Keck School of Medicine of USC Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a university-based Transitional Year program designed explicitly as a preparatory PGY-1 for physicians advancing into ophthalmology, dermatology, radiology, and anesthesiology, rather than a standalone career pathway. Clinical training occurs across two contrasting environments: Keck Hospital of USC, a 343-bed academic quaternary-care center, and USC Arcadia Hospital, a high-volume community hospital recognized for cardiovascular, orthopedic, and bariatric care with a busy emergency department. The 3+1 block structure (alternating inpatient/ambulatory weeks) and an extensive, resident-shaped elective menu (allergy/immunology, cardiology, dermatology, GI, ID, palliative care, pulmonary, radiology, renal, rheumatology) allow interns to tailor the year toward the specific competencies their advanced specialty will demand. As a new program situated within a research-intensive academic medical center, it appears to value adaptability and self-directed learning suited to trainees who already know their ultimate specialty destination.