St Luke's University Hospital Program

Program Identity & Fit

This is a community-based, university-affiliated Transitional Year housed within St. Luke's Bethlehem's broader academic infrastructure, functioning primarily as a flexible preparatory year for interns advancing into categorical PGY-2 positions (largely dermatology, radiology, anesthesia, PM&R, ophthalmology-type applicants) or those still deciding on a specialty. The curriculum is individually tailored with substantial elective time, a required core of general medicine, four weeks each of emergency medicine and critical care, and a four-week ambulatory block in a community primary care practice, reflecting an emphasis on broad exposure rather than depth in any single field. Research is present but supplementary rather than foundational: residents can engage with quality improvement projects, case reports, and IM resident research meetings, with access to the network's Research Institute and Research Day, but participation is optional and self-directed. The program draws from a mixed resident pool including its affiliated Temple/St. Luke's School of Medicine graduates alongside outside MD and DO applicants, valuing flexibility and self-directed career planning over a fixed specialty pipeline.