Transitional Year Residency Curriculum
Our robust training program offers diverse clinical opportunities and customizable experiences based on your desired subspecialty.
Training curriculum and schedule
You’ll complete clinical rotations in 8 required rotations and an additional 5 electives in specialty areas of your choice.
While all transitional year residency programs have required rotations and electives, each rotation at Gundersen offers opportunities to tailor your experiences to your distinct interests. For example, if you’re pursuing dermatology, you may find it most beneficial during your pathology elective to spend time with our pathologist who specializes in dermatopathology.
Required rotations
You'll complete 8 clinical rotations:
- General Medicine Ward (3 rotations)
- General Surgery
- Trauma & Emergency Center
- Pulmonary/Intensive Care Unit
- Cardiology/Critical Care Unit
- Ambulatory (select from 1 of the following):
- Urgent Care: Onalaska Clinic
- Ambulatory Family Medicine: La Crosse, Onalaska and other regional Gundersen clinics
- Ambulatory Pediatrics: La Crosse and Onalaska clinics
- Ambulatory Surgery: La Crosse and Onalaska clinics
Elective rotations
You'll select 5 elective rotations from the following:
- Allergy
- Anesthesia
- Behavioral Medicine
- Cardiology
- Clinical Pathology (radiology residents only)
- Dermatology
- Diagnostic Radiology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Hematology
- Infectious Disease
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Occupational Health & Preventive Medicine
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Otolaryngology
- Pain Medicine/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (combined rotation)
- Palliative Care
- Pathology
- PICU (anesthesiology residents only)
- Plastic Surgery
- Radiation Oncology
- Research
- Rheumatology
- Urology
Conference time
Teaching conferences occur daily at Gundersen, including lectures, small group discussions and interactive conferences where attending and resident physicians discuss cases.
As a transitional year resident, you’re expected to attend conferences related to the required rotations and elective rotations you are on. For example, during your General Medicine rotation, you’ll attend the General Medicine conferences. During your General Surgery rotation, you’ll attend the General Surgery conferences.
Transitional year residents must also attend:
- Intern Ethics Conference
- Patient Safety Conference
- Transitional Year Journal Club, where you present a journal article or discuss a medical error
Internal Medicine conferences
Overview
Our wide variety of Internal Medicine conferences cover inpatient and outpatient medicine, including both rare and common diseases. The Ross Learning Center and Overholt Auditorium on our La Crosse Campus feature state-of-the-art multimedia tools to enhance presentation and learning. All house staff are able to attend all conferences unless a patient needs immediate care.
Morning Report
This is a cornerstone of our resident education. It runs from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Monday-Wednesday. Attendance is expected of all Internal Medicine residents, other residents and students on Internal Medicine rotations, and selected staff. The chief resident, a senior resident or General Medicine attending physician moderates a case in a highly interactive fashion. Cases range from quintessential internal medicine where the fine points of management are reviewed, to rare cases where complete differential diagnosis, test selection and treatment methods are discussed.
Additionally, M&M cases and Grand Rounds are presented by either teaching staff or residents at this time intermixed throughout the academic year. Grand Rounds focuses on an in-depth discussion of disease processes or guideline updates. On Thursdays at this time, Core Curriculum occurs. All teaching is accomplished with an emphasis on evidence-based and cost-effective medicine principles.
Board Review Class
On Fridays from 7:30 to 8 a.m., a small group Board Review Class is held using MedStudy and MKSAP as a guide. The Internal Medicine chief resident leads this class and emphasizes an approach to difficult questions and “hot points” that will be seen on the ABIM exam.
Intern Ethics Seminar
This is a monthly discussion led by Thomas Harter, PhD, Medical Humanities/Ethics, along with various staff. First-year residents meet and discuss ethics in a case-based format. Topics are driven by current clinical experiences to help residents handle difficult ethical issues that they'll face throughout their careers.
General Surgery conferences
Weekly conferences
- Surgical Residency Core Lecture Series (basic and clinical science)
- Surgery Morbidity/Mortality Conference
- Breast Cancer Conference
- Trauma and Critical Lecture Series
Monthly conferences
- Surgical Skills Lab Training
- Anatomic Dissection Lab (simulation)
- Journal Club
Quarterly conferences
- Medical Ethics Conference
- Palliative Care Conference
Other conferences
In addition to mandatory medicine and surgery conferences, you’re encouraged to attend daily conferences at the medical center involving other specialties, as your schedule permits.
Available conferences include:
- Cancer Center Grand Rounds
- Imaging Breast
- Imaging General
- Imaging Ultrasound
- Imaging Pediatric
- Neurology/Neuroradiology Case Conference
- Tumor Board Breast
- Tumor Board CNS
- Tumor Board GI
- Tumor Board Gynecology
- Tumor Board Head and Neck
- Tumor Board Heme/Malignancy
- Tumor Board Melanoma
- Tumor Board Pulmonary
- Tumor Board Urology
- OB-GYN Ultrasound Case Conference
- Dermatology Journal Club
- Rheumatology
- Infectious Disease Case Review
- Today in Medicine (current medical topics)
Why Gundersen
Call La Crosse Home
We have it all in La Crosse, Wis. Our vibrant city and region support your dream lifestyle with a welcoming community, culture and outdoor adventure.
Housing
Steps from our flagship medical center in La Crosse, our housing options allow you to enjoy the company of your family and the comradery of your colleagues.
Prioritizing Your Wellness
As you learn how to become the clinician you aspire to be, we’ll provide space to prioritize your mind and body wellness, and reach the work-life balance you need.