Inpatient Education

The Internal Medicine Residency at Northwestern Univerity Feinberg School of Medicine provides its most intensive training through inpatient services at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. These resident-run services, featuring complex cases and expert faculty, form the foundation of the curriculum, balancing autonomy with mentorship.

NMH: Inpatient Teaching Services

Residents are assigned to specialized teaching teams, each including a teaching attending, one PGY-2 or PGY-3 resident, two PGY-1 residents and medical students. Geographic localization places resident patients on designated teaching floors, promoting efficiency and teamwork. Daily Structured Interdisciplinary Rounds align the healthcare team’s goals for each patient.

NMH consistently ranks among the top 20 hospitals nationwide, allowing residents to focus on patient care and learning. Faculty selected for these services are top-rated educators, participating in faculty development focused on bedside teaching and feedback. In addition to general medicine, residents complete one-month rotations in subspecialties like cardiology, hematology/oncology, hepatology, MICU and CCU.

Jesse Brown VA

Northwestern’s residency program is closely integrated with the Jesse Brown VA, located on Chicago’s west side, with free shuttles to NMH. Residents lead three inpatient general medicine teams with interns, students and Northwestern-affiliated VA attendings. Teams encounter a wide range of conditions and gain insights into the VA’s integrated healthcare system.

The VA experience, comprising about 25 percent of the residency, offers rotations in general medicine wards, ICU and ER. The hospital’s partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago also provides opportunities for shared learning through morning reports and noon conferences. This rotation remains highly valued for its clinical breadth and the chance to serve the veteran community.