Education

What is your application process?
Our residency program only accepts applications through the AAMC's Electronic
Residency Application Service. ERAS collects the required materials and then
transmits these documents from your medical school to our residency program.
We do not require any materials beyond the ERAS requirements. We also participate
in the National Residency Matching Program.

The following required documents must be provided to ERAS:

• Completed application

• Personal Statement

• Curriculum Vitae

• Official transcript from your medical school

• Dean's letter

• Three letters of recommendation (at least one Internal Medicine)

• USMLE Board score

Please do not mail any documents to us unless we request them from you directly.

When is your application deadline?
December 31 is our application deadline. We strongly encourage applicants to submit their applications by the end of October because our interview days become filled very quickly.

When do you notify applicants if they will be invited for an interview?
While the Dean’s letter is not released until November 1st, we review applications that are otherwise complete starting in late September and will notify individuals of interview offers as the applications are reviewed.

How many PGY1 Positions do you offer?
30 categorical and 10 preliminary positions.

Do you have minimum USMLE scores when considering applicants for an interview?
Yes. The acceptable minimum USMLE score is 200. Almost all interviewed
applicants have passed each USMLE Step on the first attempt and have already
completed/passed Step I, Step II, and Step II CS. We do not consider applicants
with more than two attempts on any individual USMLE Step, or with failures on
more than one Step.

Are COMLEX scores OK for osteopathic applicants, instead of USMLE’s?
Yes.The acceptable minimum COMLEX (two-digit) score is 80. Almost all interviewed
applicants have passed eachCOMLEX Step on the first attempt and have already
completed/passed Step I, Step II, and Step II CS. We do not consider applicants with
more than two attempts on any individual COMLEX Step, or with failures on more than one Step.

Is U.S. clinical experience a requirement for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who apply to your program?
Yes. Prior U.S. clinical experience is strongly preferred before applying to our program. Almost all interviewed applicants who are IMGs have had some U.S. clinical work/experience specifically in internal medicine. We strongly encourage IMG applicants to obtain letters of recommendation from mentors within the U.S. who have observed their clinical work in this country and in the field of internal medicine. Please also note that ECFMG certificates, when appropriate, must be current prior to the Match.

Which Visa types does your program accept?
We are only able to accommodate J1 visas.

Do you offer any pre-match positions?
No. Applicants must go through the NRMP match.

Does your institution/program offer observerships or externships?
No. As of July 2008, we are unfortunately no longer offering observership or externship
opportunities at our program due to institutional policies related to HIPAA and liability
insurance.

What is your accreditation status?
The residency program at the Department of Internal Medicine has been fully
accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Does you program offer fellowships?
Yes we have fellowships in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Pulmonary
& Critical Care, and Hematology/Oncology.

Do your graduates go on to do fellowships?
Yes. Last year approximately 80% of our graduates who wanted superspecialty training
matched into a fellowship training position. AGH/WPH will position you to apply for fellowships and be competitive for training positions. Graduates from our program have excelled in all major subspecialties as well as in academic general internal medicine, geriatrics, and a variety of other advanced training programs.

What university affiliation does the hospital have?
Allegheny General Hospital and West Penn Hos[pital is an academic affiliate of
Drexel Univeristy School of Medicine and Temple Univeristy School of Medicine respectively.
Students from both these medical colleges rotate through the inpatient wards for
their M3 and M4 core.

Are there oppurtunities for residents to participate in resaerch?
There are numerous opportunities for house staff to participate in either clinical,
translational, or basic science research. Indeed, more than 50% of house officers
engage in one or more research projects. In the academic year just past (2008-2009),
a total of 29 residents submitted articles for publication or presented at national meetings.

Do you have a mentoring program?
Yes. We strive early in a resident’s training to identify mentors and research
opportunities. Each resident has an academic mentor and a research mentor.

Is there support for travel to a national meeting?
Any resident who presents scholarly work at a national meeting will have conference and travel expenses reimbursed.

How important are duty hours in your program?
We strictly abide by all ACGME regulations for internal medicine residency programs.
This includes all regulations regarding duty hours. In our program, we strongly emphasize
maintaining a balance between service and education.

Do you have electronic order entries?
Yes all hospital sites have access to Sunrise Electronic Health Records, Physician Portal
and PRISM Portal. This access is available from home as well.

Is there an on site daycare center?
Yes

Is there a meal allowance?
Yes

Is there an on site gym?
Yes and its free to us