Preliminary Year Training

The Department of Medicine's Internal Medicine Residency Program welcomes candidates to our preliminary year program who seek a robust clinical foundation in internal medicine before advancing to second-year training in specialties such as dermatology, anesthesiology and ophthalmology.

Preliminary interns experience rotations and responsibilities similar to those in our categorical program, with two key differences:

1. The addition of one month in Emergency Medicine
2. The absence of a continuity clinic

Compared to the categorical first year, the preliminary year includes:

• One rotation in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Emergency Department
• One month of inpatient oncology, instead of two

Successful completion of this year qualifies trainees for one year toward board certification in internal medicine. Our graduates consistently report high satisfaction with this program.

For more information, please email imresidency@nm.org.

Testimonial

"I wanted a program that would challenge me to think independently and encourage me to use my own problem-solving skills to dissect clinical problems. Northwestern has exceeded my expectations and I've made close friends here that I know I will be in touch with when I become the guy behind the blue curtain." — Past Preliminary Year intern