RRC requirements for IM?? Anyone adhere?

[Roadrunner]

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Maybe someone can help explain the obvious to me. IM programs have varying amounts of time that an intern/resident spends in different areas. For example, program A publicizes that an intern will spend 6 months on wards, 2 months ICU, 2 months outpatient, etc. Program B publicizes that an intern will spend 9 months on wards, 1 month ICU, 1 month outpatient, etc. What I don't understand is that there are RRC requirements for what an IM program must put their residents through. I would think that the requirements would level things out and that most programs would spend about the same amount of time doing the various areas of IM. But from what they advertise it seems that program A may prepare you for outpatient primary care medicine by giving your more experiences in that arena and program B will prepare you to be a hospitalist.

So my question is, what are the RRC requirements for IM? Are they loose enough that programs do in fact vary in what they put a resident through? How strictly are they enforced?

Thanks for helping me get a handle on this before the interview trail begins...

 

[Roadrunner]

You're kidding! Of all you smart SDNers none of you know the skinny on core requirements for IM programs. Help me out here.

 

[BigBadBix]

Well I don't know the answer to your question about how compliant each program is, but you can actually read all the requirements in a PDF on this site: http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/RRC_140/140_prIndex.asp.