But their education is far from complete. Residency is the time when they learn the comprehensive responsibility of the physician. Some medical graduates do not immediately enter a specialty residency program but instead take a transitional year of training designed to give them additional experience in general medicine or surgery. These programs are usually precursors to residencies in specialties like dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, and others.
Residencies can last anywhere from three to seven years, depending on the specialty.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approves several thousand programs nationwide. Physicians must complete a residency program in order to become certified in a given medical field. At the UI Hospitals and Clinics, approximately 450 residents currently are being trained in 24 different residency programs. Like medical school, residency programs are selective and often competitive, requiring formal application, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. Unlike medical school, they offer salaries and benefits.