Contact Us
For more information about our program, please contact Cara Hernandez, program administrator, at (843) 692-1118.
Mission Statement
The Grand Stand Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program’s mission is to develop the next generation of physicians and physician leaders. As a part of HCA Healthcare, we are driven by a single mission: Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.
This program is designed to offer residents a rewarding, educational environment where residents are provided individualized learning opportunities by faculty and staff who support and sustain one another throughout quality care delivery. Our faculty are committed to ensuring the residents' clinical experience and educational needs are fulfilled while expanding residents’ perspectives to be inclusive of cultures, values, and ideals.
Program Overview
Our program is based at Grand Strand Medical Center (GSMC) a 403-bed acute care hospital located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The hospital is home to the busiest trauma center in the state of South Carolina, as well as, award winning programs in cardiovascular care, orthopedic surgery and stroke care.
Residents are immersed in a broad range of pathology that prepares them well for careers in hospital medicine, primary care, or fellowship training. The unique facets of caring for a population on vacation creates one-of-a-kind opportunities for learning and continued growth.
We are affiliated with Mercer University, The University of South Carolina and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), providing access to library resources, research support and the opportunity to work with medical students year-round to sharpen your teaching skills.
We are home to residency programs in Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, and Fellowships in Hospice & Palliative Care and Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, which provide opportunities for collaboration across residency programs and the ability to learn from and teach your peers.
The GSMC team takes pride in our dedicated faculty, outstanding residents, research accomplishments, didactic curriculum, POCUS and simulation curriculum integration and non-punitive learning environment.
We hope you will consider us for training and look forward to your visit to the beach!
Curriculum & Rotation Schedule
Our expertly crafted programs are designed to provide resident physicians with all the experiences and training necessary for professional success.
Salary Information
| Year | Salary | Meals | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGY-1 | $59,842 | $950 | $60,792 |
| PGY-2 | $61,942 | $950 | $62,892 |
| PGY-3 | $64,106 | $950 | $65,056 |
Conference Schedule
Our conference series includes academic half-day, Monday noon conference, board review, intern lecture series, case conference, ultrasound and simulation.
| Day | Time | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Noon – 1:00pm | Rotating series of Journal Club, MMI, Business of Medicine, PD Meeting, Inquiring Minds and Intern Core |
| Tuesday | 12:00pm – 12:30pm | Intern Lecture series |
| Tuesday | 12:30pm – 1:00pm | PD Case Conference |
| Wednesday | 2:00pm – 5:00pm | Academic Half-Day/Board Review |
| Thursday | 12:30pm – 1:00pm | Case Conference |
| Friday | 12:30pm – 1:00pm | Case Conference |
| 3rd Friday of the month | Noon – 1:00pm | Grand Rounds |
Monday conference
Conferences consist of five rotating topics.
- Business of Medicine: Covers practical and relevant skills for residency and beyond including topics such as financial planning, preparing a CV, job interview skills and overview of health care policy.
- Morbidity and Mortality Improvement: PGY1 presents a case. PGY2 analyzes case and constructs a fishbone diagram looking at processes relating to a given outcome. PGY2 and PGY1 residents work together to create and implement an improvement plan. The goal is to have a QI project come out of each MMI.
- Journal Club: PGY2 and PGY3 residents present one article each session (2 articles each session). Focus on understanding study types and basic statistics. Goal is to present new literature and landmark articles.
- IM Business Meeting: Program Director-led conference reviewing programmatic changes and hospital updates.
- Inquiring Minds Want to Know: PGY2 led conference. Each resident spends 30 minutes presenting an evidence-based answer to an outpatient and an inpatient clinical question.
Case Conference
Case conference is run by the program leadership (Tuesday) and faculty (Thursday, Friday).
This thirty-minute conference highlights cases encountered on the wards and brief updates related to new literature or guidelines.
The goal of case conference is to develop a problem list into a differential diagnosis and ultimately a unifying diagnosis. Focus is on evidence-based history, exam, diagnostic testing, treatment and most importantly clinical reasoning.
Senior residents develop an illness script for each case conference.
Academic Half-Day
Academic half day occurs every Wednesday from 2:00 - 5:00 pm.
The conference series is a repeating 18-month curriculum based on the ABIM board blueprint.
Components of academic half-day include case-based lectures, visual diagnosis (EKG, CXR, Peripheral Smear, Rash), high value-care, board review and jeopardy.
Intern Lecture Series
This conference series is open for all residents but focuses on intern-level topics. The goal of this series is to develop a framework for approaching common topics in internal medicine.
This high yield conference includes such topics as COPD exacerbations, C. diff colitis, inpatient fever, and altered mental status.
Outpatient Didactics
Tuesday afternoon Clinic Half-Day lecture is a faculty-led, outpatient topic discussion/workshops, simulation training and hands on ultrasound training.
Frequently Asked Questions about our Internal Medicine Program
Applications are accepted beginning September 15 for the following year's class. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Our program only accepts electronic applications through ERAS (the Electronic Residency Application Service). The required documents for an application are the same as ERAS (at least two letters of recommendation, the Dean's letter/MSPE, formal transcripts, USMLE/COMLEX transcripts and a personal statement).
All spots are filled through the NRMP (the Match). If you are an international applicant, ECFMG Certification is required prior to the start of residency.
We focus our recruiting on applicants from the Southeast and recommend interested applicants outside this region consider using a program signal to signify interest.
Applicants must have passed USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) Step 1 and have taken both components of Step 2 and/or have passed the COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination) Level 1 and have taken both components of Level 2.
The Internal Medicine program has 13 PGY–1, 13 PGY-2 and 13 PGY–3, for a total of 39 residents.
Grand Strand Medical Center is a 403-bed acute care hospital that serves a diverse patient population. Patient demographics are broad including age ranges from adolescents to young active families to active retirees. The spectrum of patients and pathology offers an excellent learning environment.
We accept J-1 Visas on a case by case basis. We do not accept H-1 Visas.
We are a growing community Internal Medicine program with a diverse patient population. Our educational model is built around interactive small group teaching sessions and one-on-one interaction with faculty who are passionate about delivering high quality, patient-centered, evidence-based care.
We work to integrate our residents into our medical culture by involvement in hospital committees, quality improvement projects, scholarly research activities and scholarly presentations. We strive to create a family friendly work environment with emphasis on resident wellness and resiliency. Our goal is to mold our residents into excellent physicians and individuals who will positively impact the field of medicine and our society.