UPMCMEP Presbyterian/Montefiore Transitional Year Residency Program

Welcome to our website!

• The Transitional Year Residency program at UPMCMEP Presbyterian/Montefiore is a one year training program ideal for those who plan to enter or have already matched to a medical or surgical subspecialty. It is also for those who desire an organized year of training beyond medical school which may be required for future medical training. It is meant to be an entry into further specialization and not a stand alone experience.
• Our goal is to provide a broad-based, balanced post-graduate year where individuals can shape their medical careers forming a strong base in both clinical medicine and research.
• Our program is sponsored by the Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine programs at UPMC Presbyterian/Montefiore which both lend their strengths as national leaders in medical education, patient care and research. We encourage you to review their websites for more details of the specific programs and of Pittsburgh in general; Residency Home Site and Affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine
• Unlike some one year programs, patient care duties and on-call schedules of Transitional Year trainees are identical to those of the categorical trainees during their medicine months. Transitional trainees also have primary patient care responsibilities on their surgical and other non-surgical, non-Internal Medicine rotations. This arrangement ensures close clinical mentoring by upper level residents and attending staff while on all rotations. Instead of a weekly continuity clinic there is an ambulatory care month, a requirement of all Transitional programs.
• For those that are undecided or have flexibility in their career path, the Transitional Year can be structured early on so that participants who choose to switch to Internal Medicine may do so without repeating their first year. Many other programs are not structured this way and residents who decide to switch to Internal Medicine may have to repeat their intern year.


Julie B. McCausland, MD, MS
Program Director, Transitional Year Assistant Professor, Department of Emerency Medicine

• If you plan to enter or have matched in a subspecialty, our Transitional Year allows you to network with people within that subspecialty before starting residency or to tailor your electives or research projects to your individual needs.
• A Transitional Year is fully funded by the government as a separate year and does not decrease funding to the subsequent subspecialty institution as does a Preliminary Year. 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. Our program is individually accredited and monitored by its own ACGME Residency Review Committee which ensures high standards for each ACGME program.
• The Transitional Program offers 8 positions yearly and accepts applications only through the ERAS system (NRMP Code). For more information about the Transitional Year, or regarding UPMC (upmc.com) and the Pittsburgh experience please go to the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine web site or please contact the program coordinator Ms. Suzanne Stewart or Dr. Julie McCausland.
• We appreciate your interest in the UPMCMEP Presbyterian/Montefiore Transitional Year Program!