Q: What are the program’s academic and rotation requirements?
A: We provide preliminary and categorical residents with a broad exposure to the field of Internal Medicine. Our residents receive significant experience in ambulatory care, inpatient medicine and all of the medical sub-specialties. Residents and interns attend Grand Rounds and the core lecture series in the Department of Medicine, as well as didactics specific to each of their rotations.
Required rotations during the preliminary year include general inpatient medicine, ICU, ambulatory care, and emergency medicine. The program directors work with each resident to fulfill the requirements for a clinical year in their chosen field.
All interns are required to complete a two-week quality improvement rotation called Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (PSQI). Required rotations for categorical interns include general inpatient medicine, ICU, ambulatory care, emergency medicine, neurology, and other electives.
Required rotations for second year residents include general inpatient medicine, ICU, ambulatory care, geriatrics, palliative care, and PSQI.
Required rotations for third year residents include general inpatient medicine, including working on a separate team that is dedicated to hospital admissions, ICU, and ambulatory care.
Residents present at clinical conferences during each of the three years of training. Each resident is responsible for reviewing a paper for journal club, and delivering presentations on a topic of their choice.
Every resident is required to complete a research project during the three years of residency. Attending physicians participate in various forms of research. Residents may also design their own studies on patient education, drug use, guideline development and dissemination, or any other topic that interests them. The core faculty are eager to work with residents on project selection, design, and data management.
During the first year, interns decide on their project and select a research mentor. The residency program helps with this process, and ensures that each resident has a realistic project, and a dedicated mentor. During the next two years, residents work on their projects. Elective time for research is available in both the second and third years of training.
Residents are expected to produce a project that can be presented at the relevant regional and/or national society meeting. In addition to the research project, residents are encouraged to write up interesting clinical cases for the local and national American College of Physicians and Society for General Internal Medicine meetings.
Each resident is also a member of at least one hospital committee and is actively involved in the initiation of quality improvement programs within the hospital community.
Q: Does St. Vincent’s Medical Center have academic affiliations?
A: Our residency program is sponsored by the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. In addition, students from the School of Medicine rotate through Hartford HealthCare St. Vincent’s Medical Center in third year clerkships, fourth year sub-internships, and electives.
Q: Can residents do electives or rotations at other hospitals?
A: St. Vincent’s Medical Center offers electives in many sub-specialties of medicine and surgery in addition to psychiatry, dermatology, radiology, anesthesiology and radiation/oncology. Electives not offered at our hospital can be completed at another hospital subject to the approval of the program director.
Q: Does the hospital use Electronic Medical Records (EMR)?
A: Yes, we use Epic.
Q: How are residents evaluated?
A: Residents are evaluated by their peers and attendings using an online program called New Innovations. All residents are also assigned a faculty adviser with whom they meet regularly to assess their progress throughout the year.
Q: Is there a night float service?
A: Yes, both the medical floors and ICU have a night float service with supervising attending physicians.
Q: Are there moonlighting opportunities for residents?
A: Residents have an opportunity to moonlight beginning in their third year of residency. Residents must still adhere to the 80 hours per week work limit set by the ACGME.
Q: What are the salaries and benefits for residents?
A: Resident salaries are competitive for the northeast region. A health insurance plan is offered for residents and their families through Aetna. A full range of additional benefits are offered, including a dental plan for resident and family, vision, life insurance, long term disability plan, 401K plan, employee assistance program and more.
Q: Does the program provide housing for residents?
A: While the hospital doesn't provide housing, residents receive a monthly housing stipend. Most of our residents live in apartments, townhouses, or houses either in Bridgeport or the nearby towns of Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, or Trumbull.
Q: Does the program provide a meal plan?
A: Residents receive a monthly stipend toward the purchase of food.
Q: Is there parking?
A: There is free parking for all residents in a covered garage.
Q: How much vacation do residents get?
A: Residents get four weeks of vacation per academic year.
Q: Are residents allowed to attend conferences?
A: Residents who have a presentation accepted at a national meeting are encouraged to attend.
Q: Does the hospital provide daycare services?
A: While St. Vincent’s Medical Center doesn't provide daycare services, there are several daycare centers close to the hospital.
Q: Are there fun activities?
A: Our residency program fosters a friendly, collegial group of residents. Residents frequently gather together outside of work to unwind, relax, and just have fun. A small sample of these activities include:
- Welcome Gathering for New Interns: As part of an orientation for new interns, a gathering is planned to provide an informal opportunity for the “freshman” class and their families to get to know one another. Senior residents and staff also attend with their families.
- Graduation Dinner: The successful completion of Internal Medicine residency training is an accomplishment worthy of celebration. Each June, residents, their guests and staff gather for an evening to acknowledge this milestone. Highlights of the festivities include a look ahead at the future plans of graduates as they receive their training certificates.
- Interns’ Day Out: One day in Spring, all the interns have most of the day off and participate as a class in a fun activity such as bowling or a trip to an area amusement park.
Q: Do you need a car?
A: Most residents have a car but you can get around Bridgeport with public transportation (Greater Bridgeport Transit). The Metro North train links Bridgeport to New York City and the other towns in Connecticut.
Q: How far away is New York City and Boston?
A: New York City is about 60 miles (97 km) from St. Vincent’s Medical Center, or roughly 1.5 hours by car. Boston is about 150 miles (242 km) from St. Vincent’s Medical Center, or roughly 2.5 hours by car.