Distinctive Features

Strengths of the program include a high degree of direct clinical exposure within a community-based tertiary care setting, with close collaboration between residents and attending physicians. Residents benefit from early clinical responsibility, meaningful participation in patient care and procedures, and longitudinal mentorship relationships with faculty across multiple disciplines.

The program is designed around a learner-centred model that emphasizes accessibility to staff physicians, graduated autonomy, and strong clinical teaching. The relatively small program size fosters a collegial and supportive learning environment where residents develop close working relationships with faculty, consultants, allied health professionals, and fellow trainees. Clinical services are designed to function independently of resident learners, allowing for a greater emphasis on education and clinical experience rather than service obligations.

A distinguishing feature of the Interior Internal Medicine Residency Program is its strong ambulatory and community-focused curriculum. While core training occurs primarily at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, community internal medicine experiences are an integral component of training. Residents will complete one community-based rotation per year at partner sites throughout the Interior, including Salmon Arm, Cranbrook, Trail, Penticton, and Vernon, providing exposure to diverse models of internal medicine practice across urban, regional, and rural settings. A preceptor-based longitudinal clinic beginning in PGY-2 provides early exposure to longitudinal outpatient care and continuity clinic experience.

Additional program features include:

• Close knit community medicine with emphasis on relationships and whole person recognition
• Resident wellness initiatives, mentorship opportunities, and social events throughout the year
• Longitudinal ambulatory clinics beginning in PGY-2
• Limited overnight call – more focus on evening call and continuity of care
• Internal medicine service that does not need residents to function with a higher education to service ratio
• Opportunities for meaningful mentorship and professional relationships both within and outside the clinical environment
• Associate Membership in the American College of Physicians
• Participation in the annual UBC Internal Medicine Resident Research Day
• Participation in the annual UBC Internal Medicine Resident Retreat and annual welcome events
• One week of conference leave annually, with additional funding available for residents presenting at national or international conferences
• Academic Half Day curriculum in PGY-1 delivered in partnership with Vancouver program through a blended virtual and in-person model
• Locally–based Academic Full Day curriculum during PGY-2 and PGY-3, tailored to senior resident learning needs and distributed training experiences
• Opportunities to participate in provincial educational and curriculum working groups, including initiatives focused on areas such as social medicine, distributed medical education, POCUS, etc.

Wellness and Call Structure

The program is designed with a strong emphasis on resident wellness, sustainability of practice, and longitudinal learning. Residents benefit from a supportive and collegial training environment with formal and informal mentorship opportunities, regular social events, and strong connections with faculty, consultants, and fellow trainees.

Protected educational time is a cornerstone of the curriculum. Residents participate in a UBC Internal Medicine Academic Half Day during PGY-1 through a blended virtual and in-person model. During PGY-2 and PGY-3, residents participate in an Interior Academic Full Day every two weeks, providing dedicated time for case-based learning, simulation, procedural training, and curriculum tailored to senior internal medicine residents.

Clinical scheduling is designed to balance high-quality clinical exposure with protected educational experiences and personal well-being. The majority of call experiences (>80%) are structured as evening call shifts extending until approximately 2300 hours, supporting continuity of patient care while minimizing routine overnight in-hospital call burden.

Residents should expect selected overnight call experiences during weekend coverage and critical care rotations, ensuring appropriate exposure to acute internal medicine and intensive care practice while supporting progressive clinical responsibility throughout training.