Bassett Healthcare is a regional health system of four hospitals and 23 community health centers serving residents of an eight-county region in central New York. The centerpiece of Bassett Healthcare is The Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, an 180-bed acute care, inpatient teaching facility in Cooperstown. Recognized as one of the finest rural health systems in the country, Bassett Healthcare surgeons and specialists offer services not typically found in a rural community. Bassett's mission is one of commitment to patient care, research, and medical education. Bassett has provided comprehensive patient-centered health care since the 1920s and has had a formal affiliation with Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons since 1947.

Transitional Year Residency


The Transitional Year provides a well-balanced clinical year in multiple disciplines. The program is designed for physicians with a program for the PGY-2 year, a government service commitment, or unclear career goals.

The year is designed to conform to the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). A written curriculum defines goals and objectives of every rotation. Applicants are encouraged to become familiar with these essentials and to discuss any points or questions with the Program Director, faculty, and housestaff. The core rotations of the curriculum require twenty-four weeks on rotations with senior resident contact. These rotations are Inpatient Services for Medicine, Surgery and ICU. Four weeks are required on each service respectively. The remaining 12 weeks is developed by the interests of the resident.

A typical (modifiable) Transitional Year includes:

20 weeks Inpatient Medicine
Inpatient Surgery
4 weeks ICU
4 weeks Outpatient Clinic
4 weeks Emergency Medicine
17 weeks Elective rotations
3 weeks Vacation

Modification of this schedule is achieved after match day, depending on the needs of the resident. Available electives include various outpatient experiences, a variety of medical and surgical subspecialties and OB/GYN, Pediatrics, or Psychiatry.

The flexibility of the curriculum allows the first-year resident to learn to be responsible for the primary management of the patients, which is the cornerstone of the teaching programs at Bassett Healthcare. The progress of each resident is monitored by the Program Director. The Transitional Year resident without a planned PGY-2 or beyond will be assisted by the Program Director to secure an appropriate program. Possibilities include top-flight programs around the country as well as Internal Medicine at Bassett Healthcare.