The goal of the Gundersen Lutheran Transitional Year Residency is to provide a year of broad-based clinical education to residents. We are committed to making residents the best possible doctors, able to excel in any subspecialty program in which they enroll.
Such lofty goals can be met because of attitudes you’ll find at this medical center. First, we view the Transitional Year Residency as a critical component because it offers many of our doctors the opportunity to teach, an experience we know leads to better patient care. Second, because residents do not "compete" with fellows or other residents on their rotations, there is more hands-on learning from day one. Third, we are willing to tailor experiences to the career goals of our residents. Fourth, we listen to residents’ suggestions about improving this program. Finally, we are invested in our residents’ success and treat them with the same respect as if they were here for a three or five-year residency.
| "My experience with Gundersen Lutheran's transitional year program was truly outstanding. The vast variety of available medical experiences, coupled with the universal commitment to teaching and the non-threatening nature of the environment, made the Gundersen Lutheran transitional year program a perfect way to launch my medical career. Without exception, the attendings, other residents and support staff were kind and supportive, and they made coming to work fun every day. If asked whether I would recommend this program to others, I would enthusiastically endorse it without hesitation.” – Julia Lehman, MD, Dermatology – Mayo Clinic, 2007 Gundersen Lutheran Graduate |
While all Transitional Year residency programs have required rotations and electives, each rotation here offers opportunities to direct experiences towards residents' interests. A resident intending to go into anesthesia can learn intubation techniques in the operating room and/or the intensive care unit. A resident going into dermatology may find it more beneficial during a rotation in otolaryngology to spend time in plastic surgery, removing skin cancers from the face, rather than examining ears.
We’ve designed this program to closely resemble experiences doctors have in clinical practice, including inpatient and outpatient care. This medical center also offers both primary care and tertiary care medicine, providing residents with opportunities to see the routine and more unusual cases in a multispecialty setting. We are the Western Academic Campus of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Attending rounds focus on patient management and occur seven days a week. Teaching rounds are scheduled four days a week. Attending staff members value close working relationships with residents and medical students because excellence in patient care demands it. We offer lectures, small group discussions and interactive conferences where attending and resident physicians discuss cases. Distance learning technology allows residents and attending staff assigned to smaller regional community clinics to participate in these conferences.
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Social support for spouses and families is another Gundersen strong point. My apartment was literally a three-minute walk from work, and I was able to take call from home for most of my call rotations. Spouses and children socialized regularly. I didn't have to worry about my wife being lonely while I worked occasionally long hours.” – Robert Berg, MD, Radiology Resident, University of Nebraska, 2002 Gundersen Lutheran Graduate
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Residents report to one staff doctor in charge of each teaching service, not to each patient’s physician. This creates a nurturing rather than adversarial teaching atmosphere; a milieu we believe prepares better doctors and enhances patient care.