Internal Medicine Residency

Preliminary Medicine Track

Osteopathic Focus Track

Applying to the Internal Medicine Residency Programs

The Berkshire Health System participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). This service is provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and streamlines the residency application process.

• The ERAS applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from the date on which they become compete.
• Applications will not be reviewed unless they are completed by December 1
• To compete your ERAS you will need:
  • Personal Statement
  • Dean’s Letter
  • Transcript
  • 3 letters of recommendation (minimum)
  • COMLEX Level 1, 2, and 2 PE scores 
• Completed applications are reviewed and qualified applicants are identified based on academic performance, passing COMLEX Level 1 & 2 scores, letters of recommendation and clinical experience

Interviewing for our Programs

We are planning to conduct all interviews virtually (via computer) for the 2023-2024 season.

Our residency program participatea and encourages applicants to complete a supplemental ERAS application, offered through the AAMC. Applicant participation in this Supplement Application is VOLUNTARY & NOT REQUIRED to be considered for interview or ranking. To learn more, please go to the AAMC site here: AAMC Information about Supplemental ERAS Application. The additional information from the ERAS supplemental application will help our program staff learn more about applicants’ geographic preferences, meaningful training experiences and life events, and identify preference signals. In this way, we will be able to better identify applicants who fit our program environment and mission.

Essential Functions

Residents in our program work & learn in a variety of settings and clinical roles. Essential job functions of a resident physician’s role in our residency program include the ability without an intermediary to:

• Take a history and perform a physical examination of patients.
• Communicate with patients and staff, verbally and otherwise in a manner that exhibits good professional judgment and is appropriate for the professional setting.
• Read charts, monitors, and other sources of clinical information.
• Complete appropriate medical records and documents and plans according to protocol and in a complete and timely manner.
• Possess sufficient sensory and motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers.
• Be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.
• Perform all job functions while dressed in protective clothing required for clinical duties, including tolerating a mask, gown, and gloves.
• Move throughout the Medical Center to address routine and emergent patient care issues and to attend required educational programs.
• Work shifts of varying lengths and schedules including daytime, evening, & overnight clinical shifts.
• Fulfill backup and on-call duties as scheduled.
• Provide care at all clinical sites, including Berkshire Medical Center, our Ambulatory clinic, and other affiliated practices of BMC (the Cancer Center, etc..).
• Utilize a computer for medical record review, documentation, decision support, research, and education in an efficient and timely fashion.
• Possess the emotional health required for full use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients.
• Have the emotional maturity to self-assess, know own limitations and seek advice or counseling in situations that might impair own learning or performance in the care of patients, and to proactively seek appropriate treatment.

Schedule Summary

We are proud of the educational content of our training program, and the scholarly work that our residents produce.

Typical yearly schedule is as follows:
(each block consists of a 4-week rotation)

Conferences

Monday
7:30am: Morning Report
12:00pm: Noon Conference

Tuesday
7:30am: Morning Report
12:00pm: Multi-Disciplinary Performance Improvement

Wednesday
7:30am: Morning Report (Cancer Conference every other week)
12:00pm: Noon Conference (PGY3 Lecture once a month)
2:00pm-5:00pm: Osteopathic Grand Rounds (once a month, for residents in Osteopathic Opt-In Track)
3:00pm: Journal Club (once a month)

Thursday
7:30am: Morning Report
12:00pm: Grand Rounds

Friday
7:30am: Morning Report
12:00pm: Noon Conference

Scholarly Activity

As a program, we have great interest in not only individual patient care but also furthering
the science of medicine on a global level. We strongly support research efforts amongst our
residents and are very proud of our residents’ research productivity. Every year, we organize
a Resident Research Forum where all residents can present their work to the hospital faculty as
a whole. This forum includes research work from all residency programs at our medical center,
with awards granted to the top performers. For this year, an amazing 24 presentations were
contributed from the Internal Medicine residency at our Resident Research Forum.

In addition, many of our residents have had research presented at regional or national meetings.
Over the past few academic years, our residents’ scholarly work has been accepted and presented
at the following forums:

• American College of Physicians – Massachusetts, Regional, and National Meetings
• Society of Hospital Medicine – National Meeting
• Society of General Internal Medicine – National Meeting
• American Thoracic Society – International Conference
• American College of Gastroenterology National Meeting

Education Benefits

Educational Benefits Effective July 1st of each academic year, and subject to annual revision, the following allowances are available to all interns and residents for: books, journals, medical software, other educational resources, and professional society dues.

• PGY-1 $500 per year
• PGY-2 $500 per year
• PGY-3 $500 per year
• PGY-4 $1000 per year
• PGY-5 $1000 per year

In the final qualifying year for specialty board examinations, each resident shall also be granted an additional $1,000 for a Board Review Course approved by the individual resident’s program director. This allowance may not be used to pay for fees to sit for the Board examinations. Allowances may not be carried over from one year to the next.

A complete Board Review Course is provided on-site in the PGY-3 year for Internal Medicine residents.

General Benefits

Medflex:
Berkshire Medical Center’s flexible benefit program includes health insurance options, dental insurance options, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, long and/or short term disability insurance, health care and dependent care spending accounts on a tax free basis, and spouse and child term life insurance on an after-tax basis. The flexible benefit program provides dollars provided by BMC to be applied toward the purchase of benefits on a pre-tax basis, or a lesser sum to be taken as taxable cash if your spouse provides health insurance for you from another source. The dollars, if utilized for health insurance, include 90% of the cost of individual coverage or 75% of family coverage based on Network Blue New England. Benefit dollars are provided to partially cover dental insurance premiums, and to fully cover the cost of the long-term disability (50% option).
– Health Care Spending Accounts allow you to contribute pre-tax money weekly for health care expenses not covered by health insurance plans. It can add tax savings to the protection you receive from our medical and dental plans.
– Dependent Care Spending Accounts let you pay your dependent care fees on a pre-tax basis, as long as the care makes it possible for you to work.

Basic Life Insurance:
A term life insurance is provided, paid in full by BMC covering one times your annual salary, effective upon date of hire.

Uniforms:
White coats and scrubs and laundry of these garments will be provided.

Professional Liability:
Liability insurance is provided for house officers free-of-charge during the term of the contract. Coverage pertains to in-hospital activities only. Limits are stated in contract between BMC and the Berkshire Insurance Company. Tail coverage is included in this policy.

Registration Fees:
Registration fees for temporary licenses are covered for house officers who are not permanently licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Vacations: Each house officer is entitled to four (4) weeks of vacation with pay each year.