Residency FAQ

The primary advantage of residency at IU School of Medicine is the size and diversity of the patient population. With a medical campus located in downtown Indianapolis, the school is within walking distance to four different hospitals and a short drive/tram ride to the fifth hospital.

Specific strengths of the residency program include a comprehensive pediatric experience at Riley Children’s Hospital, which is a Pediatric Level 1 trauma center, and a nationally recognized Emergency Medicine training program (both pediatric and adult). Numerous advanced training is offered in ACGME-accredited fellowship programs in discipline-specific academic departments.

Rotations are developed that prepare physicians for life after residency/fellowship, and residents are well-integrated into the health care and wellness delivery system. Additionally, residents and fellows are encouraged to provide feedback about the programs and the environments in which they train in order to escalate quality and patient safety in the clinical learning environments.

Integrating resident physicians into the local health care and wellness environment is central to the experience at IU School of Medicine, where networking opportunities and access to the academic mission of the organization complement the clinical skills gained as part of training. A mentoring program matches each resident with a Faculty mentor who offers expertise and advice in the specialty area of focus. Residents also participate on professional committees to round out the experience and prepare for successful careers in medicine.

In addition, the Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) Mentor/Mentee Program is designed to enhance the experience of underrepresented residents and fellows in Medicine—including first generation learners, learners from rural areas, and educationally or economically disadvantaged learners—to ensure that all future physicians are poised for successful careers regardless of ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, gender identity or other personal attributes. The program engages residents and fellows with faculty committed to supporting the development of a diverse workforce in health care and offers a wide range of activities, social events, workshops and networking opportunities.

Resident and fellow performance is assessed at the program level and is driven by Board requirements. Programs utilize competency-based education, milestones and EPAs as tools to effectively measure performance. Academic evaluations and reporting is primarily managed through the residency management system (MedHub) and are accessible for review by program participants.

Board preparation occurs throughout the duration of a residency or fellowship. Programs facilitate formal preparation as well as informal preparation that includes (but is not limited to) Board review sessions and journal clubs that are faculty- and resident-driven. Each training program has established Board Certification Guidelines for which they prepare their residents or fellows. Additionally, each program develops a plan driven by its faculty and residents that contain Board Review Courses and journal clubs. In-training examinations are utilized as well to highlight areas for individual improvement.

IU School of Medicine offers numerous opportunities to get involved in research projects as well as the ability to innovate original ideas. Each Graduate Medical Education training program has time set aside in its curriculum to allow research opportunities for those interested. Exposure to research for each individual resident/fellow is an important goal at IU School of Medicine. Find out more about IU School of Medicine’s $300 million medical research program.

Individual training programs approach the transition from training to independent practice differently and creatively. As an institution, IU School of Medicine has routinely sponsored resident/fellow workshops that cover the business and legal aspects of independent practice. Numerous modules of AMA Introduction to the Practice of Medicine are also available to residents and fellows on demand. Topics include Anatomy of the Litigation Process, Choosing the Practice That’s Right for You, Medical Liability Insurance: Protection for your Practice Journey, Medicare 101, Medicaid, and more.