Transitional Year vs Prelim Med Year

[GopherBrain]

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I suspect this is a stupid question, but what is the difference between a transitional year and a preliminary medicine year? I have gotten all sorts of conflicting answers to this question.

If there is a real difference, how do I find a list of preliminary medicine year programs? All Freida has is "Transitional" programs.

Thanks.

 

[Oneuro]

Prelim years are done in either medicine or surgery, and they are a solid 12 months of either just medicine or just surgery. Transitional years (as far as I know) are similar to 3rd year of medschool where you rotate through several departments. I think peds, medicine, OB/Gyn are some options for rotations on transitional year.

To find prelim years on FREIDA, look under internal medicine and select "offers preliminary positions" as an option. I believe that there's an option section listed below "by location" and "by speciatly".

 

[UCLA-Neuron]

If you are applying for a PGY-2 position in Neurology, I would recommend obtaining a PGY-1 position in preliminary medicine. Because ACGME requires at least eight months of inpatient Internal Medicine or six months of Internal Medicine and two months of Pediatrics or Emergency Medicine, almost all medicine prelim programs will fulfill this requirement. On the other hand, if you apply to transitional programs, you might have to make special arrangements with the program. The only Neurology program I know that accepts transitional year is at Harbor-UCLA.