A doctor's medical education is long. First there is medical school, followed by an internship, which is followed by a residency. A doctor's residency is the final stage of her career; it is essentially an apprenticeship, during which she learns key medical skills through on-the-job training.
Residencies are often offered through teaching hospitals, which are in turn run by colleges with medical residencies.
Affiliation
A university does not offer a medical residency in the same manner that it offers a program like history, sociology or law. Rather than have residents participate in classes and seminars, a university will be affiliated with a hospital. The residents will work in the hospital, supervising interns and carrying out a variety of procedures, but they will also have access to the university's resources for independent research and other tasks that require the wealth of information that universities offer.
Research
While the focus of a medical residency is on learning medical skills, colleges with medical residencies also give the encouragement and opportunity for residents to work on their research skills by carrying out independent projects. This can help bolster a resident's medical reputation and also help doctors who want to get into research work on their research skills. This is another reason college affiliation is key -- colleges are research institutions at their core, and it is difficult to carry out high level research without access to one of these institutions.
Exams
Colleges that offer medical residencies also run the testing for residents to ensure that their skills are up to par. For example, residents need to take the American College of Physicians In-Service Exam. This exam's results indicate whether a resident is capable of practicing medicine, and the colleges that run the residencies also run the exams, providing the environment and supervision required to take a high level exam.
Placement
Your matriculation in a college that offers a medical residency is not the same as it would be in a standard college. Rather than apply directly, you need to apply for a placement, giving a few top choices at the end of medical school. You are then assigned a residency and college based on this application process.
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