Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital Program

Trinity Health Michigan offers a comprehensive Transitional Year program at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, designed for physicians pursuing a broad-based clinical first year before entering a specialized residency. The program emphasizes a robust training structure and is highly regarded nationally, attracting qualified applicants from across the country. Appointments for this program are made exclusively through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and applications are processed via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) 1.

The Transitional Year program consists of a total of twelve first-year positions and is largely supported by the Department of Internal Medicine alongside the Department of General Surgery. This program is known for preparing residents for competitive specialties such as Radiology, Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and others 1. Graduates often return to the institution as attending physicians, illustrating the program's effectiveness in training capable future specialists.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes a well-structured schedule consisting of 28-day blocks, amounting to 13 total rotations throughout the year. Specifically, the program offers:

• Four blocks dedicated to inpatient internal medicine.
• One block focused on medical intensive care.
• Half a block on cardiac intensive care.
• One block aimed at General Internal Medicine ambulatory experience.
• One block of Emergency Medicine and one block of Specialty Surgery.

Additionally, transitional interns have the opportunity to complete three to four elective blocks depending on their career goals. Available electives span a wide range of specialties, including various internal medicine subspecialties and surgical fields 1.

Application Requirements

To be eligible for the Transitional Year residency program, candidates are preferred to meet certain criteria:

• Must have graduated from medical school within the last 12 months.
• USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores are ideally above 210 on the first attempt; COMLEX equivalent scores should be over 520.
• Completion of at least three months of clinical rotations within a U.S. hospital is preferred.
• International medical graduates need to be ECFMG certified and must possess a valid ECFMG certificate prior to the start of residency 2.
• No specific application deadline exists, although there are limited spots available.

Visa Support

The program offers visa sponsorship, with the ECFMG serving as the designated visa sponsor for international medical graduates who meet eligibility criteria. This enables capable international candidates to participate in the program without immigration barriers 3.

Competitiveness

The program is considered competitive, desirable to many applicants, and is perceived as friendly towards graduates from both D.O. and international medical institutions. Candidates are encouraged to present strong academic and clinical experiences during the application process 3.

Interview Process

Selected applicants will receive an email invitation to schedule an interview. Due to circumstances such as the pandemic, the program has transitioned to virtual interviews, which are conducted on a rolling basis to facilitate scheduling 4.

Electives and Rotations

The development of the elective portion of the program is carefully guided to ensure that residents can customize their experience based on future career aspirations. Limited away rotations are also available, subject to an internal approval process 1.

Residents and Alumni

Graduates from the Transitional Year program have successfully matched into various competitive specialties including Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Radiology, and Radiation Oncology 5. Many of these graduates choose to return to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital as attending physicians, reinforcing the program’s rich tradition of cultivating skilled healthcare providers.