1. What are your criteria for International Medical Graduates? [Answer]

2. Do you offer a Clerkship / Observership? [Answer]

3. Do you invite international medical graduates to interview? [Answer]

4. Do you offer opportunities for Research Fellows (students)? [Answer]

5. What are you looking for in an applicant? [Answer]

6. Are there any other residency programs in the hospital? [Answer]

7. How big is the residency? How many residents are accepted per year? [Answer]

8. Do you participate in the couple's match? [Answer]

9. How big is the hospital? How sophisticated is the hospital? [Answer]

10. How much OB do you do? [Answer]

11. What about Call? [Answer]

12. How much time do your residents spend in an ICU/CCU? Are the attendings in the ICU/CCU? [Answer]

13. What procedures do your residents do enough of to get privileges afterwards? [Answer]

14. How much sleep do your interns get on the average call night? [Answer]

15. How many admissions do your interns average on a call night while in medicine? [Answer]

16. How big is St. Cloud? [Answer]

17. What services does St. Cloud Hospital offer? [Answer]

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1. Q:  What are your criteria for International Medical Graduates?
A:  Applicants will meet the following criteria:

• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Less than eight years since graduation from medical school or direct patient care experience.
• Verified clinical experience in the U.S.
• Be ECFMG certified
  1. Current international medical school students be ECFMG certified by residency start date
  2. Past international medical graduates be ECFMG certified for interview selection
  
• If not a graduate from a LCME accredited U.S. or Canadian medical school or an osteopathic medicine college accredited by the AOA, then a current ECFMG certificate is required.
• In accordance with Minnesota Board of Medical Practice requirements, applicants must have passed USMLE Steps 1 and 2 (Clinical Knowledge) or COMLEX Steps 1 and 2 within three attempts. Applicants must be on schedule to pass USMLE or COMLEX Step 3 within 5 years of Step 2.
• No more than two attempts at USMLE Clinical Skills.
• Applications accepted only through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

2. Q:  Do you offer a Clerkship / Observership?
A: Yes, the University of Minnesota/St. Cloud Hospital Family Medicine Residency offers a 2-6 week clerkship designed for 3rd and 4th year medical students. We offer 2-week observerships available for international medical graduates. Due to the large volume of requests we limit the time to 2 weeks.

Process for observership:

• E-mail sauver@centracare.com to request the criteria for observership.
• You must meet the criteria.
• Send in the documents required (stated in the criteria). They will be reviewed and you will be notified via e-mail if you have been approved for an observership. Please keep in mind we do not offer observerships during the summer months.

3. Q:  Do you invite international medical graduates to interview?
A:  Yes. All applications are reviewed. Applicants are invited to interview based on whether they meet our criteria.

4. Do you offer opportunities for Research Fellows (students)?
A.Yes. Dr. Chris Wenner is the director for student rotations.
Learn more about our Research Fellowship.

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5. Q:  What are you looking for in an applicant?
A: Our mission is to train excellent family physicians with the skills needed for a rural practice. As such we look for applicants with:

• Strong desire and interest in becoming an excellent Family Physician.
• Solid medical school or osteopathic school training.
• Good social and communication skills and professionalism.

In addition, we look for all interested applicants who have a desire to serve the underserved, which is part of the mission of our Family Medicine Center.

6. Q:  Are there any other residency programs in the hospital?
A:  No. There are no other residencies in town, let alone in the hospital. 

7. Q:  How big is the residency? How many residents are accepted per year?
A:  We are currently a 5-4-4 residency.

8. Q:  Do you participate in the couple's match?
A:  Yes, but frankly, because of our small size we don't encourage it since it means that half your nights during your first year will be spent away from one another. It's also difficult to plan vacations.

9. Q:  How big is the hospital? How sophisticated is the hospital?
A:  St. Cloud Hospital runs an average daily census of about 265, not counting the nursery. We refer out very few cases. We don't do transplants or have a burn unit. We have an ICU (medical and surgical), a CCU and a Peds ICU. Our NICU functions as a Level 2-3. Our Emergency Trauma Center is a Level 2.

10. Q:  How much OB do you do?
A:  St. Cloud Hospital does about 2,400 deliveries a year; approximately 25% of these deliveries are done by community family physicians. When you are on each of your four-week Maternity Care rotations, you will probably have 15-20 vaginal deliveries. You will also be involved with about 10 C-sections. In addition, you are assigned one new prenatal patient per month in the MMFMC in your PGY-1 year and two new prenatal patients per month your PGY-2 year. Most residents will provide prenatal care for and deliver 20-30 pregnant women from their clinic panel. When on call, you will also be involved with faculty deliveries and deliveries for peers when they are not available. Residents graduate from our program with a total of 80-120 deliveries.

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11. Q:  What about Call?
A:  The first year averages about every 4th to 5th night. The second and third years average about every 6th to 8th night.

12. Q:  How much time do your residents spend in an ICU/CCU? Are the attendings in the ICU/CCU?
A:  We have a one-month critical care rotation, run by an intensivist. Our residents care for our practice's patients in critical care, as all of the attendings have privileges in the units.

13. Q:  What procedures do your residents do enough of to get privileges afterwards?
A:  Colposcopy, Vasectomy, Vacuum D&C, Exercise Stress Testing, Limited Office OB Ultrasound, Vaginal delivery, Vacuum delivery, Circumcision and Common skin procedures.

14. Q:  How much sleep do your interns get on the average call night?
A:  Less than 4 hours

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15. Q:  How many admissions do your interns average on a call night while in medicine?
A:  The residents tend to follow 5-7 patients at a time on the Adult Medicine rotation. Call varies, but probably averages 2-4 admissions per 24 hours on call. 

16. Q:  How big is St. Cloud?
A:  St. Cloud's population is about 60,000 and the metro area about 111,000.

17. Q:  What services does St. Cloud Hospital offer?
A:  St. Cloud Hospital offers a full array of services. Learn more about St. Cloud Hospital Services.


For more information, please contact:

University of Minnesota/St. Cloud Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program
1520 Whitney Court, Suite 200
St. Cloud, MN 56303-1867

For application inquiries, contact Renee Sauve
Phone: (320) 240-3182 or 1-800-575-2982
Fax: (320) 240-3165
E-mail: sauver@centracare.com 

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