Preliminary Program in Medicine

The one-year preliminary program, reserved for Neurology and Ophthalmology interns, provides an unparalleled experience for residents who plan to train in another advanced specialty. Preliminary interns are fully integrated into the residency program and complete all of the same inpatient rotations as our categorical interns, both at our main campus at BMC and at the West Roxbury VA.

intern report
Intern Report led by senior residents

The BMC preliminary year offers the opportunity to train in a highly competitive internal medicine program while caring for our diverse patient population. In addition to providing solid foundational training in internal medicine, our preliminary interns learn about social determinants of health, addiction medicine, and care of underserved populations.

Like our categorical residents, the year is structured on a 3+1 format; however, unlike categorical residents, preliminary interns do 3 weeks of inpatient followed by 1 week of elective, rather than continuity clinic. Preliminary interns have the option of choosing any inpatient or outpatient rotation during their elective time, or may instead opt for a research project.

In terms of clinical rotations, we offer ICU experiences for 4-6 weeks total, and an emergency medicine block for 2-4 weeks. The rest of the year includes general medicine ward time, and multiple inpatient sub-specialty ward rotations including Heme/Onc, Geriatrics, Cardiology, Infectious disease, or Renal. Interns typically also perform 3-4 weeks of night float rotations per year.

Educational conferences occur daily, with a variety of noon conferences and several intern-specific conferences on a weekly basis. We also have weekly grand rounds and monthly morbidity and mortality conference. There is also an annual off-site intern retreat in September, which interns typically cite as the highlight of the year.

Overall, our preliminary program offers preparation for your advanced program like no other. We look forward to meeting you during interview season!