Internal Medicine Residency

Blending clinical and academic excellence with delivery of patient care. The Cayuga Medical Center Program employs an innovative training model which prepares residents to be physician-leaders in medicine.

Community Partners

The Internal Medicine Residency at Cayuga Medical Center has a level of medical sophistication not routinely encountered in rural communities. However, it is our strong community partnerships that will offer a uniquely powerful training opportunity. These experiences will empower our residents to lead highly effective teams to deliver coordinated, high quality, cost conscious care and ready them for future challenges and changes in healthcare delivery. Coordinated experiences with our community partners will be delivered through a blend of residency-structured and self-directed rotations and may be scheduled or elective depending on the experience. Read below to learn more about our community partners.

The Cornell Center for Health Equity unites the Weill Cornell Medicine College and Cornell University’s Ithaca campuses with the mission of better understanding the root causes and manifestations of persistent health inequity. The Center’s academic-community partnership model opens unique opportunities for residents in a rural training program to participate in exemplary research with local, regional and national implications. Learn more.

CMA is a multi-specialty practice. It has over 70 providers seeing patients in 3 counties at over 12 locations. It provides primary care and specialty care in cardiology, critical care/pulmonology, dermatology, ENT, general surgery, hematology, oncology, hospital medicine, infectious disease, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, sleep medicine, rheumatology, sports medicine and travel medicine. Residents will rotate to various CMA clinics during their outpatient subspecialty elective time. Learn more.

Cayuga Health Partners (CHP) is a collaborative partnership between Cayuga Area Physicians’ Alliance (CAPA) and Cayuga Medical Center; encompassing more than 40 primary and specialty care practices. As a clinically integrated network, CHP incorporates evidence-based best practices and innovative data exchange in a way that aligns physician incentives, while driving network enhancements to achieve optimal health outcomes at an affordable cost. Residents will deliver care in the clinically integrated network and work with CHP members to further their mission of delivering high-value, accessible, cost-conscious care. Learn More.

The mission of the Tompkins County Mental Health Services Department is to meet the needs of the residents of Tompkins County in the areas of mental health, developmental disabilities, and chemical dependency by providing prevention and early detection, comprehensively planned care, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Residents have the opportunity to work with mental health professionals as part of the mental health assessment team. Learn more.

Cayuga Center for Healthy Living is a multidisciplinary program that offers patients programs to help them adopt healthy lifestyle habits in a safe and welcoming environment. Its programs include medically supervised weight management, nutrition counseling, exercise transition program, bariatric surgery support, diabetes education, cardiac rehabilitation, stress management and tobacco cessation. Residents will rotate in these programs in order to learn how to best assist patients in lifestyle change. Learn more.

Cayuga Primary Care – Internal Medicine Resident Clinic was designed to bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient settings and serve as an extension of the hospitalist team.  We also aim to capture patients who make contact with the medical system through the emergency department or urgent care and do not have stable follow up.  The clinic serves as a failsafe for patients struggling to access medical care and ultimately deploys patients to Primary Care physicians in the community. Residents will rotate to the Internal Medicine Resident Clinic for a year-long longitudinal experience scheduled during their ambulatory medicine blocks.

The vast majority of care currently provided at academic medical centers is dedicated to an increasingly elderly patient population, limiting the ability of residents to develop and practice strategies of caring and counseling for a younger patient population. Cornell Health is one of the largest student health centers in the country; operated by Cornell University, this center cares for over twenty-thousand undergraduate and graduate students and offers a wide variety of organized services including primary care, urgent care, trauma/sports medicine and physical therapy, ob/gyn care including STD treatment and contraception counseling, travel medicine, affective disorders and drug and alcohol abuse counseling, sexual orientation and transgender support groups. Residents may elect to rotate to Cornell Health and will be scheduled during their ambulatory medicine blocks. Learn more.

The REACH Project Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the belief that all individuals deserve respectful, equitable, access to compassionate healthcare in a setting where they will not be stigmatized or judged based on drug use, homelessness, or any other issue that may cause less than adequate care in today’s healthcare environment. The REACH Project owns and operates the first low threshold, harm reduction medical practice in Ithaca, NY: Reach Medical. Reach Medical offers a wide range of services including: opioid replacement therapy, medical cannabis certification, Hep C treatment, primary care and behavioral services, in a stigma-free, inclusive setting. Residents may train at REACH as one of their longitudinal electives scheduled during their ambulatory medicine blocks.

Hospicare of Ithaca offers a form of palliative care that focusses on providing compassionate, individualized care by addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families. During their geriatric medicine rotation, residents will have the chance to work with Hospicare where they will be introduced to working in interdisciplinary health care teams and be able to gain a deeper understanding of the role of hospice and palliative medicine in the care of patients with chronic and advanced illnesses. Learn more.

In Tompkins County alone, it is estimated that over 2,500 people are afflicted with chronic wounds. The Cayuga Center for Wound Healing treats chronic wounds and works to prevent reoccurrence by correcting or reducing contributing factors such as infection, circulatory problems, edema and dietary issues. The center is staffed with a unique and dedicated team of specialists that creates a multidisciplinary approach to wound management. This site is available for residents who elect to further their knowledge into wound care and management.

what our patients are saying

“I have to say the last couple visits that I’ve had here have been wonderful. About a month ago I had an EGD and the staff were amazing! Explained everything in detail and made me feel at ease. I was very nervous and the nurse I had was very comforting. Tonight we had to take my son to the emergency room and they were awesome with him! We got right in. “

Samantha, Emergency Department

“The staff and accommodations at Cayuga Birthplace are amazing!!! This is what it I imagine it would feel like to be a celebrity getting VIP treatment. I wish I could stay longer – even the food options are 5 Star! The amenities are great. Everything is clean and designed beautifully. Not a single complaint, only praises!”

Alina, Cayuga Birth Place

“I have had many occasions visiting CMC for myself and family. We have never had a bad experience there at all. Last October I had surgery and the nurses were amazing especially my night nurse. Thank you to all CMC staff for doing what you do every day with a smile.”

Karen, Surgical Services

“I have been a Hemo dialysis patient for almost Five years. Prior to dialysis and during dialysis I have had several trips to the ER, due to other health issues & was admitted to CMC more than a few times. Each and every time I’ve been there, whether in patient or out, I have been treated with respect, professionalism, and efficiency. I give this hospital 2 thumbs up!! Thank you CMC for taking care of me all these years!!”

Monique, Cayuga Cancer Center
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