Internal Medicine Residency Program

Your Training

The Internal Medicine residency program offers flexibility to residents, including the opportunity to do three months of research and the chance to learn more about integrative medicine. We are a family friendly program, and many of our residents have taken the opportunity to start a family. We believe that ensuring you are a happy, healthy individual outside our program makes you a stronger, more reliable resident.

Required and Elective Rotations



Program Year 1

8 call months:

  • 2 MICU UH (q4 overnight call)
  • 6 wards (at UH: q3 call alternating day and night; at VA: q4 overnight call)
  • 1 Cardiology Consult VA
  • 1 Emergency Medicine
  • 1 Geriatrics
  • 1 Ambulatory Care
  • 1 elective

Program Year 2

7 call months:

  • 1 MICU UH (q4 overnight call)
  • 1 Cardiology UH (q4 overnight call)
  • 1 Hematology-Oncology (no call)
  • 1 Night Float (14 nights on in 28)
  • 3 wards (at UH: q6 day call, no overnight; at VA: q4 call, no overnight)
  • 1 Ambulatory Care
  • 1 Santa Fe Elective (as R2 or R3)
  • 4 Electives

Program Year 3

6 call months:

  • 1 MICU UH (q4 overnight call, not all R3s do MICU)
  • 1 Cardiology UH (q4 overnight call)
  • 1 Night Float (14 nights on in 28)
  • 3 or 4 wards (at UH: q6 day call, no overnight; at VA: q4 call, no overnight)
  • 1 Ambulatory Care
  • 1 Santa Fe Elective (if not done)
  • 5 Electives

Patient Population

New Mexico offers unique opportunities for the medical training of residents interested in providing health care to ethnically diverse, rural, and economically marginal populations. One third of the state's population is below the poverty line. With its location on the southwestern border of the United States, New Mexico provides exposure to the health problems of urban, interurban, rural, and economically under-developed communities. The state enjoys a tri-cultural heritage – Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo. This multiculturalism gives residents the opportunity to work with the traditional healing methods of both the Native American and Hispanic communities. University Hospital serves as the referral system for the Native American health care network within the state. Patients from Southern Colorado, Eastern Arizona, West Texas and Mexico also come to UNM for specialty care.

Training Sites

Our primary teaching sites in Albuquerque are University Hospital and the Albuquerque VA Hospital. Second and third year residents have the opportunity to do rotations and electives at several other teaching sites, including St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe and San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington. Our teaching sites all offer a different perspective in the practice of medicine.