Internal Medicine Residency
University of Pittsburgh
Transitional Year Residency Program at UPMC Shadyside
Gary H. Tabas, MD, FACP
Director, Transitional Year Residency Program
Program Description
The Transitional Year Residency Program at UPMC Shadyside is a 1-year program that has grown increasingly since its inception in the mid-1970s. One of the main reasons for its popularity is that the year focuses on broad-based general medicine training so that residents feel well-prepared for their future subspecialty. Many medical students see the year as an opportunity to define interests and aptitudes better and to obtain some solid hands-on experience before committing to a specific program. The transitional year also appeals to medical students who have not yet made a career choice or specialty selection and students who are planning to serve in organizations such as the public health service. Over the course of the transitional year, residents gain exposure to a variety of specialties and at the same time acquire the knowledge and preparatory skills that are vital to success in future clinical activities.
The transitional year qualifies as 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. Instead, it is intended to serve 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 for the subsequently chosen subspecialty institution. Given the increasing fiscal concerns among training institutions, this funding advantage for the transitional year is particularly important to the subspecialty programs in which residents train after their transitional year. More important, only the transitional year is accredited by a separate resident review committee, ensuring high standards for the programs that meet the requirements.
Program Accreditation and Requirements
Our transitional year program has received 5-year accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
For information about application requirements for the program, click here.
Curriculum
Our program prepares residents for further training in any one of a number of subspecialties, including neurology, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, radiology, emergency medicine, dermatology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, internal medicine, and family practice. The program is co-sponsored by the Department of Medicine and Department of Family Practice. Transitional year residents are integrated into core rotations and electives with residents in the categorical internal medicine residency program.
The transitional year is designed to provide a broad experience in inpatient and ambulatory settings. Transitional residents receive 4 months of general medicine inpatient training within the Department of Medicine. The year also includes 1 month each of emergency medicine and intensive care, providing experience in the management of acute illness. The ambulatory experience consists of a 1-month block rotation in an internist's office. The remaining months are electives and can be taken in medical or nonmedical subspecialties at UPMC Shadyside, UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Montefiore, the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, or other UPMC hospitals. One elective can be a nonclinical research month.
A special transitional year conference is held every 2 months to discuss residency-related issues as well as academic topics of interest to transitional year residents.
Rotation |
Months |
Ward Medicine |
4 |
Intensive Care Unit |
1 |
Emergency Medicine |
1 |
Ambulatory Block |
1 |
Electives |
5 |
Electives
Examples of electives are listed below. At least one elective must be in a medical subspecialty.
Anesthesiology |
Orthopaedics |
Cardiology |
Otolaryngology |
Coronary Care Unit (CCU) |
Pathology |
Dermatology |
Pediatrics |
Emergency Medicine |
Plastic Surgery |
Endocrinology |
Psychiatry |
Gastroenterology |
Pulmonary Medicine |
General Surgery |
Radiology |
Hematology/Oncology |
Rehabilitative Medicine |
Infectious Diseases |
Rheumatology |
Medicine |
Research |
Nephrology |
Urology |
Neurology |
Family Practice, UPMC Shadyside |
Obstetrics/Gynecology |
Intensive Care Unit (ICU), UPMC Shadyside |
Ophthalmology |
ICU/CCU, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
|
Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System |
New Interns
| New Interns for 2011–2012 | |
|---|---|
 Tiana Crawford crawfordtn@upmc.edu Meharry Medical College |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: I chose UPMC Shadyside because of the welcoming environment, combination of a community setting with high academic standards, and wide variety of electives. Future Career Plans: I will be completing my Radiology residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School. |
 Joel Fritz fritzjm@upmc.edu University of Louisville School of Medicine |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: After my interview with the program, I had a good feeling about the transitional year program, the faculty and the residents – they were happy and very helpful with any questions that I had during my interview day with them. After a few months, my experience here has solidified my decision. The residents and faculty are all great to work with. I have found that Pittsburgh is a great city to live in - plenty of activity for everyone’s interests. Future Career Plans: Radiology Residency at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA. |
 Arti Iyer iyerar@upmc.edu Albany Medical College |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: I chose UPMC Shadyside for my transitional year training because I think the program allows for an overall enjoyable learning experience through an emphasis on education and resident well-being. Attending physicians have a desire and willingness to teach and the patient population is such that as a resident I will be exposed to bread and butter cases as well as very unusual cases. I think the program caters to the interests of the individual and allows for exposure to a variety of specialties. Future Career Plans: After my transitional year at UPMC Shadyside, I will be pursuing a career in radiology and will complete my training at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. |
 Robyn Marszalek, MD marszalekrm@upmc.edu Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: I love that UPMC Shadyside is an academic center with a community hospital feel. The atmosphere is very nurturing and the residents really look out for one other. The electives also can't be beat, and everyone really works hard to individualize our electives to allow us the best educational experience possible- even if a desired elective is not immediately listed. Also, I LOVE Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh is the most underrated city in the country! The people here are so passionate about their city and it is so easy to feel that energy here. Future Career Plans: Upon completion of my Dermatology residency at Boston University, my goal is to complete a fellowship in Dermatopathology and practice in academic medicine, splitting my time between the clinic and the microscope to encompass a broad range and continuity of care. |
 Lisa Pfingstler pfingstlerlf@upmc.edu Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: I applied to Shadyside because my father’s cancer was treated here and he was treated with such compassion and respect. I also wanted to come to Pittsburgh to be close to my family and I really liked the smaller size of Shadyside’s program. Now that I am hear I have come to realize that the residents and faculty are all happy, friendly and very helpful. I could not be happier with my choice to come here. Future Career Plans: Dermatology Residency at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA. |
 Eva Volf volfem@upmc.edu Tufts University School of Medicine |
Why I Chose UPMC Shadyside: This program has a great mix of academic medicine in a community setting. There are many diverse electives which will round out my medical education. The environment is friendly and the staff is incredibly supportive. Future Career Plans: After completing my Transitional year at Shadyside, I will pursue training in Dermatology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. |
Additional Information
We invite you to look at our main Web site concerning internal medicine residency programs at UPMC Shadyside, as this site will provide details regarding the city of Pittsburgh, our hospital and faculty, and the internal medicine curriculum into which the transitional year program is integrated.
For additional information, contact us at:
Transitional Year Residency Program
Department of Medicine
UPMC Shadyside
5230 Centre Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Telephone: 412-623-2465
Fax: 412-623-3592
e-mail: ty@upmc.edu