Preliminary Internal Medicine Internship

The Preliminary Internal Medicine Program is an integral component of the Department of Medicine’s GME Community and adds a valuable breadth of professional diversity to our intern class. There is great benefit to future internal medicine specialists in sharing their formative early clinical experiences with future colleagues in radiology, dermatology, neurology, and other disciplines. Likewise, we feel that the optimum experience in internal medicine for an intern destined for a career in neurology or other non-internal medicine disciplines is a full immersion clinical year alongside medical intern colleagues at every step.

Approximately 3/4 of our Preliminary intern class each year remain at Brown for their advanced residency training in neurology, anesthesia, dermatology, radiology, ophthalmology, and other disciplines. This promotes the collegial relationship enjoyed by medical housestaff with their former internship classmates now in other residency programs. This symbiotic relationship at Brown has contributed to the strength of both programs and is an important aspect of our philosophy of graduate medical education.

Our Preliminary intern class is fully integrated with the rotations of our three-year Internal Medicine house staff. The Preliminary IM schedule is designed to provide a strong foundation of internal medicine experience that will prepare physicians for further specialty training.  This experience provides a valuable background which enables our graduates to advise and consult with the internist in the management of medical patients.

Guided by input from its current members and graduates, the Preliminary Residency track has been carefully designed to provide parity with categorical peers while maximizing flexibility necessary for interns to pursue a curriculum unique to their needs and future specialty. The intern year is nearly identical to that for categorical interns and is depicted below.  Click on the schedule below to view a larger version…

• A General Medicine Ward rotation may be substituted for Night Float rotation in any of the three years.
• Preliminary Interns are not required to have a continuity clinic as part of their intern year.

The Core Brown Preliminary Internal Medicine program (NRMP # 1677140P0) also includes two distinct tracks that relate primarily to the application and NRMP ranking process. The two distinct tracks are:

• Preliminary IM – Neurology (NRMP # 1677140P1)
• Preliminary IM – Anesthesiology (NRMP # 1677140P2)

Both of these tracks reserve positions for matched applicants to the respective Brown residencies in these disciplines. The tracks themselves, however, are largely identical to the general Preliminary IM programs. Each track will provide interns with a rotation in the discipline to which they will be transitioning at the conclusion of their Preliminary year to prepare them for their new specialty area. For instructions on how to apply to these specific Preliminary IM tracks at Brown click here.