Internal Medicine Residency Program

Internal Medicine Residency Program

Our Internal Medicine Residency program began in July 2001, obtaining its initial accreditation by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) the following year.  In 2007, we were granted 10 years of Continued Accreditation by the ACGME, putting us in a privileged position.


Our Mission

  • Prepare physicians outstanding in all six competencies, to practice high quality Internal Medicine by giving them a strong base not only to pass their board, but to either be excellent specialists or continue their training in any subspecialty.
  • Maintain a culture of resident and faculty wellness, including resident and faculty support, camaraderie and mentorship; addressing aspects of well-being which includes physical, emotional and social well-being in order to ensure a work-life balance during residents three-year training.
  • Provide an intensive educational environment with a diversity of clinical settings which promote compassion, progressive responsibility, medical ethics, professionalism, graduated autonomy, and team based collaborative care.
  • Maintain the majority of our residents in our island upon completing their training, and provide high quality care to underprivileged communities.

Program Aims

We seek to provide an intensive educational environment with a diversity of clinical settings to promote compassion, progressive responsibility, medical ethics, professionalism, graduated autonomy, and team based collaborative care.  With a dynamic curriculum and rich environment, we promote growth and independence for residents which prepares them for the next stage of their career, either if their goal is being a primary care physician, hospitalist, or subspecialty fellow.  Striving to foster physician wellness and dedication to our patients and communities.  Furthermore, we aim to create Fellowship Programs where residents can continue their training in subspecialties such as Endocrinology, Cardiology and Pulmonary.


About Our Program

Our program is a perfect combination of a high quality training environment with a mission driven hospital whose commitment to education and constant support is key in our continued growth.   Striving to prepare physicians to practice high quality Internal Medicine, applying superior clinical judgement and deliver innovative and effective health care to society, we emphasize on evidence-based medicine and clinical problem solving. Therefore, aligning with our sponsoring institutions mission to provide services of the highest quality to our patients.

With a dynamic curriculum and rich environment, we promote growth and independence for residents which prepares them for the next stage of their career, either if their goal is being a primary care physician, hospitalist, or subspecialty fellow. Furthermore, our strong inpatient and ambulatory program emphasizes the importance of education in all six competencies.  Our residency program has an in-house Continuity Clinic, allowing residents to follow-up on patients with all the necessary information at their fingertips through the Electronic Health Record system.  Thus, with a vast variety of subspecialist on-site, residents are able to consult any situation that may arise during patient’s follow-up visit.

Working with our diverse patient population is rewarding, requiring an extra layer of thought, both in terms of complexity in medical diseases and the difficulties in providing high quality care under challenging social circumstances. Teaching residents not only medical aspects, but inculcating humanistic qualities which include our institutions values safety, quality, excellence, integrity, empathy and loyalty.

We take pride in the educational and work environment that our program has been able to develop throughout the past years. Our tradition of camaraderie, teamwork, and clinical innovation not only empowers residents to improve the health of the culturally and socioeconomically diverse patient population, but it nurtures their well-being.

Residents are a very important part of our institution and their feedback is very valuable; therefore, they are assigned to all of the institutional committees.  Thus, we engage residents in patient safety and quality with conferences and research projects.  Leading initiatives such as the Sepsis Awareness Campaign and the Quality Standard Challenge.

Core faculty are clinically active Internists, plus we have a vast variety of subspecialists committed to residency training, most of which are available in-house on a daily basis.   They work with residents closely, both from direct observation and feedback at bedside to advice residents on patient care and management, to indirect supervision being available by means of telephonic and/or electronic modalities at any time.

Our Internal Medicine Residency offers a versatile program that caters to resident’s career passions. We hope to maintain our residents in our island upon completing their residency training, as well as those whom have furthered their training in a subspecialty fellowship, and provide high quality care to underprivileged communities. As a future goal, we are making efforts to create fellowship programs to help residents who will continue training in a sub-specialty achieve their goal.


Curriculum

Our program consists of three years of training in Internal Medicine.  During their training, residents receive an important exposure in all Internal Medicine subspecialties, such as:

  • Cardiology
  • Pneumology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Neurology
  • Nephrology
  • Endocrinology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Geriatrics
  • Emergency Room Medicine

In addition, we offer clinical rotations in Ophthalmology, Ears, Nose and Throat, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Adolescent Medicine; as well as rotations in Research and Quality.


Resident Benefits

We offer residents:

  • Professional Liability Insurance
  • Life and Disability Insurance
  • Health Insurance
  • Vacation Time (28 days)
  • Maternity / Paternity Leave
  • Sick Leave
  • Free access to faculty parking area
  • 24-hour library with technological resources for learning and access to on-line scientific literature, including access to Ponce Health Sciences University virtual library.
  •  American College of Physicians Membership during resident’s three-year residency.
  • Mentorship Program
  • Psychological Support
  • Resting area which includes resident lounge with snacks, coffee and water available 24/7.
  • American Board of Internal Medicine Review during third year of residency reimbursed by the Institution.
  • Reimbursement of American Board of Internal Medicine Certification Exam upon obtaining a passing score.

Office Location

Our offices are located on the fourth floor of Mayagüez Medical Center, next to the emergency exit. We look forward to meeting you!


Telephone/ Fax:
(787) 833-3695


Meet Our Staff

Residency Program Director:
Dr. Milton D. Carrero Quiñones, MD, FACP
milton.carrero@mmcw.azurewebsites.net

Dr. Milton D. Carrero Quiñones, MD, FACP

Residency Program Administrator:
Vanessa M. Ruiz Torres
(787) 652-9200 ext. 72031
vanessa.ruiz@mmcw.azurewebsites.net

Vanessa M. Ruiz Torres
Vanessa M. Ruiz Torres

Secretary/Coordinator:

Cristina M. Ramirez Ellín

(787) 652-9200 Ext. 72675

Cristina.ramirez@mmcw.azurewebsites.net

Cristina M. Ramirez Ellín

Cristina M. Ramirez Ellín