Applicants interested in one year of Internal Medicine training prior to a specialty residency may enter Washington University's preliminary year program. There are also electives which can be used to prepare for specialty residency or to expand their knowledge of internal medicine or other disciplines.
Preliminary interns learn about common medical problems as well as medical emergencies.
The Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course is offered as part of the intern orientation program. At the completion of the internship, preliminary interns have had adequate patient exposure to sharpen their physical diagnosis skills and to develop patient assessment skills and clinical judgement. The excellent teaching by the Washington University faculty and supervision by highly qualified junior and senior assistant residents assures an outstanding educational experience and allows a strong foundation for future specialty training.