Frequently Asked Questions
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How many residents are accepted into each intern class?
Each incoming class consists of 22 categorical interns and 6 preliminary interns.
What is Saint Joseph Hospital looking for in a resident?
We believe that we offer an excellent training environment for all of our trainees. Consequently, prior training is not a prerequisite for our applicants. Our expectations of you are that you come to us with interest in your own education, dedication to patientcare and respect for all people. We will help you build on these skills to become an excellent physician and humanitarian.
Is the program accredited?
Yes. The program received full five-year accreditation from the ACGME in October 2004. We received a one year extension and anticipate the next accreditation visit in mid-2011.
How do Saint Joseph residents perform on examinations?
ABIM BOARD CERTIFICATION: Over the past three years, 100% of residents that took the ABIM certifying examination passed the exam.
Does the training program assist in preparation for the Internal Medicine Boards?
Yes.
- ACP IN-SERVICE EXAMINATION - Each year, we offer this examination, sponsored by the American College of Physicians (ACP), to all the trainees in the categorical program. This examination is composed of multiple choice questions covering all internal medicine subspecialties. The results of this test help residents to structure their individual studies and guide our faculty in developing the curriculum.
- BOARD REVIEW COURSE - Each year in the late winter-early spring months, the program coordinates weekly board review sessions for our PG 3 residents. Each meeting is led by a board-certified attending recognized for teaching excellence. The content includes general and subspecialty internal medicine, with a focus on those areas emphasized by the MKSAP review materials.
Does the program offer assistance to residents seeking fellowship positions and jobs?
Yes. The program has instituted a fellowship workshop every summer to educate residents about the fellowship application process, including writing a personal statement and CV, choosing programs, and interview tips. Similarly, the fall PG 3 retreat focuses on issues related to job searches. Attendees include a lawyer, the Director of Business Management and former graduates. These individuals provide advice and serve as a useful resource to the residents.
What career paths have been taken by former graduates of the SJH Internal Medicine Residency Program?
Typically, half of our graduates enter into fellowship or other residency training. Below is a list of the programs they have joined in the last three years:
| Fellowship Training | |
|---|---|
| Cardiology/ECHO | Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Endocrinology | University of California Los Angeles |
| Geriatric Medicine | Rush University Medical Center |
| Geriatrics | Rush University Loyola University |
| Heart Failure and Transplant | University of Utah |
| Hematology/Oncology | West Virginia University Lutheran General Hospital University of Missouri Columbia |
| Hematology/Oncology Research | University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Infectious Disease | Loyola University Medical College of Wisconsin |
| Pain Management | Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Palliative Medicine | Rush University Medical Center University of Chicago |
| Pulmonary/Critical Care | University of Tennessee Loyola University University of Southern California University of Louisville |
| Rheumatology | University of Vermont Vanderbilt University University of Massachusetts |
| Sleep Disorders | Northwestern University |
Other graduates have pursued careers in hospital medicine or private practice of primary care medicine. The following is a list of current practice locations of graduates from the last three years:
| Hospitalists | Albany Medical Center-Albany, NY Ashtabula Hospital-Ashtabula, OH Carle Hospital Foundation-Urbana-Champaign, IL Legacy health System-Portland, OR Marshfield Clinic-Rice Lake, WI Methodist Medical Center of IL-Peoria, IL Metrowest Medical Center-Framingham, MA Northeast Hospital Corporation-Boston, MA Saint Joseph Hospital-Brainerd, MN Saint Luke's Hospital-Aurora, IL Saint Mary's Hospital-Chicago, IL Shady Grove Adventist Hospital-Rockville, MD Shands Jacksonville Hospital-Jacksonville, FL Sound Inpatient Physicians-Scottsdale, AZ Southern Illinois Healthcare-Carbondale, IL Swedish American Hospital-Rockford, IL University of Illinois-Peoria, IL Wheaton Franciscan Hospital-Milwaukee, WI |
| Private Practice | Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Franklin, MA Minneapolis, MN Naples, FL Ontario, Canada Peoria, IL Springfield, IL |
What is the patient population at Saint Joseph Hospital and the affiliated training sites?
Chicago's broad cultural and ethnic variety is well represented in Saint Joseph Hospital's patient population. The continuity clinic experiences at outside sites enhance the exposure to patients from the socioeconomic continuum.
What is the call schedule?
ICU residents are on call overnight every fourth day. Medicine Floor teams take long call (until 9 p.m.) every fourth day, at which time the Night Float team takes over. The telemetry teams take long call (until 9pm) every fifth day, after which a night float team covers the service. In addition, the Telemetry and Medical Floor teams have a short call system.
Is there a lot of "scut work" to perform?
Saint Joseph Hospital provides 24-hour phlebotomy, transportation, ECG, and respiratory services to help minimize the amount of "scut work" for residents. In addition, the nursing staff has made tremendous efforts to create a collegial working environment.
Is it hard to find affordable housing in Chicago?
Saint Joseph Hospital is located in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Chicago. Most of our residents choose to live nearby, where one-bedroom apartments rent for on average $800-$1,000 per month. The Lincoln Park Zoo, Lake Michigan, bookstores, grocery stores and fitness facilities are all within walking distance of the hospital.
Does the program provide support for educational expenses?
Yes. The hospital provides $500 per year for PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents for educational expenses such as conferences, books and computer programs, review courses, etc. In addition, the medical staff provides each incoming PGY-1 with a PDA.
How are residents evaluated during residency?
Residency is a time for trainees to grow and improve their skills in order to become successful, well-rounded physicians. With that in mind, the process of evaluation and feedback is continuous during residency training at Saint Joseph Hospital. We have applied the ACGME Core Competencies to create a list of goals for a resident at each level of training. This helps both the resident and the evaluator have a common understanding of our expectations.
Each month, residents receive evaluations from colleagues and attendings. The continuity clinic provides another valuable source of feedback from the supervising attending and nursing staff who work closely with each resident over the course of three years. Special attention is given by our behavioral scientist to communication skills and patient-physician interactions through direct observation and videotaped interviews. The in-service examination, offered annually, provides a tool for residents to receive direction to focus their studies. Residents meet semi-annually with a program director to review their performance.
Does the program encourage scholarly activities?
The program encourages each resident to complete at least one scholarly activity during training. We host an annual Clinical Vignette and Poster competition and encourage participation and support for the fall regional ACP Associates Meeting. Residents also may join a research project (see below), or write an article, abstract or case report. Faculty members are very willing to help with these ventures.
What research opportunities are available during training?
In recognition of the importance of research in medicine, categorical residents are encouraged to participate in a research project of their choice during the three-year training cycle. While in the program, residents gain a better understanding of research methodology and enhance their ability to critically analyze medical literature. Residents attend lectures regarding medical epidemiology/biostatics and are given a research manual that guides them through the various stages of research. Various faculty members serve as mentors for the residents and statistical assistance is available.
In addition to resident-driven research, several faculty members are involved in research projects in areas such as HIV Medicine, Cardiology, Oncology and Geriatrics.
