UNC Health Blue Ridge Internal Medicine Residency Program Overview
About Us
Welcome to the Department of Internal Medicine at UNC Health Blue Ridge in Morganton, North Carolina. Our Internal Medicine Residency welcomed its first class in 2011. Initially accredited by the AOA, we earned ACGME accreditation in 2015, affirming our commitment to high-quality graduate medical education. We are excited that you have chosen to review our program and that you have decided on a career in Internal Medicine. This site was developed to answer most, if not all of your questions about residency training and resident life at UNC Health Blue Ridge.
UNC Health Blue Ridge Internal Medicine Mission Statement
We prepare future internists to lead with excellence, compassion, and confidence, especially in rural communities, through immersive, hands-on training in both inpatient and outpatient care. Our mission is to ensure every graduate is equipped to manage a full spectrum of medical conditions and thrive in any clinical setting.
Admission and Eligibility
Our Internal Medicine Residency Program is open to graduates of an accredited medical school that are eligible to apply for a North Carolina resident training license. Applicants are selected for interviews based on evidence of their commitment to a career caring for patients, history of strong academic achievement, maturity, professionalism, and sound clinical skills.
Our Hospital
UNC Health Blue Ridge is a comprehensive, primary care center in rural western North Carolina. The hospital draws from a diverse population in the region and residents are well trained to identify and manage issues related to the healthcare disparities seen in this region of the country.
Our Clinic
Mountain Valley Health Clinic is the resident continuity clinic practice located on the UNC Health Blue Ridge campus. The ambulatory facility houses a phlebotomy lab, pharmacy-run anticoagulation clinic, and also has a pharmacist on-site during a portion of the week. It also employs a patient care coordinator to assist patients with transportation, paperwork and other issues. The residency clinic works closely with the transition of care team in the hospital and runs a high risk hospital follow-up clinic aimed at improving readmissions.
Our Residents
Currently, we accept 27 residents per year through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Our residents come from all over the country to make Morganton their home. We have a diverse group of house officers whose love of rural medicine ties them together. The size of our program allows for a high level of interaction between our residents and the faculty.
Residency Program Highlights
- Focus on Cost-Conscious Care: Emphasizes the challenges and strategies of delivering high-quality, affordable care in rural settings.
- Diverse Training Sites: Residents rotate through primary, secondary, and tertiary care facilities across western North Carolina, offering rich clinical exposure.
- Comprehensive Outpatient Experience: Ambulatory training includes care for both insured and under/uninsured patients, many with complex medical and social needs.
- Robust Inpatient Training: Centered at UNC Health Blue Ridge, a full-service hospital serving a diverse rural population.
- Healthcare Disparities Education: Residents gain experience identifying and managing issues related to regional healthcare inequities.
- Graded Responsibility Model: First-year residents focus on direct patient care, while second- and third-year residents take on teaching and supervisory roles.
- One-on-One Hospitalist Mentorship: Senior residents enhance their inpatient management skills through direct collaboration with teaching hospitalists.
