Dear Applicant,  

Thank you for your interest in our program! I am excited to introduce you to our new transitional year program at St. Clair Health, in neighborly Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. St Clair Health has been an integral part of the South Hills of Pittsburgh community since 1954. We have attributes of a larger institution with disproportionately large emergency medicine, cardiovascular, oncology, and psychiatry services.   Additionally, we are proud to have an academic affiliation with Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a new medical library with both a dedicated Medical Librarian and Graduate Medical Education (GME) Research Director. Although the scope of pathology we see here is broad, we retain the best qualities of a community hospital, where the focus can be on compassionate patient care and learner-centered education.  

Because our central mission is to provide you with the best clinical foundation possible during your PGY-1 year, we exceed the ACGME requirements for fundamental clinical skills (FCS). FCS training includes, but is not limited to, rotations in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Critical Care, General Surgery, and Emergency Medicine. 

We also aim to provide each of you with elective pathways tailored to meet your specific needs, depending on your training beyond PGY-1 year. 

We particularly welcome undifferentiated candidates. Our goal is to design a clinical experience based on your needs and interests in order to optimize your success in the future.   

Our Professional Growth and Satisfaction Plan (PGSP) is a unique coaching program we created to support you in your first year and fuel your inner passion for Medicine. You may benefit from this support in planning your Step 3 examination and scholarly activity projects.   

Your training will also include a supplementary and innovative curriculum, entitled Introduction to Health Systems Science (IHSS). This program covers topics such as healthcare delivery system, healthcare economics, safety and quality improvement, quality versus value, healthcare law and ethics, clinical informatics, population health, and the structural and social determinants of health. We think that this knowledge will empower you with a sense of agency as you develop your medical career. 

However, the strongest asset in our program is to create a safe space for our residents to learn and grow. Resident well-being has been a focus of Graduate Medical Education at St. Clair Health from the start. We are committed to create a space of love, welcoming, and belonging for all our learners, and celebrate what makes each of us unique.  

We look forward to welcoming you into our inaugural class of residents and thank you for considering us in your residency training.  

Best, 

Patrick Sleckman, DO
Transitional Year Program Director, St. Clair Health  
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine