The MedStar Health—Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center Residency Program in Internal Medicine
The curriculum is firmly grounded in general medicine, with many opportunities for research and subspecialty experience to support a variety of career paths—academic medicine, primary care, and sub-specialty practice.
Graduate Medical Education at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Top reasons to join us
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We’re the largest hospital in D.C. with the busiest ED, the only Level 1 trauma center, busiest CVICU, primary Stroke Center with neuro-intervention, STEMI Center, and part of the Georgetown Cancer Center. Opportunities to collaborate with NIH fellows, Walter Reed and Georgetown residents, plus students from various medical fields.
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Opportunities to enhance your resume through diverse skill development, including participation in the clinician educator track, engagement in Global Health initiatives, and specialized training in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS).
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Residents actively engage in hospital subcommittees, collaborating closely with senior faculty on initiatives such as the Code Blue, Antibiotics, and Hand Hygiene subcommittees. They also contribute significantly to annual Quality Improvement projects, focusing on enhancing patient care protocols and optimizing clinical practices.
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Robust program with 100+ residents at the largest hospital in D.C, giving you more opportunities for close knit friendships.
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Our wellness committee organizes inclusive events that foster camaraderie among residents beyond the workplace. From enjoyable potlucks and movie nights to engaging activities like our soccer and running clubs, we prioritize creating a supportive and enjoyable residency experience.
Why train here
The program is strong in all four pillars of residency excellence:
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Exposure to a broad and diverse patient population in a prestigious and technologically advanced hospital setting
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Mentorship from a knowledgeable and accessible faculty of over 100 full-time teaching physicians
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A well-constructed curriculum of didactic instruction with support and instruction from superb faculty and chief residents
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Support via a formal mentorship program addressing challenges and opportunities in training and customized to the individual resident in career planning
Academic excellence
The Washington Hospital Center Internal Medicine Residency program offers both comprehensive education and faculty mentorship needed to develop compassionate and skilled physicians. As the largest hospital in Washington, D.C., MedStar Washington serves a diverse patient population from the local community and beyond.
Residents benefit from extensive clinical exposure across outpatient and inpatient settings, encountering a wide spectrum of medical conditions, both common and rare. Robust outpatient rotations include specialties such as non-operative orthopedics, men’s health, gynecology, psychiatry, and more, providing a well-rounded training experience.
Individualized mentoring is a cornerstone of our program. Each resident receives personalized guidance through formal advisory sessions and informal mentoring, ensuring tailored support and professional development.
We prioritize academic excellence with a strong emphasis on medical education. Our dynamic didactics cover essential topics in internal medicine, preparing residents for clinical practice and board examinations alike. Residents actively participate in research and scholarly activities, supported by ample resources and renowned faculty mentorship.
At our program, resident feedback shapes our continuous improvement efforts. We foster a supportive environment where collaboration and innovation thrive, ensuring that our residents graduate as skilled and empathetic physicians ready to meet the challenges of modern healthcare.
Program Leadership
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Sal Pindiprolu, MD, Program Director
College: University of Miami
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Residency: Yale University
Chief Residency: Yale University
Clinical Interests: Quality, safety
Research Interests: Innovations in education, quality improvement
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2001
Interests outside of medicine: Reading, travel, cooking, spending time with family and friends -
Brian Cuneo, MD, Associate Program Director
College: San Francisco State University
Medical School: St. Louis University
Residency: Tripler Army Medical Center
Chief Residency: Tripler Army Medical Center
Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Clinical Interests: Pulmonary and Critical Care ICU administration, respiratory therapy, cystic fibrosis
Research Interest: Academics and clinical reasoning
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2013
Interests outside of medicine: My family, my dog, and fishing/skiing -
Leon Lai, MD, Associate Program Director
College: Harvard University
Medical School: Pennsylvania State University
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Fellowship: Infectious Disease, Tufts University
Clinical Interests: HIV and antiretroviral resistance, LGBTQIA+ care, social determinants of health and medical inequities
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2004
Interests outside of medicine: Cooking, piano, theater, SF/fantasy fiction -
Darling A Ruiz Cerrato, MD, Associate Program Director
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua- Managua
Residency: Saint Agnes Hospital
Chief Residency: Saint Agnes Hospital
Fellowship: Pulmonary and Critical Care – Washington Hospital Center
Clinical Interests: Critical Care, Interstitial Lung Diseases, Endobronchial Ultrasound, medical education
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center: As a fellow in 2017 and as an attending in 2020
Interests outside of medicine: spending time with family and friends, cooking -
Deborah Topol, MD, Associate Program Director
College: University of Pennsylvania
Medical School: University of Maryland
Residency: Georgetown University Hospital
Chief Residency: Georgetown University Hospital
Clinical / Research Interests: End of life care, medical education, developing the resident as a teacher
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2001
Interests outside of medicine: Reading, spending time with family, travel, restaurants, movies -
Christian Woods, MD, Associate Program Director
College: Seton Hall University
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Residency: Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Chief Residency: Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Fellowship: Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary/Critical Care, Washington Hospital Center
Clinical Interests: Critical care, medical education
Research Interest: Medical education
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center as an intern in 2002
Interests outside of medicine: Watching sports and movies, working out, spending time with family -
Anantha K. Mallia, DO, Associate Program Director - POCUS
College: New York Institute of Technology
Medical School: New York College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Brooke Army Medical Center
Fellowship: Critical Care Medicine, North Shore University Hospital
Clinical Interests: Critical Care Ultrasonography, Hemodynamics and Resuscitation, Airway Management, Toxicology
Research Interests: Critical Care Echocardiography, Medical Education
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2015
Interests outside of medicine: Indian and Comparative Philosophy, Hiking, International Travel, Running after my kids -
Shaunak Kulkarni, MD, Associate Program Director - Clinician Educator track
College: University of Mumbai
Medical School: Seth G.S. Medical College and K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai
Residency: Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Clinical Interests: Ethics in medicine, Antimicrobial stewardship, Palliative care
Research Interest: Medical education, Healthcare disparities
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center as an intern in 2015
Interests outside of medicine: Biking, watching movies, tracking politics around the world. -
Emil S Oweis, MBBS, Associate Program Director of Simulation Training
Medical School: University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Residency: MedStar Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Chief Residency: MedStar Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Fellowship: Pulmonary Disease & Critical Care Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University/Washington Hospital Center
Clinical interests: Cystic Fibrosis, Mechanical Ventilation, COPD, Simulation Training
Research Interests: Quality Improvement, Medical Education, Cystic Fibrosis, COPD
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2011 as an intern
Interests outside of medicine: Audiophilia, Animal Fancy, Meditation, Basketball, Hiking -
Akrithi Garren, MD, Associate Program Director-Wellness
College: VCU
Medical School: VCU School of Medicine
Residency: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Fellowship: Duke University Hospital
Clinical interests: General Rheumatology, Reproductive Rheumatology
Research Interests: Medical Education, Quality Improvement
Joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2021
Interests outside of medicine: Spending time with my son and husband, traveling with my family and friends, my kindle
Transitioning into Internship
Bootcamp is an essential part of intern orientation, preparing incoming interns with crucial skills before they begin their residency. Led by residents, chiefs, and graduating interns, the program covers key topics such as communication in consults, time management for cross cover, handoffs and sign-outs, professionalism, informed consent, and ICU basics. This intensive session equips participants to handle challenging scenarios including sick patients and rapid responses, emphasizing effective communication and efficient time management.
A dedicated training day focuses on EMR (Electronic Medical Record) training, providing essential tips and tricks for both inpatient and outpatient settings using Cerner. This session aims to streamline the transition into residency, enhancing efficiency and reducing complexity. Residents gain practical skills to navigate Cerner effectively, ensuring a smoother integration into clinical practice.
Interns also have an afternoon in the Simulation Lab as part of their orientation week, led by critical care attendings, fellows, and senior residents. This session familiarizes them with managing decompensating patients, perfecting critical handoffs, and honing their ability to acquire and react to information in high-pressure scenarios, all within a controlled and safe environment.
The beginning of the academic year focuses on survival series for the new interns. These topics are essential for learning as a new intern in Internal Medicine and help set the groundwork for a successful year. This series covers topics like Chest Pain, Shock, GI Bleeding, Stroke, Hematologic Emergencies, Interpreting ABGs. These tools equip our interns to relearn these basics keeping our hospital in mind and prepares them for the wide variety of cases seen at MWHC.
Curriculum and rotations
A structured curriculum with a wide variety of core and elective rotations and quality teaching conferences prepare residents for a clinical or academic career in general or subspecialty internal medicine.
A wide variety of rotations over three years prepares residents for a clinical or academic career in general or subspecialty internal medicine.
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Wards
General: We encounter a diverse range of diagnoses, overseen by teaching attendings. Each team comprises a senior resident and two interns, with on-call duties scheduled every six days.
IMC: The Intermediate Care Unit (IMC) is a 14-bed facility dedicated to managing complex cases such as those requiring NIPPV, sepsis, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Patients are geographically cohorted in a high-acuity environment with rapid turnover. The team typically comprises three residents, three interns, and is overseen by one teaching attending.
Cardiology: The Cardiac IMC includes six intermediate care beds for critically ill patients, as well as general cardiology floor patients, organized by geographic cohorting. The team is composed of three interns, two residents, and supervised by a dedicated cardiology attending.
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Intensive care units
The Medical ICU operates as a closed unit with two teams overseen by different critical care attendings, supported by in-house fellows overnight. Residents gain hands-on experience managing critically ill patients, mastering ventilator management, blood gas analysis, and treatment of ICU conditions.
The Cardiovascular ICU is a specialized closed unit supervised by a cardiology-critical care attending, with overnight support from fellows. Residents undergo comprehensive training in managing advanced cardiac conditions, including myocardial infarctions, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and life-threatening arrhythmias.
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Night float
A 2-week rotation with a night team that rotates between cross-covering the wards, admitting new patients, and triaging patients.
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Continuity clinic
Residents have dedicated afternoons to cultivate their patient panels within a firm structure. Categorical interns and residents participate in half-day continuity clinics weekly, excluding ICU, CVICU, and night float rotations. Additional clinic days focus on hypertension, diabetes, pre-operative evaluation, and urgent care.
A pre-clinic conference covers essential outpatient topics weekly ensuring comfort with primary care learning. Residents work with the same designated faculty member to care for a panel of patients throughout their training.
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Ambulatory
Categorical residents undergo four blocks of ambulatory medicine training over three years. Interns rotate through various non-internal medicine specialties such as Gynecology, ENT, Orthopedics, Podiatry, Dermatology, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, and Urology.
Residents have opportunities to rotate through private primary care practices, occupational health clinics, city free clinics, pre-operative and urgent care clinics. Morning reports focus on outpatient medicine topics and include evidence-based medicine article analysis.
Residents also participate in rotations at addiction medicine clinics and engage in support groups throughout Washington, DC.
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Medicine consultation
Medicine residents gain experience in pre-operative evaluations (both elective and emergent), as well as co-management of patients with chronic medical problems on non-internal medicine services.
Consult residents also gain experience in running code blues during this rotation.
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Emergency department
The MedStar Washington Hospital Center emergency department, the busiest in Washington, D.C., with over 80,000 annual visits, provides residents with one-on-one training alongside ER attendings, focusing on diagnosing and stabilizing patients with serious medical conditions.
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Geriatrics
Categorical residents complete two weeks of geriatric medicine at either MedStar Washington or the VA Medical Center.
Residents participate in inpatient consultations, home care visits, and a geriatric assessment program.
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Neurology
Categorical residents complete one block of neurology consults at MedStar Washington. Residents participate in inpatient consultations and attend a variety of unique didactic conferences.
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Elective rotations
MedStar Washington offers electives in all major medicine subspecialties and in many specialties outside of medicine. All residents are eligible to schedule a research elective with a designated faculty mentor.
Electives may be scheduled off site for an away elective rotation. Some residents may choose electives at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, National Institute of Health, Washington D.C.'s Veteran's Affairs Hospital, as well as a variety of primary care clinics around the Metropolitan D.C. area.
Typical electives offered include:
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Emergency medicine
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Hematology
- Infectious disease
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Nuclear medicine
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Pain medicine
- Palliative care
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonary
- Radiology
- Research
- Rheumatology
- Teaching
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Palliative care
Residents complete an elective rotation with our Interprofessional palliative care team where they engage in inpatient consultations and participate in advance care planning. They also gain knowledge about pain and symptom management.
POCUS
Our residency program offers a comprehensive Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) course designed to equip residents with essential skills in bedside ultrasonography. The course is structured in both flash and longitudinal formats, providing a robust learning experience throughout the residency.
Key features of our POCUS course include:
- Longitudinal Training: Residents can choose to participate in an ongoing format of the course by performing academic POCUS studies and uploading them for feedback on both the adequacy of and interpretation of images.
- Comprehensive Curriculum: The course covers three critical areas of POCUS:
- Basic Cardiac ultrasonography
- FAST
- Pulmonary assessment
- Expert Instruction: The course is led by the Associate Program Director for POCUS, ensuring high-quality education and guidance. Additionally, Critical Care fellows contribute their expertise.
- Hands-on Training: Through a combination of pre-course learning materials, practical training and post-course assessments, residents gain confidence in image acquisition, interpretation, and clinical application of POCUS.
- Clinical Integration: Residents learn to incorporate POCUS into their daily practice, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient care.
This POCUS course represents our commitment to providing cutting-edge training in modern medical technologies. By mastering these skills, our residents are well-prepared to deliver high-quality, efficient patient care in various clinical settings.
Clinical Educator track
The Clinician educator track is designed for residents who are interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine. The purpose of this track is to equip our residents with the skills needed to excel in medical education. Those selected for the track will participate in interactive didactics on developing teaching skills and will have numerous opportunities to practice what they have learnt under the observation of program faculty. Successful completion of the track is rewarded with a certificate at graduation.
Simulation/SiTEL lab
The Simulation Lab offers a mix of didactics covering essential skills for successful residency, such as time management, providing feedback, night-time presentations, on-the-fly education, and approaches to triage. Additionally, hands-on small group sessions focus on developing and honing skills to ease the transition into a senior role, including difficult conversations, triage scenarios, and ultrasound-guided peripheral IV (PIV) training. Residents also have opportunities to practice procedural skills, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and central line placement. During the MICU rotation, residents can attend ACLS and critical situation simulations.
Conferences
Quality teaching conferences complement experience gained from hands-on patient care. The didactic curriculum is carefully integrated into the training program to support progressively independent clinical experiences and to develop teaching and supervisory capability.
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Noon conferences
Core faculty attendings deliver daily noon conferences. During the first months of intern year, the core curriculum is devoted to an acute medicine course, “survival skills”—management issues related to acute illnesses.
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Chairman’s conference
An interactive session with faculty or a resident analyzing an unknown case to demonstrate case analysis using clinical evidence and prioritization of the differential diagnosis.
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Morning report
Led by one of the chief residents with core faculty present. Interns attend morning report once per week (Wednesdays, 11 a.m.) Residents attend morning reports three times a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 7:30 a.m.) -
Grand rounds
Occur once a week on Wednesdays, in place of the noon conference, led by a senior physician, including visiting physicians from other institutions.
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ICU conferences
Daily lectures specifically for the ICU team cover critical care topics.
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Journal club
Meets once a month, guided by an internal medicine or subspecialty faculty mentor. Articles of interest are reviewed using the McMaster criteria.
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Pre-Clinic Conference
Pre-clinic conferences are resident led conferences discussing important primary care topics. This occurs weekly prior to our continuity clinic.
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Board review
Intensive lectures for PGY-3 residents, directed at improving preparation for the Internal Medicine Boards.
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Institutional subspecialty clinical conferences
Residents interested in a subspecialty training have opportunities to attend a variety of institutional subspecialty clinical conferences, in addition to medicine conferences.
Schedule
Rotation |
PGY-1 Categorical (Blocks) |
PGY-1 Preliminary (Blocks) |
Wards |
5 |
5 |
Medical ICU |
1 |
2 |
Cardiovascular ICU |
1 |
0 |
Night Float |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Ambulatory |
2 |
0 |
Electives (Outpatient) |
2.5 (1) |
4.5 |
Vacation |
1 |
1 |
Rotation |
PGY-2 (Blocks) |
PGY-3 (Blocks) |
Wards |
3 |
2 |
Medical ICU |
1 |
1 or 2 |
Cardiovascular ICU |
1 |
0 or 1 |
Night Float |
1 |
1.5 |
Ambulatory |
1 |
1 |
Medicine Consults |
0 |
0.5 |
Neurology |
0.5 |
0 |
Palliative Care |
0 |
0.5 |
Emergency Medicine |
0.5 |
0 |
Geriatrics |
0 |
0.5 |
Electives (Outpatient) |
4 (2) |
4 (2) |
Vacation |
1 |
1 |
Research
Conferences attended by IM residents in 2023-2024
Research is a core component of our program. It strengthens the scientific base of medicine and application of scientific investigation in the clinical setting. It also supports acceptance to highly competitive and prized fellowship programs.
The GME office funds research projects and journal submissions, and also covers expenses associated with conference presentation; travel expenses, conference fees, and accommodations.
The Department of Medicine encourages a culture of research that is best served by collaboration and support from faculty. That approach empowers our residents’ success in abstracts, presentations, and publications.
View or download 2023-2024 resident research projects
View or Download 2022-2023 resident research projects
Life After Residency
Training at MedStar Washington Hospital Center will prepare you for a variety of career options. Here’s some ways in which we prepare you for:
Life as a Hospitalist:
- Caring for a diverse patient population with multiple medical co-morbidities and common/uncommon illnesses
- Learning under supervision to provide both triage and code blue responses for the acutely de-compensated patient
- Working with specialty consultants to gain understanding of how to optimally work with consultants
- Having ample opportunities to perform procedures from central line placements to paracentesis and lumbar punctures
- Interacting with employed and private attendings (including Kaiser) for exposure and opportunities after residency
- Potentials to work as a hospitalist for MedStar Health with J1 visa sponsorship
- Opportunities to network for jobs with local large employers of Hospitalists
Life as a Primary Care Attending:
- Continuity clinic over three years helps establish a patient panel to mimic outpatient care in practice
- Establish relationship with one preceptor for three years, but also work with a variety of attendings in the outpatient arena to see different styles of care
- Supervision with common outpatient procedures
- All in-house specialty clinics under same EMR to facilitate communication with consultants
- Rotations through specialty clinics and community-based clinics to help build a diverse experience and understanding of outpatient medicine
- Weekly pre-clinic curriculum and ambulatory morning reports while on ambulatory to learn outpatient medicine topics
- Dedicated months of ambulatory rotation with exposure to specialties such as ophthalmology, ENT, sports medicine, psychiatry and addiction medicine.
- Potential to work for MedStar Health with J1 visa sponsorship
Life as a Fellow:
- In-house specialties with ample rotation opportunities in your specialty of choice
- Interesting pathology and unique presentations of diseases
- Advanced care referral center especially cardiology, critical care, and cancer patients
- Having ample opportunities to perform procedures from central line placements to paracentesis and lumbar punctures
- Individual mentorship with applications and preparing for fellowship interviews
- Residents are provided coverage to attend all fellowship interviews
Life in Academic Medicine:
- Opportunity to do a teaching rotation, participating in presentations and teaching large and small groups
- On-site library and helpful librarians to assist with literature searches
- Plenty of research opportunities with fellows and faculty (Please see our research section for previous publications by residents)
- GME provides generous funding for research and research related travel
- Program allows days off to attend national/local conferences with accepted publications/posters
- Dedicated research month for those residents who need time to complete a project
Training location
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving St., NW
Washington, D.C., 20010
Hospital Center stands as the largest and busiest hospital in the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Boasting a 912-bed capacity, this academic and research institution serves as a vital referral center for patients with complex medical needs and acts as a safety-net provider for the local community. The Washington Hospital Center is renowned for its expertise in managing the region’s most challenging medical cases.
FAQ
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What are the work hours and call schedule like?
The program recognizes that grueling working hours do not support successful education. The program is strict about the 80-hour rule and patient caps. The program demands residents work hard, but not to the point where exhaustion impedes the learning process. Burned out residents benefit neither the program nor our patients.
Details on call/shift schedules for different rotations can be seen in the “Rotations overview” section.
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Do you have a dedicated teaching attending in daily rounds?
Yes. Each wards team has a teaching attending with whom residents round daily. The internal medicine attending will be with you for the entire rotation. You will be the primary decision-maker for your patients, with supervision and guidance from your attending.
Attendings are not allowed to write orders, except in cases of emergency, so house staff have complete ownership of their patients. This allows for the right balance of autonomy and supervision in patient care.
A key distinction in our hospital is that we have a substantial non-teaching service. Cases deemed appropriate for educational purposes are assigned to the teaching service. -
How much vacation time will I have?
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) allows a maximum of four paid weeks of vacation per year. Since time off is crucial for residents to recharge and rest, the program offers additional time off during the holidays; every resident gets an additional six days including either New Year’s Day or Christmas Day.
Categorical interns will have three weeks off distributed throughout the academic year. At the end of the academic year, they will have a week off before returning as a resident, constituting the fourth week of vacation. Preliminary interns have four weeks off throughout the year in addition to the six days off during the holidays.
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When are the educational conferences scheduled?
Daily noon conferences focus on the most pertinent topics that you will encounter on the wards. Each week, noon conferences concentrate on a different subspecialty. Grand Rounds are scheduled on Wednesdays in lieu of the noon conference. A visiting or local expert from varying specialties leads the discussion.
Resident morning reports are held every morning, except Wednesdays and Fridays. Intern morning reports are held Wednesday mornings. On Friday mornings, we attend the Chairman’s conference.
You may also attend several other conferences held by the subspecialty medicine program (e.g. cardiology grand rounds, rheumatology, neurology, etc.). Residents also get the chance to rotate through the simulation lab to learn procedural skills, ventilator-associated issues, and ACLS skills.
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Do residents have enough time outside of hospital to study and have a personal life?
Absolutely! With our wards call schedule, you are not on overnight call. We have a very well-organized night-float system, which allows our team greater flexibility and free time to recharge for the next day. This system allows you to have most of your evenings free and most of your daytime during weekends to spend with your family and friends, read, explore, run errands, and enjoy the many activities available in D.C.
We strongly believe your hard work should be appreciated. A variety of events are organized throughout the year, including happy hours, bowling nights, departmental retreats, an end-of-year banquet and holiday parties. Camaraderie allows us to work stronger together as a team, and one of the best ways to build this camaraderie is through such social gatherings.
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What is the interaction like between residents and interns?
This program emphasizes teamwork rather than encouraging the traditional hierarchy seen at many programs. We welcome and encourage interaction between all levels of the teams on the wards and in the intensive care units. We believe an open dialogue enriches the educational process, and we do not stifle interns, nor expect them to learn alone: we work and grow as a team.
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How are the ancillary services at MedStar Washington?
The hospital has a host of ancillary services that perform many functions, including phlebotomy, IV therapy, respiratory therapists, PICC line nurses, EKG technicians, patient transport, etc. The availability of these ancillary services allows residents to focus on learning and enhances the clinical experience.
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Where do residents live and how do they commute to work?
Working in Washington, D.C. has a variety of living options. Some of the neighborhoods where our residents live in are Adams Morgan, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, and Brookland, or as far as Silver Spring, MD and Arlington, VA. Rent starts at $1700/month for a studio or 1 bedroom apartment. Residents commute by car (free parking at the hospital) or public transport (Metro, bus, etc.), and there is a shuttle that circulates from certain neighborhoods to the hospital.
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What kind of food is there to eat at the hospital? Do I get a food stipend?
Residents are allotted $1240 per academic year credit by the GME; this covers in-house dining expenses at the main cafeteria and the physicians’ cafeteria. The hospital has three food service offerings:
- Main cafeteria: a large public dining hall with a daily buffet and options like sushi, Mexican cuisine, salads, a burger bar, a sandwich bar, an ice cream bar, and a coffee bar. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Physicians' cafeteria: private area accessed only by doctors
- Panera Bread: full café with capability for online ordering via smartphone
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What role does resident feedback play in the program?
A great program evolves only with creative and honest feedback from the residents and faculty. Informal comments can always be directed to the chief residents, the program director, or your mentor. You can also provide anonymous feedback through our online program site.
Residents participate and provide input and feedback at regular house staff committee meetings, chaired by the chief residents.
Other formal events when residents can share their concerns with the group include the annual intern and resident lunches and the annual retreat held each spring where residents discuss potential program changes in workgroups. These events allow residents to voice their concerns and suggest changes based on what they learned and witnessed during the academic year.
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How long is the program's accreditation?
The program underwent a regularly scheduled ACGME site visit in June 2018 and was awarded full accreditation without citations for 10 years.
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If I come here, what help is offered to help me pass the boards?
Passing the boards is an objective both the resident and the program work towards. Our program recruits bright residents who are eager to learn and brilliant faculty who love to teach. In addition to discussing several board-review questions each day at morning report, second-year residents are provided with MKSAP resources covered by the program, and third-year residents attend a faculty-led formal board review series to prepare for the boards.
Yearly in-training exams also provide a gauge for each resident’s preparedness of the boards and areas of strength and weakness. Our residents have found this multifaceted support crucial to passing their boards.
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Does this program give me a good chance of getting a fellowship afterwards?
About two-thirds of our residents enter fellowship either immediately after their training or after a chief-resident year. Please visit the recent graduates page for post-graduate fellowship choices and destinations.
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Is there an education stipend and if so, how much is it?
Each year, you are provided an educational stipend of $833. Of this, $750 can be used to purchase computers or smartphones. Each year, unspent money carries over to the following year. So, as a categorical resident, you have a total education stipend of $2,499 during your residency.
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Do preliminary interns have a continuity clinic?
No, only categorical residents attend continuity clinic.
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What is continuity clinic for categorical residents like?
You will be assigned a clinic attending as your primary ambulatory supervisor and mentor that you will be primarily working with for the duration of your training. You also get to work with all the clinic attendings at some point during your residency to enhance your approach and clinical experience.
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What is the relationship between MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital?
We have two separate internal medicine training programs. Each has unique qualities. Since both hospitals are members of MedStar Health, we have a mutually beneficial relationship between the institutions, sharing services and educational opportunities.
Third- and fourth-year Georgetown medical students rotate at the Hospital Center on the medicine wards, MICU, CVICU, ambulatory clinics, and other subspecialty electives.
Some of our fellowship programs have been merged, including cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and hematology/oncology. Some members of the Georgetown house staff rotate to the Hospital Center on subspecialty services, including in the CVICU and the heart failure service, since our hospital is a leading regional provider of cardiac education and services. You can choose to take electives at Georgetown University Hospital based on your areas of interest.
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Does MedStar Washington Hospital Center have Electronic Medical Record (EMR)?
MedStar Washington Hospital Center currently has a fully integrated EMR system for inpatients and outpatients as well as electronic order entry through the Cerner MedConnect system.
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Are there opportunities to perform procedures?
There are endless opportunities to perform a large variety of procedures (central venous catheters, arterial lines, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture, paracentesis, joint aspirations and injections, etc.) As part of your training, all residents receive structured didactics on central line placement techniques prior to starting residency training.
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Can I do a research elective?
A one-month research elective during one of your three years of training is available for residents in good standing with the program with a concrete plan for a research project with IRB approval.
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Can I do electives outside of the D.C. area or abroad?
Typically extremely compelling reasons are required for any electives pursued outside the District of Columbia. The D.C. area has other excellent hospitals where residents typically go for additional exposure in their fields of interest (e.g. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, National Institutes of Health, etc.).
Life in DC
Life in The District offers variety with its historical significance and blend of diverse neighborhoods. Our residents live in neighborhoods such as Adams Morgan, U Street District, Silver Spring, Alexandria, and Columbia Heights. We enjoy a range of cuisines from renowned Ethiopian food to world class Italian, Japanese, and Indian food. The city also offers an extensive public transportation system, including the Metrorail and bus services, as well as a shuttle system that conveniently goes to and from the hospital campus. DC is a hub for politics, international affairs, and world-class healthcare. Beyond the professional appeal, the city offers a variety of festivals, concerts, and sporting events year-round. We also love exploring our beautiful parks, riverside trails, and unique green spaces. Ask our residents about our favorite hobbies!"
All our residents also have access through wellbeing initiatives offered by MedStar health. Click to explore these resources.
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Contact
Senior Department Educational Coordinator
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Internal Medicine Residency program
Kiara McFadden
Medical Education Program Coordinator
Internal Medicine Residency Program
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving St., NW
Washington, D.C., 20010