Learning Experience
The Residency Program in Internal Medicine is one that provides exceptional opportunity to cultivate strong clinical skills, develop patient relationships, and interact with faculty and other residents and health care professionals.
Some frequently asked questions about our Internal Medicine Residency Program at Albany Medical Center include the following:
What is the overall educational experience of the resident?
The educational experience is a multilayered one that complements academic study and teaching opportunities with clinical and patient care experience. The experience follows the objectives outlined in our curriculum.
- During ward rotations, small group (less than 10) teaching sessions with the attendings are held 4.5 hours each week. This valuable teaching experience occurs independently of rounding responsibilities.
- Elective rotations provide an intense educational experience, with residents interacting with attendings on a one-to-one basis. Electives may incorporate subspecialty clinics, consultations, and, when applicable, time for research.
- All residents attend a daily noon conference, where a broad range of topics is presented by department faculty.
- Subspecialty attendings give Board Review Sessions.
- Journal Club occurs once a month, during which recent research papers from the literature are presented.
- Morbidity and Mortality Conference is held twice a month. A cross-section of departmental faculty, and invited faculty members representing radiology, pathology, and other medical specialties attend this conference.
- Morning Report occurs 5 days per week. One session is dedicated to PGY-1 report and is attended by house officers on ward rotations. The remaining 4 sessions are attended by the PGY-2 and PGY-3 ward residents.
- Medical Grand Rounds is held once per week. This academic medical lecture series highlights recent topics in basic science and clinical medicine; presentations are given by full-time Albany Medical Center faculty and guest lecturers from other academic health science centers.
- Attending physicians participate in work rounds, providing bedside teaching and case-specific discussion.
What teaching hospitals do residents have access to?
Residents rotate through Albany Medical Center Hospital and the Samuel S. Stratton Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). In addition to housing a state-designated Level I regional trauma center, a state-designated Level III regional perinatal care center, and a state-designated regional AIDS treatment center, Albany Medical Center maintains a Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, Organ Donation and Transplantation Program, and a Children's Hospital. The VAMC is located adjacent to the Medical Center and provides educational experiences in all specialties.
