Internal Medicine Community & Population Healthcare Track

About the Program

As the Dallas-Fort Worth area rapidly becomes one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S., UT Southwestern is committed to facing the healthcare challenges of the future by fostering the skills residents need to become highly proficient and culturally competent clinicians, educators, and healthcare leaders experienced in caring for diverse as well as underserved populations. Our distinct Community and Population Healthcare training track, embedded within our Internal Medicine Residency program, emphasizes the skills and training needed to address and reduce health disparities for the people of Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond. The Internal Medicine Community and Population Healthcare Track will welcome 15 residents per year, for a total of 45 residents over three years. Graduates of the Community and Population Healthcare Track will be poised to pursue ambulatory and hospital-based general internal medicine careers, and possess a foundation for subspecialized advanced fellowships with a focus on improving health care for all.

Preparing Leaders in the Field

The Community and Population Healthcare Track goes beyond traditional clinical training. Residents will practice academic community medicine, with a focus on Quality Improvement projects, gain a deep understanding of healthcare systems like our large Veterans Administration health system, and address social determinants of health. This track is designed to cultivate leaders who can drive change, focus on disparities, and promote well-being through public health initiatives.

Training Sites

Innovative Training Across Leading Healthcare Systems

This track will offer residents immersive, hands-on experience across three major healthcare systems:

VA North Texas Health Care System

Residents will spend 50 percent of their time at the nation's second-largest VA hospital, providing comprehensive care from primary to advanced subspecialty medicine.

Parkland Memorial Hospital

Residents will spend 25 percent of their time at Dallas County's safety net hospital serving a diverse community, including specialized clinics for refugees, correctional health, and more.

William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital

Residents will spend 25 percent of their time at our tertiary care hospital rotating through various subspecialties to ensure well-rounded clinical training.

Curriculum

Curriculum by Year

Resident Curriculum by Year
Educational focus: Development through clinical competency, procedural skills, patient safety, and high-value care.
PGY-1 Curriculum (52 weeks)
- Wards: 12 weeks
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU): 8 weeks
- Hybrid rotations: 6 weeks
- Neurology: 2 weeks
- Didactics: 4 weeks
- Continuity Clinics:12 weeks
- Elective: 4 weeks
- Vacation: 4 weeks
Educational focus: Growth through mentorship, scholarship, research skills, and health informatics.
PGY-2 Curriculum (52 weeks)
- Wards: 10 weeks
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU): 8 weeks
- Research: 4 weeks
- Hybrid rotations: 2 weeks
- Emergency Department (ED): 2 weeks
- Geriatrics: 2 weeks
- Didactics: 8 weeks
- Continuity Clinic: 8 weeks
- Elective: 4 weeks
- Vacation: 4 weeks
Educational focus: Mastery through leadership, community service, equity in health care, and quality of care.
PGY-3 Curriculum (52 weeks)
- Wards: 10 weeks
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU): 4 weeks
- Research: 4 weeks
- Hybrid rotations: 6 weeks
- Addiction/Palliative Care: 2 weeks
- Didactics: 8 weeks
- Continuity Clinic: 8 weeks
- Elective: 4 weeks
- Vacation: 4 weeks
Abbreviations shown in graphic
- ICU = Intensive Care Unit
- HY = Hybrid rotation
- NE = Neurology
- DID = Didactics
- CC = Continuity Clinic
- Res = Research
- ED = Emergency Department
- GE = Geriatrics
- A/P = Addiction Medicine/ Palliative Care
- Elect = Elective
- Vac = Vacation

Comprehensive Curriculum

To strengthen the sense of community and family at UT Southwestern, the Community & Population Healthcare residents are sorted into three "firms" who rotate through inpatient rotations and +2 clinic weeks together. This continuity, along with having weekends off together, helps residents form close relationships over the three years of residency and makes our large program feel much smaller.

4 + 2 Highlights

The academic year is made up of eight (8), six (6) week blocks each.
The six weeks are broken up into a  4-week rotation followed by a +2 Continuity Clinic week. The 4-week rotations are made up of inpatient wards, ICU, electives, and hybrid rotations.
Firms rotate through 4-week blocks together and will always be in clinic at the same time.
Shared practice groups made up of residents in each firm help cover each other’s patient panels while they are in clinic allowing those on 4-week rotations to focus their attention on their inpatient responsibilities.
The weekend before a +2 clinic week is always a full weekend off (“golden weekend”). This allows for planning all weekends off for the full three years of residency.

Hybrid Rotations

The Department of Internal Medicine has robust divisions in all major Internal Medicine subspecialties. During hybrid rotations, residents get broad exposure to these specialties through both inpatient and outpatient experiences at all three of our hospitals and their affiliated clinics. Residents will spend 2-to-4-weeks immersed in Nephrology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Infectious Disease, Hematology/Oncology, Neurology, Palliative Care, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Addiction Medicine, Cardiology, and Pulmonary Medicine over the course of three years. An added bonus of these rotations is that most services included in hybrid blocks allow for weekends off. Residents also rotate at specialized clinics like refugee, transgender, medication-assisted treatment and homeless outreach clinics. Residents will also have dedicated weeks for longitudinal primary care and health equity experiences with mentorship from faculty members in the O’Donnell School of Public Health.

Sample Block Schedule

	Block 1		Block 2		Block 3		Block 4
PGY 1	PMH Wards	+2	CUH Wards	+2	VA Wards	+2	VA CPICU	+2
PGY 2	CUH Wards	+2	VA Wards	+2	ED/Wards Night Float	+2	VA CPICU	+2
PGY 3	PMH Wards	+2	VA Wards	+2	Wards/Renal Hybrid	+2	VA CPICU	+2

	Block 5		Block 6		Block 7		Block 8
PGY 1	PMH MICU	+1	Elective	+1	Neuology/Hematology Oncology Hybrid	+1	GI Hybrid	+1
PGY 2	CUH MICU	+1	Elective	+1	Geriatics/ ID Hybrid	+1	Research/EROC	+1
PGY 3	PMH MICU	+1	Elective	+1	Addiction/Palliative	+1	PMH Wards	+1

PMH: Parkland Memorial Hospital
CUH: Clements University Hospital
VA: Dallas Veterans Affair Medical Center
CPICU: Cardiopulmonary ICU
EROC: Emergency Resident On-Call

Rotations Available

Sub-Specialty	PMH	CUH	VA
General Wards	Yes	Yes	Yes
MICU	Yes	Yes	No
Combined MICU/CCU	No	No	Yes
Cardiology	Yes	No	No
Advanced Cardiac Care Service	No	Yes	No
Hybrid Rotations - Nephrology	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - GI/Liver	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - Infectious Disease	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - Hematology/Oncology	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - Neurology	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - Rheumatology/Endocrinology	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hybrid Rotations - Cardiology/Pulmonary	Yes	Yes	Yes

Application and Interview Process

The Community and Population Healthcare Track is a unique training pathway within the UT Southwestern Internal Medicine Residency. We accept applications to the track through ERAS and the Community and Population Healthcare track has its own NRMP code: 2835140C5.

The Interview Process

The Community and Population Healthcare Track is a part of the larger Internal Medicine Program, so we want to ensure that all applicants have a chance to learn about both the Internal Medicine Residency in general and the Community and Population Healthcare Track specifically. Applicants take part in the larger General IM Residency interview process and then have additional interview elements to learn about the training sites, experiences, and people who make up the Community and Population Healthcare Track.

More details on how to apply and interview

Salary and Benefits

House Staff Stipends for 2026-2027

Program Year	Annual Stipend
Program Year 1	$71,657
Program Year 2	$74,258
Program Year 3	$77,686
Program Year 4	$82,225
Program Year 5	$86,343
Program Year 6	$89,505
Program Year 7	$95,050
Program Year 8	$100,944

Benefits

Residents in the Community and Population Healthcare Track are employed by UT Southwestern. This arrangement allows for the fullest integration with the O'Donnell School of Public Health possible.

UT Southwestern offers a robust benefits package that includes free health insurance for employees, affordable dependent coverage, dental and vision plans, flexible spending accounts, wellness programs, and personalized support services to promote overall well-being.

Explore UT Southwestern Employed
Resident Benefits

Additional Benefits offered to Residents

Malpractice Insurance

All residents are enrolled in professional liability insurance administered by The University of Texas System Professional Medical Liability Benefit Plan. Coverage is effective upon enrollment and extends to all training sites during the duration of residency training.

Paid Time Off

Residents will be provided with four weeks of PTO each academic year from July 1 to June 30th.

For Parkland, PTO will be front loaded at the start of employment
For UTSW employed, 8.33 PTO hours will be accumulated each month

Up to one month per academic year is permitted for time away from training, including vacation, holiday, illness, family medical leave, bereavement leave, pregnancy related leave. In accordance with ACGME Policy, residents are provided six weeks (240 hours) of approved maternal, parental, and caregiver leave of absence. The Maternal, Paternal, Caregiver leave benefit is 100% paid and runs concurrently with Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Parking

Free parking is provided at all campus and hospital sites.

Uniforms

Residents are provided two pairs of scrubs and one jacket with embroidered name and program. Additional scrubs are available at hospital sites.

Meals

Free lunch is provided every week day during noon conference at the three main hospital sites (Parkland, Clements University Hospital, Dallas VA). Parkland and CUH meal cards are allocated for meal purchases during overnight call.

Education and Travel Allowance

Each resident is allocated $2,000 each academic year to cover educational and travel expenses:

$1000 towards educational expenses (e.g. textbooks, board prep courses, journal subscriptions, board examinations, etc.)
$1000 towards conference travel expenses

Also included

In-house moonlighting opportunities available
Residents' lounge – An oasis in the middle of it all; stocked with coffee, a refrigerator, a microwave, sofas, cable television, and a ping-pong table!
VPN accounts for home access to our hospital's medical records and library resources
Free access to AMBOSS for all residents and UWorld bulk purchased and covered by educational expenses.
UT System site license for Microsoft Office software