Your Ultimate Guide to Researching Addiction Medicine Residency Programs

Understanding Your Training Path in Addiction Medicine

Addiction medicine is evolving rapidly, and so are the training pathways. Before you dive into how to research residency programs, you need clarity on what type of program you’re actually looking for.

Clarifying terminology: residency vs. fellowship

For most MD graduates in the United States:

• Allopathic residency (ACGME-accredited)

  • Your core training after medical school (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine).
  • Addiction medicine is usually pursued after a primary residency, through a fellowship.

• Addiction Medicine Fellowship

  • A 1–2 year subspecialty training program after completion of an ACGME-accredited residency.
  • Prepares you for board certification in Addiction Medicine (through ABPM or ABMS boards).

Because your prompt is “How to Research Programs for MD Graduate in Addiction Medicine,” you might be in one of two positions:

1. You are an MD graduate applying for your first residency and want strong substance abuse training and future access to addiction medicine fellowship opportunities.
2. You have completed (or are completing) a primary residency and are now researching addiction medicine fellowships specifically.

This article will cover both scenarios, emphasizing:

• How to research residency programs that support future addiction medicine careers.
• How to research addiction medicine fellowship programs with serious, structured substance use disorder training.

Step 1: Define your personal and professional priorities

Before reviewing websites and spreadsheets, clarify your own needs and goals. This helps you build a program research strategy instead of passively scrolling through program lists.

Ask yourself:

• Career goals

  • Do you see yourself as:
    • A clinician in a community setting with a strong addiction focus?
    • An academic physician (teaching, research, advocacy)?
    • A hospital-based consultant (e.g., addiction consult service, liaison psychiatry)?
  • How important are research, policy/advocacy, and teaching to your career?

• Clinical interests within addiction medicine

  • Co-occurring psychiatry and substance use disorders (dual diagnosis)
  • Pain and opioid use disorders
  • Adolescent addiction
  • Pregnancy and perinatal addiction
  • Harm reduction and public health approaches
  • Inpatient detox vs. outpatient recovery vs. integrated primary care

• Lifestyle and location

  • Geographic preference (urban vs. suburban vs. rural; region of the country)
  • Family and partner considerations
  • Program size and culture (tight-knit vs. larger academic center)

• Training structure

  • For residency:
    • Does the program have substance abuse tracks, elective time, or built-in addiction rotations?
  • For fellowship:
    • Breadth of rotations (detox, residential, outpatient, consult, OTPs, jail/prison health, etc.)
    • Protected time for research or scholarly work

Write this down. This becomes your decision framework when evaluating and comparing programs.

---

Building a Program Research Strategy

A systematic program research strategy saves time and reduces stress. Instead of reacting to scattered information, you’ll have a clear process for selecting where to apply and interview.

Step 2: Understand the training ecosystem and key organizations

For MD graduates in the US, you’ll encounter:

• ERAS & NRMP (for residency and many fellowships)

  • ERAS: Electronic Residency Application Service (application portal)
  • NRMP: National Resident Matching Program (Match algorithm for many specialties)

• Key addiction medicine organizations

  • ASAM – American Society of Addiction Medicine
    • Offers a directory of addiction medicine fellowship programs.
  • AAAP – American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
    • Resources and listings, especially if your route is through psychiatry.
  • ACGME – Lists accredited addiction medicine fellowships and residencies with addiction-focused tracks.

These are critical for how to research residency programs and fellowships reliably. Start with official lists, then expand to independent resources.

Step 3: Use multiple information sources

Think of your program research like triangulation: you want multiple data points to form a realistic picture.

Key sources:

1. Official program websites

   • Curriculum, rotations, didactics
   • Faculty profiles and subspecialty interests
   • Call schedule, electives, benefits, wellness policies
   • Explicit statements about addiction medicine, substance use training, or fellowship pathways

2. Accreditation and directories

   • ACGME database (for accredited programs)
   • ASAM/AAAP fellowship directories
   • Medical school advising offices (often have curated lists and alumni contacts)

3. Match and application data

   • NRMP’s “Charting Outcomes in the Match” or specialty-specific data
   • Fellowship match results where available

4. Informal but high-yield channels

   • Alumni from your medical school or residency in addiction-related fields
   • Residents and fellows at programs you’re considering (email, LinkedIn, introductions via mentors)
   • Virtual open houses, webinars, ASAM/AAAP conference meet-and-greet sessions
   • Online forums (e.g., Reddit, Student Doctor Network)—use carefully and cross-verify with official sources

Design a simple spreadsheet for your program research, with columns such as:

• Program name / location
• Program type (residency or addiction medicine fellowship)
• Addiction focus (strong / moderate / minimal)
• Key rotations (detox, MAT clinic, consult, etc.)
• Research opportunities
• Call schedule/workload
• Program culture notes
• Geographic pros/cons
• Overall fit score (1–10)

This spreadsheet becomes your central tool for evaluating residency programs and fellowships.

---

How to Research Residency Programs with Strong Addiction Medicine Exposure

If you are an MD graduate heading into your first residency, you want a program that will:

1. Train you well in a primary specialty (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine).
2. Provide strong substance abuse training to prepare you for an addiction medicine fellowship or addiction-focused practice.

Step 4: Identify which primary specialties align with your goals

Addiction medicine is multidisciplinary. Common residency pathways to a future addiction medicine fellowship include:

• Internal Medicine / Family Medicine

  • Ideal if you’re interested in:
    • Primary care with integrated addiction services
    • Chronic pain and opioid use disorders
    • Medical comorbidities in people with SUDs
  • Look for:
    • Continuity clinics with MAT (e.g., buprenorphine)
    • HIV/HCV clinics, homeless medicine clinics
    • Hospital addiction consult services

• Psychiatry

  • Ideal if you want:
    • Deep training in co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders
    • Inpatient and outpatient dual-diagnosis care
  • Look for:
    • Dedicated addiction psychiatry rotations
    • Dual diagnosis units, partial hospitalization programs
    • Strong psychotherapy and psychopharmacology training

• Emergency Medicine

  • Ideal if you’re drawn to:
    • Acute intoxication, withdrawal, and overdose management
    • ED-initiated MAT and harm reduction
  • Look for:
    • Programs with ED-based buprenorphine protocols
    • Partnerships with community addiction services

• Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, others

  • Less common but possible, depending on your long-term focus:
    • Perinatal addiction
    • Adolescent substance use
    • Pain/anesthesia with addiction interface

Your program research strategy should align the allopathic medical school match (residency choice) with the future pathway to addiction-focused care.

Step 5: Screen residency programs for addiction-related strength

When evaluating residency programs, go beyond generic selling points. Specifically examine:

1. Curriculum and rotation structure

• Does the program explicitly mention addiction medicine in:

  • Core rotations?
  • Electives (e.g., Addiction Medicine elective, MAT clinic elective)?
  • Required substance use training or workshops?

• Are there addiction consult services or SUD-focused units?

  • Hospital-based addiction medicine consult teams
  • Detox units or rehabilitation facilities
  • Integration with community clinics or methadone/buprenorphine programs

• Are trainees involved in:

  • SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment)?
  • Naloxone training and overdose prevention initiatives?

2. Faculty and mentorship

• Are there faculty with addiction medicine fellowship training or certification?
• Do faculty hold leadership roles in ASAM, AAAP, or local addiction consortia?
• Are residents regularly co-authoring addiction-related posters, QI projects, or publications?

Step 6: Ask targeted questions during interviews and open houses

You can’t fully gauge substance abuse training from a website alone. Use interviews, emails, and open houses to clarify.

Sample questions to ask residents and faculty:

• “How much exposure do residents get to patients with substance use disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings?”
• “Are there structured rotations or electives in addiction medicine?”
• “Do residents have opportunities to prescribe buprenorphine or participate in MAT clinics?”
• “Have graduates gone on to addiction medicine fellowships? Could you share some recent examples?”
• “Is there a faculty member who acts as an informal or formal mentor for residents interested in addiction medicine?”
• “Are there opportunities for addiction-related research or QI projects?”

Pay attention to:

• How confidently and concretely they answer.
• Whether addiction medicine is treated as a mission or a side topic.
• Whether the program fosters a non-stigmatizing culture around patients with SUD.

---

How to Research Addiction Medicine Fellowship Programs

If you are nearing completion of or have completed a primary residency, your focus becomes evaluating residency programs of the fellowship type—i.e., addiction medicine fellowships.

Step 7: Build a comprehensive list of addiction medicine fellowships

Start with:

• ASAM Fellowship Directory
  • Filter by state, institution type, or specific interests (e.g., academic vs. community).
• ACGME Program Search
  • Confirm accreditation status of addiction medicine fellowships.
• AAAP & specialty societies
  • Especially helpful if your background is in psychiatry or other specific fields.

Then expand with:

• Word-of-mouth from mentors in your current residency
• Alumni who pursued an addiction medicine fellowship
• Searching “Addiction Medicine Fellowship [state/city/institution]”

Step 8: Evaluate the core elements of each fellowship

Your aim is to match each program’s strengths to your career blueprint. Look beyond the name and location.

Key domains to evaluate:

1. Breadth and depth of clinical exposure

Ask or look for details about:

• Clinical settings

  • Inpatient detox/withdrawal management
  • Inpatient consult-liaison addiction services
  • Outpatient addiction clinics and MAT programs
  • Methadone clinics, buprenorphine clinics, naltrexone programs
  • Residential rehab programs and halfway houses
  • Integrated primary care, HIV, homeless medicine, or psychiatry clinics
  • Correctional health settings (jails, prisons)

• Population diversity

  • Urban vs. rural populations
  • Socioeconomic diversity
  • Special populations: pregnant patients, adolescents, LGBTQ+ communities, veterans

You want a fellowship that exposes you to the full spectrum of substance use disorders, not just one narrow clinical niche—unless that niche matches your goals.

2. Didactics and structured education

Look for:

• Weekly or regular addiction medicine conferences
• Journal clubs with up-to-date evidence in addiction treatment
• Interdisciplinary teaching with psychiatry, internal medicine, social work, psychology
• Opportunities to attend or present at ASAM conferences

Ask programs:

• “What is the protected didactic time for fellows?”
• “What topics are covered over the course of the year?”
• “Are fellows expected or encouraged to teach residents and students?”

3. Research and scholarly opportunities

If you’re academically inclined, this is critical:

• Are there ongoing addiction medicine research projects you can join?
• Are there established mentors with funding in addiction, pain, or public health?
• Do fellows regularly publish or present?

For those less research-oriented, look for:

• Quality improvement (QI) projects
• Opportunities to build or evaluate community programs
• Policy or advocacy projects

4. Supervision, autonomy, and graduated responsibility

Ask current or recent fellows:

• “How much autonomy do fellows have in clinical decision-making?”
• “Is there a reasonable balance between supervision and independence?”
• “What does a typical week look like in terms of clinical vs. non-clinical time?”

Step 9: Outcomes and career trajectories

The best lens for evaluating residency programs and fellowships is graduate outcomes:

• Where are alumni now, 3–5 years out?
  • Academic positions vs. community practice
  • Leadership roles in addiction programs, public health, or hospital systems
• Do graduates feel prepared for:
  • Board certification in addiction medicine?
  • Their desired practice settings?

Ask directly:

• “Can you share examples of recent graduates’ career paths?”
• “How does the program support job placement and transition to practice?”

---

Practical Steps to Organize and Compare Programs

Step 10: Create a structured comparison system

With dozens of options, comparing programs subjectively will overwhelm you. Use a structured scoring or ranking system.

Example criteria (each rated 1–5):

1. Clinical exposure to SUD
2. Substance abuse training structure (curriculum, didactics)
3. Mentorship and faculty expertise
4. Research and scholarly opportunity
5. Program culture and wellness
6. Geographic/location fit
7. Reputation and alumni outcomes
8. Lifestyle (schedule, call, workload)

You might also add:

• Diversity and inclusion efforts
• Support for international graduates (if applicable)
• Family-friendliness (parental leave, childcare options, schedule flexibility)

Then calculate:

• A total “fit score” for each program
• A short narrative note:
  • “Best for academic addiction medicine in urban setting”
  • “Strong community-based training with good MAT exposure”
  • “Limited addiction exposure—only one optional elective”

Step 11: Leverage mentors strategically

Your advisors and mentors can help you refine your application list and interpret what you’re seeing.

• Show them your spreadsheet and preliminary rankings.
• Ask:
  • “Am I underestimating or overestimating any of these programs?”
  • “Are there programs you think I’m missing that align with my goals?”
  • “Do you know faculty at any of these programs who might be willing to speak with me?”

Mentors can also:

• Provide informal reputation insights about programs.
• Introduce you to current fellows or alumni for candid conversations.
• Help you phrase emails and questions that show professionalism and genuine interest.

Step 12: Be realistic but aspirational when creating your list

For both the allopathic medical school match (residency) and the addiction medicine fellowship application process:

• Include a mix of:
  • Reach programs (highly competitive or top-tier academic centers)
  • Target programs (well-matched to your profile and interests)
  • Safety programs (where your application is likely to be very strong)

Balance:

• Your academic metrics (Step scores, clinical performance, letters)
• Your unique strengths:
  • Long-standing interest in addiction medicine
  • Relevant research, advocacy, or community work
  • Personal story or motivation (appropriately framed)

A program may be more interested in an applicant with a clear commitment to substance abuse training than someone with slightly higher test scores but no clear direction.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Do I need to choose a specific residency to get into an addiction medicine fellowship?

No single residency is mandatory. Addiction medicine fellowships are typically open to graduates of several primary specialties (e.g., Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology).

However, your choice of residency shapes:

• The patient populations you’re most comfortable with later.
• The clinical lens you bring to addiction care (e.g., psychiatric vs. internal medicine focus).

Choose a residency where you can receive strong general training and also meaningful exposure to SUD care.

2. How can I tell if a residency really values addiction medicine or just mentions it on the website?

Look for concrete signs:

• Required substance use rotations or clearly structured electives.
• Explicit addiction medicine curricula in their didactic schedule.
• Faculty with addiction medicine—board certification or fellowships.
• Graduates who have gone on to addiction medicine fellowship or addiction-focused careers.
• Specific programs or initiatives, like:
  • ED-based buprenorphine starts
  • Hospital addiction consult services
  • Partnerships with community treatment centers

Then confirm this impression by asking targeted questions during interviews and speaking with current residents.

3. I’m an MD graduate with limited addiction-related experience. Will this hurt my chances?

You don’t need an extensive addiction background to match into a good residency or even eventually into an addiction medicine fellowship. Programs look for:

• Genuine interest and openness to learning.
• Reflective insight into why addiction medicine matters to you (professionally and ethically).
• Willingness to work with stigmatized and vulnerable populations.

You can strengthen your application by:

• Seeking addiction-related electives, research, or volunteering now.
• Attending introductory ASAM or AAAP events/webinars.
• Completing online modules (e.g., on opioid prescribing, SBIRT, MAT) and listing them in your CV.

4. How early should I start researching programs if I’m interested in addiction medicine?

Ideally:

• During medical school (MS3–MS4): Begin to explore which core specialties might align with your future in addiction medicine.
• During early residency (PGY-1/PGY-2): Systematically research addiction medicine fellowship programs, attend national meetings, and meet mentors.
• 12–18 months before fellowship applications: Finalize your program research spreadsheet, talk with mentors, and start reaching out to potential programs.

Starting early gives you time to shape your clinical experiences, research, and networking toward your long-term addiction medicine goals.

---

By approaching this process with a clear program research strategy, structured comparison tools, and intentional mentorship, you can align your MD graduate residency and eventual addiction medicine fellowship with the kind of physician you want to become. The goal is not just to match, but to match into a training environment that equips you to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to people with substance use disorders throughout your career.