Transitional Year Residency
Mission
Our mission is to educate residents, helping them develop into proficient, compassionate, curious, ethical, and adaptable physicians capable of improving the well-being of the varied patient population in Montana and beyond. The Benefis Health System Transitional Year Residency Program is committed to creating a supportive environment where respectful and compassionate physicians are trained to provide exceptional care. Through thorough education, we will empower residents to deliver value-based care, address healthcare disparities, and manage population health effectively. We encourage the growth of curious and scholarly physicians who can apply the latest scientific knowledge to patient care. Additionally, we aim to develop healthcare leaders who can innovate within diverse healthcare systems. Advocating for diversity and inclusion is crucial to our program, as we strive to nurture a culture that embraces everyone.
Program Overview
The Benefis Health System Transitional Year Residency Program will:
- Cultivate an environment to nurture compassionate and respectful physicians dedicated to delivering high-quality care to diverse patient populations.
- Provide residents with education in the principles of delivering value-driven care, addressing healthcare disparities, and managing population health effectively.
- Encourage the growth of inquisitive and scholarly physicians who can apply cutting-edge scientific knowledge at the patient’s bedside to ensure the provision of the most current and scientifically sound care.
- Promote diversity and inclusion within the program, fostering an inclusive culture.
- Instill a sense of community and personal responsibility with a strong commitment to service.
- Develop healthcare leaders who can innovate within diverse healthcare systems.
- Prioritize resident well-being by fostering a culture of support, camaraderie, and mentorship.
Benefis Health System is dedicated to providing residents with significant experiences built upon a wide range of varying clinical opportunities. Residents will work in a highly supported learning environment with hand-selected faculty in required subspecialty practice areas. The leadership at Benefis will ensure residents receive access to all clinical, personnel, and educational resources required for a robust and fulfilling training experience in their transitional year. Our goal is to train highly motivated and academically talented physicians into the role of high-caliber clinicians with a breadth of experience. Our residents will become physicians well-equipped to continue their training and development in their specialty of choice.
Contact
Kiquana Chevis, MBA
Program Coordinator
Leadership
The Benefis Health System Transitional Year Residency Program is proud to have a diverse and experienced faculty team with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. These faculty members bring unique skill sets and a wealth of knowledge acquired through their work in various interdisciplinary, interprofessional, team-based healthcare delivery models. Having practiced in different inpatient and outpatient settings, faculty possess extensive practical knowledge.
Program Director: Dr. Sheffield
Core Faculty: Dr. Merhala Balasubramaniam, Mark Benjamin, John Elibol, Stephanie Hang, John Venditti
Meet our Residents
Training Sites
Benefis Health System
Benefis Health System will serve as the main training site for the Transitional Year Residency Program. Benefis is a 614-bed multidisciplinary, acute care, not-for-profit medical center accredited by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Benefis Health System is the largest health system in northcentral Montana.
Application Process
The Benefis Transitional Year Residency Program accepts applications through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Any information submitted outside of ERAS cannot be accepted. For questions about the recruitment process, please reach out to Kiquana Chevis at kiquanachevis@benefis.org.
Application Requirements
To apply for the Benefis Transitional Year Residency Program, submit the following documents:
- Completed ERAS application
- USMLE or COMLEX Step 1 report
- Medical school transcript
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- MSPE (Dean's letter)
- Registered to participate in NRMP
USMLE or COMLEX Step 2 will need to be successfully completed prior to starting our program.
Curriculum
General Structure:
Schedule
13 blocks of 4-week rotations
- 6 blocks of Internal Medicine
- 1 block of Ambulatory
- 1 block of Emergency Department
- 1 block of Intensive Care
- 4 blocks of electives including 1 block of Specialty
Planned Educational Activities for the First Academic Year
Academic Half Day
Takes place weekly on Tuesdays from 1300-1700. All residents will be relieved of clinical duties during that time by faculty. For residents unable to attend any portion of the session, a taped version and associated handouts/materials will be available for review within 24 hours.
- Didactics will cover topics based on the ABIM internal medicine blueprint.
- Journal Club and techniques in critical appraisal will occur at least once monthly.
- DIO meeting with residents/fellows will occur on the first Tuesday at this time of each even numbered month.
- Wellness/Mentor sessions will explore techniques to enhance personal wellness with the help of the Wellness Program for the Hospitalists and provider coaches affiliated with Benefis. Mentors will check in with their residents during the second half of these sessions.
- High Value Care topics will be discussed. Resources include the “Things We Do for No Reason” from SHM and the High Value Care Committee from the ACP.
- Professional development will include discussions and efforts in support of cultural sensitivity and humility; patient experience; diversity, equity and inclusion; dissemination of medical knowledge; medical malpractice; etc.
Grand Rounds
Occur at noon on the fourth Friday of each month and are interdisciplinary. Topics/speakers are determined by the CME committee and appeal to multiple disciplines throughout the year.
Sessions are recorded for later review and may also be streamed virtually at the time of presentation. As an example, topics have included Plastic Surgery in Developing Africa; An Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine; Surgical Approach to Intracranial Hemorrhage; Amyloid Cardiomyopathy; Evaluation and Management of Pulmonary Embolism; Bedside Teaching; and Multidisciplinary Management of Cardiogenic Shock.
Asynchronous Learning
Recognizing the need to develop knowledge about a wide variety of topics that can best be performed individually in a self-paced modality, residents will complete the assigned trainings in the AMA GME Competency Education Program, POCUS, and the ACP High Value Care Interactive Online Modules.
Medical Knowledge Assessments
Using AMBOSS residents will complete a 50-question assessment that is linked to that month’s board review topic that can be completed independently. The due date will be last day of month and may be taken at any time.
Pay / Benefits
Benefits will be offered through Benefis Health System, including health insurance.
Salary (2025-2026): $65,000
Food Stipend: $3,840
Interview Process
Interviews will begin in early October and continue in January. Our program will be conducted virtual interviews. For a more detailed explanation of this process, please email Kiquana Chevis at kiquanachevis@benefis.org.
About Great Falls
Great Falls history begins with the Missouri River, which drops over 500 feet in a series of rapids and five waterfalls known as the “great falls” of the Missouri. Great Falls was formally founded in 1884 by Paris Gibson. Gibson learned of Great Falls through Lewis and Clark’s journal entries and made the trip from Fort Benton to see it for himself. Seeing the potential for railroad development, he and James Hill fronted the money to develop the city.
Great Falls has a population of 60,000, with a regional draw of more than 275,000 people in northcentral Montana. Great Falls is a wonderful and safe place to raise a family, with nationally ranked public schools and an average commute of less than 12 minutes. The quality of life in Great Falls is unsurpassed in the Rocky Mountain West! Additionally, the Missouri River, a blue-ribbon fly-fishing destination, runs through the middle of town. Outdoor activities include camping; hiking; horseback riding; water and snow skiing; rock and ice climbing; boating; whitewater kayaking; off-road motor sports; and upland bird, waterfowl, and big-game hunting.
Adventure is within arm’s reach in Great Falls as it is located about halfway between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park. From Great Falls, Glacier National Park is only 146 miles, with Yellowstone National Park being 225 miles.
You will find many great things to do in Great Falls, Montana!
