The MedStar Health - Georgetown University Hospital Residency Program in Internal Medicine
Welcome to the Internal Medicine Residency Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. We are, the primary teaching hospital for the Georgetown University School of Medicine. Our hospital is located adjacent to the School of Medicine on the campus of Georgetown University. Our university was founded in 1789, Medical School in 1851, and Hospital in 1898.
Our program offers superb training in one of the finest Medical Centers in the country. Our residents rotate through a variety of clinical venues, both inpatient and outpatient, in the community and at tertiary care centers, while working with top notch clinicians, educators, and researchers. Our program will train you to be a well-rounded internist while preparing you to succeed in medicine for years to come.
We have 87 categorical Internal Medicine resident, 16 Med Peds residents, 12 Anesthesia preliminary residents, and 7 Neurology preliminary residents.
Program number: 1401021091
Mission Statement
The Department of Medicine is dedicated to the education and training of Internal Medicine residents who will be knowledgeable, skillful, and professional in the practice of medicine. Our commitment to excellence encompasses the three core missions of our Medical Center: education, patient care, and research.
Our primary goal is to deliver superior resident training in Internal Medicine, as demonstrated by faculty evaluations, exceptional patient care, and successful completion of the ABIM certification exam. We recognize the critical importance of fostering future academicians in maintaining excellence in the medical profession.
To this end, we endeavor to develop world-class practicing physicians, researchers, and educators who embody the ideals and commitment to excellence that define our department, the Medical Center, and Georgetown University. Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to prepare our residents for successful careers in internal medicine, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in their chosen paths.
Why train here
Top reasons:
- Most recognized academic hospital in the Washington, DC metro area
- Emphasis on teaching including morning reports, noon conferences, ambulatory conferences, and the Dr. Argy teaching elective
- 4 + 2 + 2 block schedule
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The DC Metro region boasts extraordinary diversity in both lifestyle and work, nestled within the DMV, which is the third-largest metropolitan region in the country. We have colleagues from across the country and around the world caring for people from all over the globe.
- Magnet Nursing – phenomenal nurses with a great collegial relationship
- Access to our Liver Transplant Center, the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center as the primary Oncology center, and MedStar’s Heart & Vascular Institute for advanced cardiac therapies – all preeminent in the region
- (And certainly not least!!) Amazing group of doctors that excel in the fellowship match
Curriculum
A well-defined curriculum, in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), is provided to all residents. This curriculum encompasses the specific areas of knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential to the practice of internal medicine and the pursuit of academic excellence. The department and residency program are committed to the ongoing review and adaptation of the curriculum, ensuring that it remains relevant and responsive to the evolving field of medicine.
The curriculum is structured to train residents in the ACGME's six core competencies, which include:
- Patient Care: Residents will develop the ability to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care for the treatment of health issues and the promotion of overall well-being.
- Medical Knowledge: Residents will acquire a strong foundation in the established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.
- Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: Residents will develop the skills necessary for self-assessment, lifelong learning, and continuous improvement of their practice, incorporating evidence-based medicine and critical evaluation of their patient care practices.
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Residents will refine their ability to effectively communicate with patients, families, and colleagues, fostering strong therapeutic relationships and efficient collaboration within the healthcare team.
- Professionalism: Residents will commit to the highest ethical principles and professional conduct, demonstrating responsibility, accountability, and respect for patients, families, and colleagues.
- Systems-Based Practice: Residents will understand and navigate complex healthcare systems, advocating for quality patient care, and working collaboratively to optimize the coordination of care and resources.
Residency Program Features
Our robust inpatient and ambulatory programs emphasize the central role of education across all clinical activities, both at Georgetown and our affiliated institutions. Over the course of three years, residents will gain exposure to the full spectrum of acute and chronic illnesses prevalent in diverse communities, including those in inner cities and tertiary referral centers.
Our program boasts a focus and dedication to continuity education, which prepares residents for their future practice. This commitment to ongoing learning equips our residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in various clinical settings and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of medicine. By fostering a strong educational foundation and a culture of continuous improvement, our program aims to cultivate compassionate, knowledgeable, and skilled physicians who will make a lasting impact on the patients and communities they serve.
Specialty Electives
Georgetown University Hospital offers a comprehensive array of elective rotations in all core subspecialties within Internal Medicine, as well as additional elective options to enhance residents' learning experience and broaden their clinical exposure.
Core subspecialties include:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Geriatrics
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Nephrology
- Palliative Care
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
- Rheumatology
Additional elective options:
- Addiction Medicine
- Allergy and Immunology
- Global Health
- Medical Education
- Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
- Research electives
- Sleep Medicine
Additional electives include:
- Advanced Lung Transplant - Second and third year residents are able to pursue an elective in the Advanced Lung department at INOVA Fairfax. This unique rotation allows our residents to obtain insight into lung transplant patients as well as advanced pulmonary disease. Half the rotation is spent on the in-patient service and the other half is outpatient. The resident’s gain invaluable experience in the management of lung diseases and spend time with experts in the field. There is also plenty of opportunities for research in the pulmonary field.
- Advanced Heart Failure - Second and third year residents can rotate through an advanced heart failure elective at Washington Hospital Center. On this rotation, the resident will learn about the management of end stage heart failure, including mechanical support with LVADs and heart transplantation. On this rotation, the resident take on two roles. They will take new consults as well as manage patients on the heart failure service. We offer a similar elective rotation at INOVA Fairfax Hospital.
- Interventional Pulmonology - Second and third year residents have the opportunity to further their knowledge in pulmonary by rotating through IP at Georgetown Hospital. This 2 week rotation focuses on bronchoscopy technique as well as advanced diagnostics with bronchoscopy, including EBUS and endobronchial valves.
- General Internal Medicine Consults - Third year residents spend a month block on General Internal Medicine consults (GIM). On this rotation, the residents work closely as a consultant to the surgical and non-medicine services for management of medical comorbidities. During this time, the resident will learn peri-operative medicine, including risk stratification and post-operative VTE management. They also get an understanding of the surgical specialties and how to co-manage patients together.
- Procedure Elective - One of the electives available in our +2 week is the Procedure Elective. Residents on procedure elective hone the skills of the most common internal medicine procedures such as paracentesis, thoracentesis, central line placement, dialysis line placement, and arterial line placement. Residents practice their point of care ultrasound skills and learn tips and tricks from the Procedure Hospitalist and the PICC line team.
- Healthy Policy Elective - Our residents engage in public health and health policy directly in the nation’s capital during this annually offered elective. Our internal medicine residents join with 4th year medical students at Georgetown University School of Medicine as well as residents across other specialties to meet health policy experts and go on a series of field trips to NGO’s, government agencies, and congressional offices in order to directly interact with policymakers. Theory is brought to practice within this multidisciplinary elective, which educates our residents directly in topics such as healthcare inequalities, health reform, insurance systems, and healthcare economics.
Rotations
Resident education is the primary focus of our Internal Medicine Residency. Each rotation provides unique opportunities for residents to learn the fundamentals of medicine .
Our schedule structure of 4 + 2 + 2 allows for consistent curriculum on our Ambulatory blocks as well as during in-patient months. Our residents do 4 weeks of inpatient care (ward rotations or critical care) followed by 2 weeks in their ambulatory clinic, and 2 weeks on an elective or vacation.
Highlighted below are specific examples of education in our program.
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Morning Report
Morning report is run by our Chief Residents at Georgetown and our affiliate sites four days a week. It is a highlight of the program. Each day starts with 2 board review questions, so that boards preparation is integrated throughout all three years. Morning report is interactive and includes a mix of interesting patient cases, topic reviews, small group sessions, as well as fun days of Jeopardy and Pictionary. The curriculum varies but in the beginning of the academic year, it focuses on large, high yield topics and progresses throughout the year as our residents hone their medical knowledge. Attendings from different specialties join to provide additional teaching points. On Thursdays, we have Intern Report, which combines check-ins, intern-appropriate topics, and preparing for becoming a senior resident.
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Curriculum
A defined curriculum, as specified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), is available to all residents, and includes those specific areas of knowledge, skills and behaviors which are inherent to the practice of internal medicine and necessary for academic excellence. The department and the residency are responsible for continuous review and modification of the curriculum to meet the changing field of medicine. The curriculum will be administered to train residents in the ACGME’s six general competencies, namely, patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. -
Noon Conference
Four days each week, teaching conferences are held for house-staff and students. The topics begin each year with an Emergency Lecture Series covering urgent and emergent management of a variety of medical disorders, and proceed through a core curriculum in Internal Medicine. Residents on elective are also encouraged to join. -
Grand Rounds
The Department of Medicine hosts a weekly Grand Rounds that covers a variety of topics that are high yield to residents as well as faculty at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. -
Clinical-Pathologic Conference
Each month, a resident presents a case for discussion as an “unknown” or diagnostic dilemma. In problem-based fashion, the speaker guides the audience in the development of a differential diagnosis and presents a final clinical diagnosis prior to discussion of the autopsy or biopsy findings. The resident is assigned the unknown case as part of the Argy Teaching elective. -
Board Review Lecture Series
Residents in their third year of training participate in review sessions in preparation for the Internal Medicine Board Examination. All residents take the In-Training Examination, sponsored annually by the Department, to identify areas of weakness to guide study and choice of electives. Study groups are facilitated by the residency program, beginning in the first year.
Physicians are continually educating patients whether that is teaching about a new medical condition a patient has developed or teaching life-style changes such as smoking cessation. Additionally, our interns and residents act as educators and role models for students, nursing, and additional staff. To support the development of these educator skills, residents are provided various opportunities to hone them.
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Argy Teaching Resident
William P. Argy, M.D. (C ’56, M ’60) dedicated his career to teaching Medicine at Georgetown. He was an Internist and Nephrologist, who held the title of acting Division Chief of Nephrology before becoming the Director of Student Education and Clerkship Director in the Department of Medicine. He served as Clerkship Director from 1984 until his death in 1997, and throughout that time, taught and guided hundreds of Georgetown medical students as well as residents and fellows.
The Department of Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency now honors Dr. Argy with end of the year commemorative awards, and the Teaching elective for senior Medicine Residents is known as the “Argy elective.”
The ARGY elective is a third year resident teaching elective. During this elective, the resident will hone the skills of teaching through various avenues of medical education. This includes, more formal didactic lectures, leading student morning report and working through a CPC case (discussed above).
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Procedures
Early in your intern year, you will be trained in a simulation lab on how to place central lines. Throughout residency, there are plenty of opportunities to perform procedures! Any procedure on the floor is “yours,” and there is a procedure service of hospitalists who will come and supervise you. An optional two-week procedure elective allows you to hone your skills with that procedure service. Regular simulation labs throughout residency help keep your skills fresh. And of course, residents get plenty of hands-on procedure experience in the ICU. Fellows are there to supervise or pitch in when things get busy, but residents do the bulk of procedures in the ICU. -
Resident Research Conference
Residents are required to participate in a scholarly project during their training. Many will present clinical vignettes, research projects, case series, or original scholarly work at regional or national meetings, including ACP-ASIM and Georgetown Research Day. -
52 in 52
Second year residents are selected to create a high yield review of one landmark article in various medicine sub-specialties that is emailed to our residents as well as posted to the medical community via our Twitter account, @gtown_medres. -
Journal Club
Third year residents on elective rotations present novel and innovation internal medicine research articles at journal club. Guidance is provided by the program director and another faculty expert in critical review of the pertinent medical literature.
Application Information
What You Need to Know to Apply
Georgetown sponsors the following residency programs in internal medicine:
- Categorical Medicine Residency (3 years)
- Medicine-Pediatrics Residency (4 years)
Candidates for the Internal Medicine and Medicine-Pediatrics Programs must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The following documents are required in order to have your application reviewed:
- ERAS common application form
- USMLE Step I or COMLEX Level I transcript
- USMLE Step II CK and CS when available
- Medical school transcript
- Personal statement
- Dean’s Letter
- 3 letters of recommendation, including one departmental support letter (typically from the Chair of Medicine and/or Medicine Clerkship Director). A fourth letter of recommendation is recommended.
VISA POLICY: J1 visas are sponsored through Georgetown University Hospital. We currently do not have the ability to sponsor H1B visas.
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is an equal opportunity employer.
Contact Us
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
Department of Graduate Medical Education
3800 Reservoir Road, NW
Concentrated Care Center (CCC)
3rd Floor, Room 3201
Washington, DC 20007
For questions about the program:
Email: guh.medres@gunet.georgetown.edu
For verification requests, please contact our GME office:
Email: verifications@medstar.net