University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health

Clinical Training in the Internal Medicine Residency

Flexibility is a key feature of clinical training in the University of Wisconsin internal medicine residency. Our chief residents work with you one-on-one to build an individualized schedule that fits your individual needs and promotes your personal, clinical, and professional growth. 

PG-1 Year

For our interns, we are a 4+2+2 program with repeating 8-week blocks consisting of:

  • 4 weeks of inpatient rotations (wards, consults, ICU)
  • 2 weeks of elective or professional development opportunities (including research)
  • 2 weeks of an academic ambulatory block (with primary care clinics, ambulatory subspecialty experiences, protected time for academic activities and research, and an academic didactic day on Fridays for clinical didactics, track-based activities, simulation, and well-being activities)
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PG-2 and PG-3 Years

PG-2 and PG-3 internal medicine residents continue to have 2-week outpatient blocks every 6 weeks (6+2), but have the flexibility to continue either a 4+2+2 model or consolidate their elective and research time to create longer blocks of individualized education.

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Ambulatory Experiences

You will begin to see patients in your continuity clinic practice early in your intern year, and continue those relationships throughout the rest of residency. You will work with a small group of preceptors with a designated faculty mentor. These preceptors are selected based on our residents’ teaching evaluations and are dedicated to your clinical and professional growth in the outpatient setting.

During subspecialty elective experiences, you will have the chance to see patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Second Continuity Clinic

One of the most popular electives for internal medicine residents is a second continuity practice in a specialty clinic of your choice in your PG-2 and PG-3 years.

Residents enjoy experiencing the outpatient aspect of various subspecialties, participating in care and working one-on-one with faculty experts. Graduates say they are much better prepared for fellowship and general medicine practice having had this experience.

Outpatient Elective Rotations

In addition to continuity clinics, we offer the following outpatient elective rotations for internal medicine residents:

  • Dermatology clinic
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Exercise Treadmill Testing
  • General Medicine clinics
  • Geriatrics
  • Hospice
  • Oncology clinics
  • University (Student) Health Services
  • Subspecialty clinics, including: Allergy, Cardiology, Diabetes, Endocrine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hematology, Infectious Disease/HIV, Nephrology, Neurology, Oncology, Palliative Care, Pulmonary, Rheumatology
  • Transitions in Care
  • Women's Health clinic
  • Urgent Care

Educational and Elective Time

Internal medicine residents work with the program and our chief residents to find the optimal elective experiences to balance their training. Popular electives in our program include:

  • Dedicated research time (to work on clinical research or QI and educational projects)
  • Time on subspecialty consult services
  • Additional time in subspecialty ambulatory clinics
  • The procedures service
  • The POCUS service
  • Health equity and community service experiences​

Electives

  • Clinical, Translational, Basic Science, and Health Services Research electives
  • Public Health elective
  • Clinical Elective in any field
  • Global Health elective
  • Rotation for systems-based practice, patient safety, quality improvement project
  • Laboratory-based research elective
  • Education projects and educator curricula

Community Service Experiences

Internal medicine residents who wish to participate in community service can choose from these experiences:

  • Madison-based clinics for the underserved
  • Rural medicine
  • Eldercare
  • Hospice
  • Homeless shelter
  • SMPH student-run MEDiC program