Primary Care Program

Overview

Welcome!

The Massachusetts General Hospital Primary Care Program aims to train excellent primary care doctors who will dedicate their careers to improving health equity in the Unites States through a diversity of careers as clinicians, advocates, educators, researchers and health systems leaders. We emphasize robust clinical training, exposure to systems innovating to improve the health of vulnerable populations, and building skills to be an agent of change in the health system. Coupled with individualized mentorship, leadership training and coaching, residents acquire the skills to succeed in the career path of their choice.

We hope you will consider us for your primary care residency training.

Sincerely,

William Kormos, MD
Interim Program Director for the MGH Internal Medicine Residency Program

Alaka Ray, MD
Associate Program Director for Ambulatory Training

Your primary care continuity practice

The cornerstone of your primary care training is your primary care continuity practice. Primary care residents select a location on the Mass General main campus or at a Mass General community health center. Applicants who match to the Mass General Primary Care Program submit practice site preferences before they arrive and are encouraged to talk or visit with residents and staff at the practice sites before internship begins. Continuity clinics are assigned to primary care residents first, to ensure best fit of practice site and preceptor based on the resident's career and clinical interests.

Enhanced primary care curriculum

In addition to the Internal Medicine Residency core curriculum in ambulatory medicine, primary care residents have enhanced primary care learning opportunities through:

• Retreats and Primary Care Special Sessions
  Throughout the year, primary care program residents come together for retreats and special sessions that provide a unique space for residents to build primary care-focused and advocacy skills, and come together as a community.
• Designer Blocks
  This time is completely unscheduled with the exception of continuity clinic, and residents are free to explore learning opportunities that expose them to new mentors or skills, complete an academic project or better prepare themselves for the careers that lay ahead.
• Optional Longitudinal Second Site
  Primary care residents can opt to engage in one of a variety of additional experiences beyond their primary care clinic, for example in geriatrics, mobile community care, or with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. 

Mission to Promote Health Equity

To prepare residents for careers improving health equity, we focus on exposing residents to innovative systems at Mass General caring for vulnerable populations, enabling residents to engage in that work and ground that in a curriculum designed to give each primary care resident a tool kit for advocacy to use throughout your career.

In addition, primary care residents have the opportunity to be exposed to clinical systems that focus on:

• Addiction medicine
• Immigrant health and performing asylum evaluations at the MGH Asylum Clinic
• Transgender health
• Homeless health through our partnership with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless
• Indigenous health through our partnership with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in Rosebud, South Dakota

Residents can seek more in-depth experiences in these sites if they wish.

Career Development 

Mass General Primary Care Program graduates have become leaders in academic and community-based general internal medicine as well as in public service and advocacy. They pursue careers in clinical practice combined with medical education, research, health care administration, social justice, practice innovation and community leadership roles. The Mass General Primary Care Program has no one "model" for a successful career in general internal medicine. While many graduates go on to obtain additional training - for example in health services research, addiction medicine, geriatrics and health care management - others continue directly into primary care practice. Each resident is matched with a mentor based on their career goals and preferences at the start of residency, and meets several times a year with the Primary Care Program Director to be connected with additional opportunities and mentors to explore their career aspirations.

Application Process

All applications are processed through the Electronic Residency Application Services (ERAS). All interested applicants should select the Mass General Primary Care Program (NRMP #1261140M0) on their ERAS application. The deadline for applications is September 26, 2023 midnight EST. 

With multiple tracks available within the Internal Medicine Residency program, we encourage applicants to explore the different opportunities available and apply to the program(s) that best match your interests. Applicants interested in the Primary Care program can simultaneously apply for the Categorical program. Your application will be reviewed by screeners in each program you have selected. 

Full application details can be found here.

Faculty & Staff

Sarah Kler, MD
Ambulatory Chief Resident

Laura Ricci
Primary Care Program Coordinator

Diane Ford
Ambulatory Program Manager