Specialized Tracks
The University of Illinois Chicago Internal Medicine Residency has specialized tracks that give interested residents a more focused residency experience. The residency program hosted a “Track Open House” on November 15, 2023, for resident applicants to learn about our specialized tracks, and the Zoom recording can be viewed here.
General Requirements for All Tracks:
- 75% attendance to all track events. The fourth Friday of the month will be protected for track events from 12-1 PM
- Completion of a Capstone Project with a summative presentation given at the end of the PGY3-5 year
Failure to meet these requirements and other track specific requirements, e.g., R boot camp for ITIM track or MedEd elective for MedEd track, will result ineligibility for a Certificate of Completion and recognition at graduation.
Global Health Advocates and Scholars Tracks (GHAS) Heading link
Global Health Advocates and Scholars Tracks
Director: Catherine Ford, MD
The Global Health Advocates and Scholars Tracks (GHAS) are offered through the Center for Global Health and aim to support the training of future global health leaders by fostering opportunities to build skills in sustainable and ethical global health practice in an inter-disciplinary framework. Residents can apply into one of these two tracks at the start of their PGY-2 year.
Please contact Dr. Catherine Ford with any questions: cef884@uic.edu
Leaders for Local Change Heading link
Academic Internal Medicine Track
Directors: Saul Weiner, MD and Bernice Man, MD, MS
The Academic Internal Medicine (AIM) Track is for trainees that are interested in careers as generalists with an interest in research. This track will give the trainee exposure to public health as well as a clinical and translational research in order to prepare residents for a career in academic internal medicine.
UIC has resources in the Department of Medicine, School of Public Health (SPH), Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) to support the curriculum, experiences, and mentorship of residents in the AIM Track. UIC offers fully online certificate programs designed to fill a growing need for clinicians competent to conduct research. The curriculum, which is personalized to each resident’s interests, may include online classes through the SPH as part of a certificate program.
Medical Education Track
Directors: Kelsie Avants, MD and Jennifer Schulte, MD
The Medical Education Track is intended bridge this gap for residents interested in pursuing academic and medical education careers. It is currently open to residents in internal medicine, pediatrics, medpeds and neurology. Residents who participate in the track attend a monthly MedEd conference, complete a MedEd rotation, complete a longitudinal project with the goal to submit for presentation, and teach medical students and residents.
Leaders for Local Change
Directors: Michael Charles, MD, Rachael King, MD, and Ana Mauro, MD
The Leaders for Local Change (LLC) is a longitudinal certificate program for aspiring urban health leaders seeking to improve access to care by strategically addressing prominent health disparities facing the patient population at UI health. By the end of the program, each participant will develop, implement, and advocate for innovative sustainable change to improve healthcare delivery and increase health literacy locally.
Innovation Track In Internal Medicine
Director: Ashley Vareedayah, MD
The University of Illinois Chicago Department of Medicine was the first in the country to design and offer an Innovation Track in Internal Medicine to its trainees. This track offers opportunities through research collaborations across many schools on campus (Applied Health Sciences, Engineering, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, and Public Health) as well as numerous departments in the college of medicine. The track provides numerous mentors to position trainees at the intersection of fields of inquiry and stimulate the development of novel ideas, practices, and products.
Physician Scientist Track
Director: Waddah Alrefai, MD
The Physician Scientist Track allows residents to pursue training in internal medicine, with a strong emphasis on research, and a guaranteed position in one of our subspecialty research fellowships. The first two years of training are the same as those of a categorical internal medicine resident with at least twenty months of direct patient care. If the resident plans to enter fellowship, then they will start their fellowship training in their PGY-3 year.
Stimulating Access To Research In Residency (StARR) Program
Director: Jeffrey Jacobson, MD
The UIC StARR Program is an NHLBI-funded career development program that seeks to recruit internal medicine residents of varied backgrounds and experiences to undergo mentored clinical/translational research training related to the areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic diseases that will foster opportunities to help lead the next generation of highly diverse and skilled physician-investigators in the biomedical sciences.
Medicine-Geriatrics Pathway
Directors: Vania Leung, MD and Kara Watthanasuntorn, MD
The Medicine-Geriatrics Pathway is a four-year training program for internal medicine (IM) and family medicine (FM) residents who are interested in pursuing a career in geriatrics.
It is currently open to residents in internal medicine, pediatrics, medpeds and neurology. Residents who participate in the track attend a monthly MedEd conference, complete a MedEd rotation, complete a longitudinal project with the goal to submit for presentation, and teach medical students and residents.