopa Integrated Health System Family Health Center.
Graduates of U.S. medical schools can obtain a state of Arizona medical license after one year of training.
PGY-II Rotations
- Internal Medicine Wards - 4 months
- Critical Care - 1 month
- Medical consults to Emergency Medicine - 1 month
- Ambulatory Care - 1 month
- Electives - 5 months, with a 2 week dermatology experience
Other Benefits:
- $1,250 educational allowance
- Time off for approved CME
- Free meals
- Free Parking
- Vacation - 3 weeks
Electives include Ambulatory Care, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Hematology/ Oncology, Infectious Diseases, HIV, Medical Consultation, Neurology, Diagnostic Cardiology, Pulmonary, Nephrology, Rheumatology and Research.
PGY-III YEAR
During this year, clinical, academic and technical skills will be further developed. More time is available for elective rotations which may be done at outside institutions with approval from the program director and the Graduate Medical Education Committee. Further preparation for successful completion of the Certifying Examination of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) is done with monthly board reviews. Rotations involving experiences in gynecology, ophthalmology and orthopedics sports medicine are available. Residents will maintain two half day continuity clinics at their assigned Maricopa Integrated Health System Family Health Center.
PGY-III Rotations
- Internal Medicine Wards - 1 month
- Critical Care - 1 month
- Cardiology - 1 month
- Geriatrics - 1 month
- Neurology - 1 month
- Night Float - 1 month
- Medical Consultations to Emergency Medicine - 1 month
- Electives - 5 months
Other Benefits:
- $1,500 educational allowance
- Time off for approved CME
- Free meals
- Free Parking
- Vacation - 4 weeks
PGY-IV (CHIEF RESIDENT) YEAR
The Department of Medicine utilizes two PGY-IV residents to function as Chief Residents. They function as junior attendings and medical consultants. They also are responsible for coordinating morning report, residents' conferences and scheduling.
Other benefits given to Chief Residents include:
$50,000 annual salary
$2,000 allowance for travel and education materials
Four weeks paid vacation
All meals are free
Chief Residents are usually selected from graduating third-year residents at Maricopa Medical Center based on their educational and research interests, as well as superior clinical abilities as judged by clinical faculty in the Department of Medicine.
Preliminary Medicine Description:
Four preliminary year positions.
The schedule is approximately as follows:
- 6 months - Wards
- 1 month - Critical Care
- 1 month - Cardiology
- 1 month - Emergency Medicine
- 1 month - Ambulatory Care
- 2 months - Electives
Other Benefits:
- $1,000 educational allowance
- Time off for approved CME
- Free meals
- Vacation - 3 weeks
Approximately two-thirds of graduates from the Internal Medicine Training Program pursue careers in general medicine either in private practice, multi-specialty group practice, hospitalism or academic medicine. Many of the graduates practice in the Southwest in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico. The remaining one-third pursues fellowship training at programs across the United States.
Scholarly Activities
During the three-year training program, most residents participate in clinical research projects resulting in abstract presentations and journal publications. From 1992-2004, residents presented more than 120 abstracts at scientific meetings. In addition, MMC has had eight national finalists for the American College of Physicians (ACP) resident competition in the last five years. Also, residents have written more than 30 peer review articles and/or book chapters. Finally, the Department of Medicine participates in over 25 IRB research protocols at MMC.
Conferences
Conferences are an integral part of the training program and are given by both department faculty, residents, and nationally renowned speakers. Topics that review information essential for clinical competence in internal medicine are covered over a three-year period. A list of conferences and their scheduled frequency is listed below:
- Medical Morning Report - Daily
- Chief Residents Conference - Daily
- Medical Noon Conference - Daily
- Ambulatory Clinic Lecture Series - Weekly
- Medical Grand Rounds - Weekly
- Tumor Board - Monthly
- Morbidity and Mortality Conference - Monthly
- Medical Journal Club - Monthly
- Ambulatory Care Journal Club - Monthly
- Radiology Conference - Monthly
- Medical Attending/House Staff Conference - Monthly
Call Schedule
Inpatient Medical Wards - Every 5th night call/One day off in 7
Critical Care - Every 3rd night call/One day off in 6
Cardiology - Every 4th night call/One day off in 7
Benefits
Available insurance - For resident and dependents
- Health and dental
- Life
- Occurrence medical liability
- Long Term Disability Insurance
Vacation
|
PGY I - II |
21 calendar days |
|
PGY III - IV |
28 calendar days |
Plus
- 3 free meals a day, 7 days a week
- Free parking
- Lab coats
- Resident Educational Book Fund
PGY-I and PGY-II residents receive three weeks of paid vacation annually. PGY-III residents are given four weeks of paid vacation annually.
All Medicine residents may utilize the house staff travel and education fund provided by the Department of Medicine which is as follows:
- PGY-I $1,000 and one educational day*
- PGY-II $1,250 and two educational days*
- PGY-III $1,500 and three educational days*
- PGY-IV $2,000 and three educational days*
*In addition to vacation
The Department of Medicine will pay for dues for all Internal Medicine categorical residents to become Associate members of the American College of Physicians (ACP). This is in addition to your educational allowance. The program will also purchase:
- One Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP) per residency
- Mayo Board Review
- Subscription to UpToDate
- Evidence-based medicine : how to practice and teach EBM by David L. Sackett
- Color atlas and synopsis of clinical dermatology : common and serious diseases by Thomas B. Fitzpatrick
- The Washington manual of medical therapeutics
- Users' guides to the medical literature : a manual for evidence-based clinical practice
Moonlighting opportunities may be available within the Department of Medicine at the discretion of the Program Director.
Application Process
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
The Internal Medicine training program participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). However, positions may be filled outside of the Match.
Medical students should apply through the NRMP for the categorical and preliminary Internal Medicine Residency positions at Maricopa Medical Center.
Candidates for the Internal Medicine Residency are judged on the basis of their academic background, three letters of recommendation and personal interviews.
- Submit applications through ERAS from September 1, through January 1.
- All application materials MUST BE submitted through ERAS, which is available through Medical School Dean's Offices or the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and must include USMLE scores from the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME).
- Selected applicants will be offered interviews from November 1, through January 31.
Program require a first attempt pass on all steps of the USMLE. The institution does not sponsor visas.
