Across our health system, resident physicians are an important part of the care we provide.
What is a Resident?
A “resident” has graduated from medical school but is finishing their training in a graduate medical education (GME) program such as those at Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of the Angels Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center and beyond.
Residents are doctors who work in hospitals, clinics or offices while continuing to learn and train in a specialized field of medicine. That work, which can last three to seven years, is known as residency.
What Do Residents Do?
During residency, these doctors provide direct patient care including diagnosing, managing and treating health conditions.
Supervising doctors and senior residents regularly review junior residents’ work. Responsibilities increase as residents gain education and experience throughout their residency.
Match Day
Every year, the National Resident Matching Program releases its eagerly awaited results of all applicants who apply for residency or fellowship training positions in the U.S.
Known as Match Day, it ensures a uniform process so that residency programs, including ours, are matched with residency candidates to fill first-year and second-year post-graduate training positions. The training positions are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
In 2022, Match Day is Friday, March 18.
Graduate Medical Education at Our Lady of the Lake
Our Lady of the Lake serves as a clinical teaching site for 21 programs, including Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The programs cover nearly all specialties and subspecialties of medicine.
Our Lady of the Lake offers a pediatric residency program, pharmacy residency program and laparoscopic surgery fellowship. LSU’s internal medicine and emergency medicine residents train at Our Lady of the Lake.
As an academic medical center, Our Lady of the Lake does so much more than patient care. Education, research and clinical care combine to provide cutting-edge technologies, resources and therapies. Our team isn’t just using the latest medical technologies; they’re also developing them.
Graduate Medical Education at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital
On the Northshore, Our Lady of the Angels Hospital operates one of 55 rurally located residency programs, and the only one of its kind in the state. Six highly trained rural physicians graduate from the program each year.
Graduate Medical Education at St. Francis Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe founded its Department of Academic Affairs in Spring 2020, which includes the Office of Graduate Medical Education. The medical center received initial accreditation as a sponsoring institution from the ACGME in March 2021.
Work on the Internal Medicine Residency Program is underway, including faculty recruitment, partnership with the local medical school and a renovation of 7,000 square feet on the seventh-floor Academic Affairs suite. St. Francis’ inaugural class of residents will be recruited for the 2022-2023 season.
The Future of Residency
As we look into the future, we see a bright path forward paved by the innovative ideas and solutions that our talented students and faculty bring to the table. These innovations have led to better teaching and learning, improved quality, and impact for every life that is touched by our health system.
As we continue down this bright path, we look forward to a journey toward compassion and excellence. We aim to strengthen our dedication for academics and patient care, and in turn be servants to our community, especially to those most in need.
