Testimonials

My experience with the UND Transitional Year program exceeded my expectations in every way. As an unmatched resident planning to pursue ophthalmology, I was initially concerned about managing the demands of a medicine residency while reapplying for ophthalmology programs. I was also anxious about maintaining a healthy work-life balance during residency. However, from the start, it was clear that the program prioritized these concerns, going above and beyond to create a supportive, low-stress, and enjoyable environment—something many interns might not be able to say.

The program accommodated my needs during the interview season, allowing me to manage interviews seamlessly. I was also able to participate in multiple ophthalmology electives, which enriched my experience and provided valuable exposure to the field. The schedule gave me ample time to spend with friends and family, making it possible to maintain a good balance outside of work.

 The aspects of the program that stood out the most were, first and foremost, the supportive faculty, followed by the intern-friendly workload and a well-structured schedule that catered to everyone’s needs.

 Towards the end of the year, the program went a step further by helping me transition smoothly into my new ophthalmology program. Thanks to their support, I was able to start fully prepared and ready to go.

The UND TY program is exceptional for so many reasons. We work closely with the internal medicine residents, and get a well-rounded education on the inpatient medicine months. The attendings and upper level internal medicine residents truly care about teaching and create a fun learning environment. I grew a lot as a physician and feel very well-prepared for my future career in radiology. Even during the more-demanding inpatient months, I still had a good work-life balance and was able to spend time with family and pursue outside hobbies. Fargo is a friendly community with new restaurants to try, community events, and nearby nature to explore. The program also offers a wide variety of electives that allowed me to customize my transitional year. There are so many opportunities for POCUS both on inpatient medicine and in electives!  Finally, Dr. Alberto and Ashley are fantastic leaders of this program and work so hard at making sure all the TY residents are happy and achieving their goals. They truly will go the extra mile for you. I cannot speak highly enough about the UND Transitional Year Program and had an incredible experience.

My experience with the UND TY program was outstanding. Dr. Alberto and Ashley are both amazing leaders and truly care about each resident on a professional and personal level and will go above and beyond to make the experience as great as it can be. The rest of the faculty are also great and very passionate about teaching. The culture between attendings and residents is very good and further enhanced my learning and my enjoyment in my work. The program prepared me well for my career in radiology. I feel like I gained the clinical skills necessary to be a clinical radiologist. The program also allows you to do an away rotation at your advanced program during the year if you choose to do so. I believe this gave me a head start in getting into the field of radiology and learning the daily workflow.

The UND TY residency program was ideal for my intern year training for a variety of reasons, including the family-friendly and collegial training environment, the top tier facilities, the setting of a mid-sized town with plenty of offerings for both young professionals and those with families, and the overall curriculum that provides a great work-life balance and diverse slate of electives. I think my overall favorite aspect of the TY program at UND is the program culture. Dr. Alberto is a terrific program director and was always a joy to speak with. Ashley is an outstanding program coordinator who could always answer your questions and fix any scheduling or administrative issues. The attendings I worked with were always knowledgeable and approachable, and they made going to work truly enjoyable. The main hospital in Fargo is also a great training facility! It really makes a difference going to work and only needing to drive a couple of minutes to an essentially brand new building. Fargo is also a nice mid-sized town. Lots of great restaurants and parks. My wife and I really enjoyed the area, and there’s also lots to do if you have kids.

I chose the UND TY program primarily because I felt that I would receive a comprehensive and balanced intern year experience, with a good variety of learning experiences. I also chose it based on geographic considerations relative to my home town/state and I felt that the culture would be collegial and familiar, without being in the heart of a large city. Overall, I would consider my experience with the UND TY program very positive. I felt that I learned a lot and that I was supported very well by faculty and administrative staff both within the hospital and within the program itself. The faculty, staff, and collaborative nature of interaction with the IM and FM programs are a few highlights of the program. I also enjoyed the emphasis on ultrasound, as I feel that it is a wonderful skill to have. Additionally, the facilities were excellent and made a bigger difference than I was expecting in day-to-day wellbeing. The way the program prepared me for my dermatology program was more tangential: I did get to spend a block with the derm providers at Sanford, which was very nice, but I feel that the TY program really helped me to think more broadly and in a well-rounded way about medicine in general. I would absolutely not hesitate to recommend the program to other people looking for a TY program.

I chose the UND TY program for several reasons: There is a wide variety of electives offered. I was particularly interested in the POCUS curriculum, which is a program that is responsive to resident feedback for improvement. It is closely integrated with the IM residency, and it is very family friendly. I feel so fortunate that I matched at UND for my transitional year as I had an amazing experience and wouldn't trade it for anything. I was able to learn so much and grow as a physician, with increasing independence, while still being able to maintain a good work-life balance. Even during the most rigorous medicine months, I was happy going to work and still had sufficient time at home with my family. We work and develop close relationships with the IM residents and are treated the same as our categorical IM colleagues. The highlights of this program are numerous: the program constantly seeks resident feedback for improvement and is quick to implement changes. The program also strives to customize each resident's experience to their personal learning goals, and Dr. Alberto (the Program Director) and Ashley Jochim (the Program Coordinator) are fantastic, supportive, responsive, and endlessly helpful. One of the many examples that I have at the ready is that Dr. Alberto and Ashley created an outpatient pediatric elective for me which was not available at other residencies where I had interviewed. I think, overall, the program did an excellent job preparing me for my radiology residency. I had varied, but thorough, exposure to medicine and the various subspecialties which provided a solid foundation of knowledge. The POCUS course, as well as the overall residency focus on POCUS utilization during the medicine rotations, helped me to become comfortable with ultrasound scanning, so performing ultrasound-guided procedures is easier. Also, the offsite elective gave me time to develop a self-directed curriculum with my current Program Director that set me up to start out residency ahead of others in my cohort.

I ranked the UND TY program highly for a variety of reasons including excellent leadership with an interest in imaging (Dr. Alberto is very interested in point-of-care ultrasound and routinely holds informal teaching sessions on this topic during inpatient months), university affiliation, program size, proximity to family, dedication to resident wellness, competitive stipend, presence of a procedures rotation, and presence of a four-week dedicated research rotation. In addition, affordable is housing located right across the street from the hospital, and the opportunity top work in a very safe community, in a Level 1 Trauma Center -- plus  access to all-you-can-eat free hot meals and snacks in the physician lounge -- made the program stand out. I feel that the UND TY program prepared me very well for diagnostic radiology residency. There were many opportunities to review images on patients that I was caring for during the year and also many opportunities to practice point-of-care ultrasound. I routinely recommend this TY program to medical students.

I chose the UND TY program because I wanted a program that offered me the flexibility to tailor my education for my individual needs and that would allow me to do this surrounded by likeminded and kind individuals who would enhance my learning experience. In a word, I would describe my TY year as fantastic. The program itself is great starting from the office/support staff, to the program director, to your fellow residents. You can expect to receive extremely responsive communication, great integration with the IM residents, and leadership who really care about you as a person.

The UND TY residency program is truly an incredible place to train and grow as a physician. The level of training here is second to none and I feel very well-prepared for my specialty. The key aspect of this program that separates it from others is the emphasis on physician well-being. You would have a hard time finding a more humane work schedule anywhere in the country. This excellent work-life balance allows residents to recharge, spend time with family, exercise, and/or work on research. The smaller size of this residency program makes for a close-knit community amongst the residents and faculty. I highly recommend you consider completing your TY residency at UND.

The UND TY program stood out to me as a program where I would be challenged to grow as a physician in a positive and collaborative learning environment. I felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the year working with the excellent faculty and residents in Fargo. The flexibility of the schedule and the open communication with program leadership stood out to me as top-notch qualities of the program. I would absolutely recommend UND as a strong program in the Midwest and as one that values resident feedback and continues to improve resident education.