What do I need to know about Residency (Internship and Fellowship)?

Question: What do I need to know about Residency (Internship and Fellowship)?

Answer:

• Residency: Medical training in a specialty over a period of three or more years.
• Internship: The first year of training following medical school, also known as the first year of residency or PGY-1 (Post Graduate Year One). The following years are referred to as PGY-2, PGY-3, etc.
• Fellowship: Sub-specialty training following residency.

Students don’t concentrate solely on their own area of specialty until their second year of residency. Generally they rotate through different specialties or areas within one specialty during the first year of residency (internship or PGY-1).

Residents are expected to fulfill several tasks daily. Responsibilities of a resident can include:

• Rounds (walk around and talk to each patient about their care).
• Rounds with team: teams include several interns, an upper-level supervising resident, and an attending or teaching physician taking care of a certain patients. Students are able to speak with each patient about their needs and make suggestions for further diagnostic tests and treatments.
• Students will check in with some patients again and delve deeper into their treatments.
• New patients may be admitted to the team. Residents are then expected to:
1. Prepare a history of the patient's medical past.
2. Perform a physical examination.
3. Write their admitting orders, which include instructions for tests and medications.
• Learn the "see one, do one, teach one" rule:
1. Watch a procedure be performed.
2. Do the same procedure.
3. Teach someone else how to perform the same procedure.
• Residents will leave notes or instructions on each patient including possible problems that may arise for the next shift resident.
• Attend various lectures and conferences.
• Study at home.

During residency, you are paid for your hard work. The average salary for a first year resident is in the range of $35,000 with increases each year of approximately $1,500.