How do I apply to your family medicine residency program?
All applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS).
When is your application deadline?
Friday, December 1, 2023
Does your program participate in the couples’ match?
Yes. In the past, we have had several couples match with our program.
Are there any fellowships available?
UPMC Shadyside currently offers fellowships in Faculty Development and Primary Care Sports Medicine.
How many residents are in your program?
Each class has 10 residents.
How has your program responded to COVID-19? (Updated September 2023)
We believe that communication is key during a crisis. Our Director, Dr. Jacqueline Weaver-Agostoni, added program director updates during didactics to share the most recent news/changes, and to answer any questions. Our leadership team meets frequently and scheduling adjustments are made with Chief Resident input as needed. The residents added a jeopardy system, which is still in place. We continue to follow all UPMC and Pennsylvania state guidelines, which are based on recommendations from the CDC.
At this time, most rotations look like they did pre-pandemic. Some now have remote/distance learning, and faculty are continuing to update rotation requirements based on the current local status. Masks are no longer required in all public and patient-facing areas, though you are welcome to wear one, and encouraged to do so if a patient requests it. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is supplied by UPMC. Telemedicine, which got initiated at the start of the pandemic, has become a permanent part of our curriculum. We utilize it primarily for any patients showing COVID-19 symptoms and those at high risk of contracting a serious form of the disease.
Initially, to minimize possible exposures to our nursing home population, a team of one resident and one attending round in block fashion rather than rotating rounders. The benefit to the health of our nursing home populations outweighed the momentary disruption in continuity. At this time, we are back to two residents rounding with one attending, but have maintained going in a block schedule to improve continuity.
To promote social distancing, didactics were originally moved to a Teams meeting, as were all other group meetings which include Balint/Support Group, QI meetings, office hour huddles, and OMM conference. Currently, all meetings are back in person, with a remote option available as needed. The Didactics curriculum has been expanded to include several Critical Care Medicine topics.
Despite the disruption of COVID-19, all of our residents have graduated on time. If you have other COVID-19-specific questions, please feel free to ask.
Do you have osteopathic recognition?
Yes, our Family Medicine residency has Osteopathic Recognition from the ACGME. We were initially accredited in 2018, and then reaccredited in 2022. Please see our Osteopathic Recognition page for further details on this aspect of our program.
Is your family medicine residency program unopposed?
Yes. We are the only Shadyside-based residency program.
How many weeks of vacation are provided for the residents?
As a part of their UPMC benefits package, residents will receive three weeks of vacation and five days for continuing medical education per year.
What is the call schedule like?
We follow the ACGME guidelines for duty hours, frequency, and duration of call with no more than 80 hours worked per week on average for any month. A "night float" system is in place from 7p.m. - 7a.m. Residents spend two to three, two-week blocks on night float per year. Additional call responsibilities vary by class, with an average of one call shift per month for interns and two call shifts per month for senior residents.
Outside of the Family Health Center, where else do residents go to train?
Most of our in-hospital rotations take place at our main facility, UPMC Shadyside. Our residents also train at the following:
- The in-patient pediatric rotations are completed at the renowned UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
- Obstetrics training is fulfilled at the state-of-the-art UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital.
- Emergency Medicine training is accomplished at the following sites: UPMC Shadyside, UPMC Presbyterian, which is a Level 1 Trauma Center, and at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.
- Several rotations take place in private and community offices throughout the Pittsburgh area.
What electives do you offer?
We offer the usual specialty electives in addition to an OB elective, Pittsburgh AIDS Center for Treatment (PACT) rotation, rural rotation, faculty development rotation, and a complementary medicine rotation.
Do you have research opportunities for your residents?
Yes. There are several opportunities for both research and quality improvement initiatives. Each faculty member has his/her own scholarly activity area resulting in a wide array of projects from women’s health to global health. Currently, the department is leading a multi-site Hepatitis C study in which we are testing a model that provides a guide for family medicine physicians to treat Hep C in the primary care environment. We are also working with a few community organizations to lead a study assessing the prevalence of Hepatitis B in high-risk immigrant communities.
The Global Health Track has several ongoing and new studies including a new maternal child feeding program (that follows moms/babies for the first 1,000 days of life); a computer program that allows for the start of an electronic medical record and medication tracking system in a clinic in Honduras; and a project aimed at understanding how depression is understood in the community and providing training to clinicians.
There are also several quality improvement initiatives including the IMPLICIT Program and others aimed at addressing specific behavioral health, cardiovascular, pediatric, and women’s health issues.
Are there opportunities for teaching?
Yes! We have 3rd and 4th-year students from several medical schools in Pennsylvania rotate through the Family Health Center, as well as the Adult In-Patient Medicine Service. The senior residents also play a key role in the education of the new residents.
What about opportunities for international rotations?
Each year two residents are selected to join the Global Health Track. Residents in the track will be provided global health experiences with two weeks during their first and second years of training and two or four weeks during their third year. They will participate in a year-long global health seminar series.
The required Longitudinal Practice Improvement Rotation (LOPIR) and the scholarly project will be based on a patient population outside of the United States. There are currently several on-going projects in Honduras, but residents in the past have also completed projects in countries such as Japan and Kenya.