A Transitional Year Residency Program Provides Innovative Solutions for Unmatched Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Graduate Medical Education
• Physician Workforce Development

Background:

• The transition to residency is highly competitive, leaving many medical students without a position in their desired specialty.
• A transitional year (TY) residency program was established to address the needs of unmatched medical students.
• The program aims to support students who did not initially match into a residency position.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the institutional transitional year (TY) residency program.
• To analyze the program's value and impact over its first three years (2017-2020).
• To evaluate resident and stakeholder perceptions of the program's effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• The TY program is situated in an urban academic health center with a flexible curriculum.
• Participatory action research and appreciative inquiry were used for program evaluation.
• Perceptions were gathered from TY residents, program directors, and medical school education leaders.

Main Results:

• Residents reported high satisfaction and benefits including increased confidence and clinical proficiency.
• Stakeholders viewed the program as a valuable pipeline for increasing physicians in the state.
• The program provided direction for students' career trajectories.

Conclusions:

• Establishing a TY residency program for unmatched medical students is feasible and beneficial.
• The program effectively meets residents' academic and career needs.
• It serves as a sustainable institutional solution with advantages for various stakeholders.