About the program
The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Camden Clark Medical Center is sponsored by the West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Graduate Medical Education department. With our affiliation to WVU Medicine and WVUSOM, we’ve been able to strengthen our residency program and provide opportunities for away rotations, research opportunities, and simulation exercises.
We are a 3-year ACGME accredited program where our primary goal is to train compassionate, dedicated, and well-skilled physicians of the future.
Camden Clark has a rich history that has been serving the Parkersburg, WV area since 1898. As a community hospital, the vision of “Stronger and Healthier” extends to us in the Internal Medicine program. We strive to take the best care of our patients, our colleagues and our community. Our team is made of highly dedicated and talented residents, faculty and staff, and our program is a unique hybrid of academic and community-based teaching experiences.
We are currently under the graduate medical education of West Virginia University. With our affiliation to WVU, we’ve been able to strengthen our residency program and provide opportunities for away rotations, research opportunities, and simulation exercises.
Our graduates have been successful in obtaining fellowships, academic appointments and careers in private practice.
In addition, we have medical students from WVU and WVSOM rotate with us allowing our residents to develop leadership and teaching skills.
Our residency is also actively involved with the West Virginia state chapters of ACP and SHM allowing our residents opportunities to present scholarly activity and network with residents at other programs.
We do sponsor J1 Visas.
Residency Application Information
Applications are processed exclusively through the Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS). The deadline for submitting applications is October 31 at midnight EST. Interviews are conducted early-November through mid-January each year.
Do you require applicants to complete the supplemental ERAS application?
Our program encourages all applicants to complete a supplemental ERAS application, offered through the AAMC’s ERAS program. While Supplemental ERAS Application is optional, applicants will still be required to complete the MyERAS application.
The additional information will help our program leadership learn more about applicants’ medical education journey, including more meaningful information about work, volunteer and research experiences, and help us better identify applicants who fit our program environment.
Does your institution sponsor Visas?
Our institution only sponsors J-1 Visas. We do not sponsor H-1b visas
What are the requirements for applicants to the program?
All Graduates:
- Must have three letters of recommendation
- Should be within 5 years of graduation from medical school at the time of Match
- Must have proof of passing scores on Step 1 and Step 2CK. We do not have a minimum passing score requirement for the USMLE and COMLEX exams.
- Minimum of three months of US Clinical experience. This is not a requirement but is highly recommended.
International Medical Graduates (IMGs):
- ECFMG certification must be received on or before January 1. J-1 Visas sponsored through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates {ECFMG) are accepted by our program.
Will interviews be virtual or in-person?
Our Program offers virtual interviews only. We had great success with virtual interviewing in past seasons and will be following the AAMC’s recommendation for a virtual interview format.
Does Your Program Offer Second Looks?'
Ideally, the interview equips an applicant with enough information to understand their fit with a program. However, we agree that an opportunity to visit the program in-person provides an applicant with a better feel for the program and the community. Second Looks are available for a limited number of days after the interview season has concluded, but before the match begins. The visit will have no bearing on how the program ranks an applicant. Second Looks may be arranged by contacting Jill Jonas, Program Administrator. Email: jill.jonas@wvumedicine.org
Does your program participate in the Match?
Yes, we do participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). All six (6) of our categorical positions will be placed in the Match.
NRMP Program Code for WVUSOM/Camden Clark Internal Medicine – 1837140C2
If you have any questions, please email: jill.jonas@wvumedicine.org
The program does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.
What are the salary and benefits?
What other perks does the program offer?
So glad you asked! Our residents enjoy:
- No weekends on elective weeks
- Golden weekend every 5th week
- No 24-Hour Call
- Daily Meal Allowance
- $1500 Educational Stipend each year of training
- $500 Research Funds provided to assist with publication expenses or conference fees
- All research posters printed by program with no charge to residents
- NEJM Knowledge Plus, NEJM Healer, and MKSAP subscriptions paid for by program beginning on day one and renewed each year until program completion
- Awesome Board Review Course (6 days) paid for by program
- Elective rotations available at WVU Morgantown Campus
- 12 Educational Leave Days available throughout training
- Additional Paid Time Off for life support training courses, USMLE/COMLEX step 3 exams, board review courses, board exams and interview days
5 + 1 Schedule
This year, our residency began a 5+1 schedule where residents have 4 weeks of a rotation (that you won’t leave for continuity clinic) followed by 1 week of an ambulatory medicine block. This pattern is repeated back-to-back 8 times throughout the entire year.
A typical day as an Internal Medicine Resident:
- 6:30 – 7:00 AM:
Morning sign-out from night team to day team - 7:00 – 10:00AM:
Morning rounds presented by a student or intern - 10:00 – 12:00 PM:
Morning rounds with senior residents and attending physicians - 12:00 – 1:30 PM:
Lunch time conference/lecture, MKSAP Questions, Live Broadcast WVU Internal Medicine grand rounds and sub-specialty lectures - 1:30 – 5:00 PM:
Finish rounding on patients, new admissions from Emergency Room/transfers - 5:00 – 7:00 PM:
One intern and one senior resident on medicine stay in house until the night float team arrives - 6:30 PM – 7:00 AM:
Night float team is in-house to answer pages, phone calls, and to admit patients from the emergency room and sign out with day team.
No 24-Hour Calls!
The ambulatory week includes a combination of continuity clinic sessions, ambulatory care didactics, quality improvement curriculum, simulation curriculum, and wellness time for personal appointments. Residents will still have a longitudinal relationship with their clinic patients and preceptor throughout residency.
In traditional Internal Medicine residency schedules, residents leave their rotations one afternoon per week to see outpatients in continuity clinic.
While this structure has provided adequate ambulatory training and allows residents to develop a panel of patients for whom they are the primary physician, it creates a tension between in- and outpatient training and pulls residents in two directions at once – which is not ideal for your education or for patient care!
The “5+1” schedule improves your educational experience, improves patient care, improves continuity with your clinic patients and guarantees that, at a minimum, every 5th week your evenings and weekends are yours!
Didactics
Noon Conference:
- Faculty Lectures on Areas of Interest/Expertise
- Live Remote WVU Subspecialty Lectures
- Yale Outpatient Medicine curriculum
- ACP High Value Care
- Point of Care Ultrasound
- Quality Improvement
- Medical Jeopardy
- Camden Clark Grand Rounds
- Journal Club
- Landmark Trials
- Intern Case Presentations
- Morbidity and Mortality
- Board Review Sessions
Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) Course
WVU Internal Medicine Grand Rounds Every Friday Morning
Awesome Board Review Course for 3rd year residents {6-day course paid for by the program)
Curriculum
Post-graduate Year-1
- Internal Medicine Wards – 24 Weeks
- Ambulatory Clinic – 9 Weeks
- Intensive Care Unit – 4 Weeks
- Night Float – 2 Weeks
- Cardiology – 2 Weeks
- Neurology – 2 Weeks
- Electives 4 weeks
- Vacation 4 weeks
Post-graduate Year-2
- Internal Medicine Wards – 10 Weeks
- Ambulatory Clinic – 10 Weeks
- Intensive Care Unit – 8 Weeks
- Night Float – 4 Weeks
- Infectious Disease – 4 Weeks
- Endocrinology – 2 Weeks
- Nephrology – 2 Weeks
- Pulmonology 2 Weeks
- Emergency Medicine – 1 Week
- Electives – 4 weeks
- Vacation – 4 weeks
Post-graduate Year-3
Night float
- Internal Medicine Wards – 10 Weeks
- Ambulatory Clinic – 9 Weeks
- Intensive Care Unit – 8 Weeks
- Night Float – 4 Weeks
- Hematology/Oncology – 2 Weeks
- Rheumatology – 2 Weeks
- Gastroenterology – 2 Weeks
- Geriatrics – 1 Week
- Ambulatory Clinic – 9 Weeks
- Psych/Addictive Medicine – 1 Week
- Electives – 9 Weeks
- Vacation – 4 Weeks
Electives:
- Behavioral Medicine/Psychiatry
- Cardiology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- General internal medicine
- Hematology/Oncology
- Hospital Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Non-Invasive Cardiology
- Women’s Health
- Pulmonology
- Research
- Urology
- Rheumatology
Continuity Clinic
Michael Cheshire, D.O., FACOI, FACP
Our residents receive hands-on instruction in ambulatory medicine through the Camden Clark Internal Medicine Clinic, which is located on our hospital’s main campus.
Our program provides a 5 and 1 schedule, which allows residents to spend a full week in the clinic while receiving hands-on instruction in the management of chronic disease, acute health problems, and preventative care.
During their clinic experience residents develop a panel of general internal medicine patients. These patients view the resident as their primary care provider. A support system is in place to allow residents to participate in the management of their patients between visits, allowing a longitudinal experience that fosters the development of a long-term therapeutic relationship between the resident and patient.
We are committed to providing a strong academic experience that is both professionally and personally rewarding to our trainees. It is also our privilege to give back to our patients and community, as we promote health and wellness through compassionate and evidence-based medical care.
Wellness
Residency can be a stressful time, and here at WVU Medicine Camden Clark, we are committed to resident wellness.
We value work life balance. We have several resident retreats throughout the year where residents are excused from clinical responsibilities. In addition, our residents also engage in regular activities together as a group including trivia and hiking.
Our residents are also given protected time to participate in the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) through WVU which offers free mental health screening.
Furthermore, our program features a faculty mentorship where a resident is assigned a dedicated faculty to meet with on a regular basis to address any concerns or problems the resident may be facing.
F.A.Q.
Q: How many residents does Camden Clark Internal Medicine Residency program accept each year?
A: 6 PGY-1 residents each year.
Q: What are your residents like?
A: Our residents come from a variety of backgrounds and from all over the United States as well as internationally.
Q: What is the emphasis of the Internal Medicine Residency Program?
A: We are committed to training outstanding physicians, preparing them for careers in general internal medicine and subspecialties of their choice. In addition, we prioritize resident wellness throughout their training.
Q: Are there opportunities to perform procedures?
A: Camden Clark’s Internal Medicine Program offers ample opportunities to learn and perform invasive procedures. Such procedures performed include central lines, intubations, arterial catheters, bronchoscopies, thoracenteses, and paracentesis upon graduation.
Q: Do residents have research opportunities?
Yes, we pride ourselves on identifying opportunities for research early in the resident’s career. We have a structured Research Committee and allow residents 4 research rotation weeks over the course of their training.
Q: Are meals provided to the residents?
A: Complimentary meals are provided to all house staff while on duty in the hospital.
Q: Does Camden Clark have a night float system?
Yes, the night float rotation is in effect Saturday evening through Saturday morning of the following week. The Friday before and the Sunday after the Night Float Rotation are protected days off.
Q: By what criteria are residents selected?
A: We look for applicants who are well-rounded, value professionalism and teamwork and possess a strong academic record.
Q: Do you offer electives for fourth year medical students?
A: Yes, electives for senior medical students are organized through the program contact Jill Jonas.
Q: Are there any fellowship opportunities at Camden Clark?
A: No, there are not any fellowships at our site. WVU though has numerous fellowships, and our residents have opportunities to do elective rotations in Morgantown. Furthermore, the majority of our graduates have been successful at attaining the fellowship of their choice.
Q: Does your residency accept international medical graduates?
A: Yes, we encourage international medical graduates to apply and sponsor J1 visas.
Q: What is your residency’s relationship with WVU?
A: They are our sponsoring institution, so we are under their graduate medical education umbrella. They help to maintain our ACGME accreditation and provide our residents with opportunities for away rotations as well as other resources including access to their state-of-the-art simulation center and research collaboration.
Q: Does Camden Clark Medical Center offer J1 Visa Waivers for physicians?
A: For career planning for you and your family, Camden Clark Medical Center does qualify for J1 visa waivers for physician employment.