ChristianaCare has been a top-rated academic medical center for more than a century. Our residents and fellows experience a rigorous and rewarding combination of academic training and hands-on experience. Our diverse patient mix offers residents exceptional opportunities to diagnose and treat a broad spectrum of primary-care diseases, as well as tertiary-care medical conditions not routinely encountered in smaller hospital settings. The Transitional Year residency program gives our Diagnostic Radiology residents the broad clinical experience they need their first year of residency. Applicants must apply through the ChristianaCare Diagnostic Radiology Residency Program.
Transitional Year and Diagnostic Radiology Collaboration
The transitional year residency program is linked as a direct pathway to Diagnostic Radiology residency at ChristianaCare. Transitional year residents are integrated into the Diagnostic Radiology residency program at various points through their PGY-1 year where they have the opportunity to participate in formal scholarly activities, mentorship, and educational endeavors. The Transitional year residents receive formal education in performance improvement and work in conjunction with first year radiology residents on the completion of a quality improvement project and presentation. Emphasis is also placed on the development of the transitional year resident identity through monthly meetings focusing on professional development and resident wellness. Program leadership from both the Transitional Year and Diagnostic Radiology program maintain a strong sense of communication and partnership as PGY-1 residents transition into their R-1 year within ChristianaCare.
Required Rotations
The transitional year curriculum provides for significant flexibility. The curriculum consists of 6-7 months of fundamental clinical skills rotations. Three of the months are spent on a combination of inpatient internal medicine and inpatient family medicine rotations. Residents have the choice of how to complete the other 3-4 months of inpatient rotations and may choose from additional time on internal medicine, family medicine, or any combination of inpatient pediatrics, OB-GYN, or general surgery. All residents also spend a month on emergency medicine and a month on ambulatory medicine caring for adults or children. The remaining time is dedicated to electives.
Transitional Year residents have the same responsibilities as categorical program interns when they rotate through inpatient services. They are colleague-trainees who receive full support from upper-year residents and faculty during all rotations.
Sample Schedule for Transitional Year
Sample schedule for ChristianaCare Transitional Year Residency Program
Elective Rotations
Transitional Year residents may choose from electives in internal medicine subspecialties (e.g. cardiology, pulmonary, endocrinology, nephrology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, rheumatology, hematology, and oncology) as well as many non-medicine specialties (e.g. radiology, radiation oncology, pathology, neurology, anesthesiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT, physical medicine & rehabilitation).
We try to accommodate a resident’s request for an elective, including developing rotations in other non-traditional electives, whenever possible.
Call Schedule
The call schedule varies from department to department. On Family Medicine and Internal Medicine floor rotations and inpatient general internal medicine floors, there is a night float system. On General Surgery, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, MICU, and CICU call is approximately every fourth night.
Evaluation/Feedback
Feedback is important to the growth of all physicians. Residents receive informal feedback every day and more formal feedback at mid-rotation and at the end of each rotation. Additionally, residents meet with either the Program Director or an Associate Program Director twice a year to review all of the evaluations and reflect on the resident’s performance over the previous six months.