The Transitional Year internship: Five classes of former interns reflect on their first clinical year

Abstract

Objective: The clinical internship (postgraduate year-1), which precedes many advanced residency training programs, are traditionally fulfilled by a transitional year (TY) or preliminary year of training in medicine or surgery. TY programs can take place in a variety of settings, ranging from community hospitals to large academic medical centers. In the present study, we sought to evaluate if resident physicians who completed a community hospital-based TY internship felt prepared for their subsequent specialty residency training. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was adapted and distributed to resident physicians who completed their TY internship at a university-affiliated community hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, between 2015 and 2019. The survey was composed of seven questions, utilizing a 5-point Likert-type scale, and assessed the perceived value of internship in preparing for advanced residency training, their professional development, and their willingness to choose the TY training experience again. Results: Thirty-seven responses were received out of a total of 53 resident physicians who trained in the program over a five-year period (70% response rate). After completing the TY internship, most residents subsequently trained in Diagnostic Radiology 16/37 (43%) and Ophthalmology 11/37 (30%). Of all respondents, 33/37 (89%) agreed that the internship training experience was necessary for their development as a physician. Regarding preparedness, 22/37 (59%) reported that the TY internship had advanced their procedural skills. Most respondents, 32/37 (86%), would choose the TY experience again to fulfill the internship requirement. No significant difference was seen when responses were stratified by year of internship completion. Conclusion: This single-center study of resident physicians who completed a community hospital-based Transitional Year internship revealed that the majority of participants found their training to adequately prepare them for their respective residencies across specialties and that they would select this route again to fulfill the internship requirement.