History of Conemaugh's GME Program

Graduation Medical Education at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center

The first medical training program at Conemaugh Memorial began in 1915 with three interns who were training for a one year period. One of them, B.A. Braude, MD, was elected president of the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital Medical Staff in 1938. While the original medical training program ended in 1975, others began. Today Conemaugh Memorial residency programs include Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pharm D, and Psychology, with preliminary year residencies in Internal Medicine and Surgery, as well as AOA Residency programs.

Facts about Physician Education at Conemaugh

• • • Harold Gordon, MD was an intern at Conemaugh Memorial then later worked in Pathology. Dr. Gordon is 101 years old and still lives in the area.
    • General Surgery Residency started in 1961. It is a five-year program. Many of Conemaugh's surgeons are graduates from this program and also have completed specialty fellowships and returned to Conemaugh to practice.
    • Family Medicine Residency started in 1971 and was one of the first in the country. It is a three-year program. The program has graduated 224 physicians.
    • Internal Medicine Residency started in 1972. It is a three-year program. Many of Conemaugh's Primary Care physicians and Hospitalists graduated from this program.
    • Transitional Year started in 1982 and ended in 2012.
    • Internal Medicine Preliminary Year started in 2013 (replacing the Transitional Year program). It is a one-year program.
    • Emergency Medicine Residency started in 2008. It was a four-year program but is now transitioning to a three-year program.
    • PharmD Residency started in 2002. It is a one-year program and remains active. They have graduated 33 residents and 4 are working here at Conemaugh.
    • The Pre-Doctoral Psychology Internship is a one-year program for graduates of approved doctoral programs in psychology. It started in 2012 and remains active. The goal is to provide a comprehensive training experience which includes primary care psychology, inpatient health and mental health experience, assessments, and treatment of multiple patient populations within and outside the hospital
    • American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Residency started in 1988 and joined with ACGME in 2020.