A Novel Transition to Practice Curriculum for General Internal Medicine Trainees

Background: Physicians face numerous challenges during the transition from residency training to independent practice. Residency programs often provide little to no training around the non-clinical aspects of establishing an independent practice. Methods: We designed and implemented a longitudinal transition to practice (TTP) curriculum tailored to the needs of general internal medicine (GIM) trainees. Our curriculum included eleven sessions spread across four themes: “Entering the Workforce,” “Managing Your Practice,” “Managing Your Finances,” and “Maintenance of Wellness.” Results: Eleven residents participated in the curriculum. Most residents agreed or strongly agreed that the curriculum included topics that were important to TTP (91%), that the sessions improved their comfort level with the topics presented (100%), and that the curriculum was an important part of their residency training (91%). Personal finance and wellness sessions were particularly well received. Conclusion: Our longitudinal curriculum for teaching non-clinical TTP competencies was feasible and well-received by GIM trainees. However, further research is needed to establish whether such curricula lead to changes in behavior and outcomes.