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Incoming Residents and Fellows

The UT Health Science Center College of Medicine-Chattanooga is pleased to have you interested in our residency/fellowship programs!

Our institution has a strong partnership with the region's leading academic medical center,  Erlanger . Primary clinical sites include Erlanger Baroness, Children's Hospital at Erlanger, and Erlanger East Hospital. 

If matched with our Chattanooga GME Programs, our institution and respective departments will have information for you to review and requirements that must be accomplished via online onboarding checklists. Once matched, it is recommended to contact your program coordinator asap to determine your specific arrival date to complete all required orientation and training. 

 
Requirements
All incoming residents/fellows must--
  1. Acknowledge that the first official day of clinical responsibilities is Tuesday, July 1, 2025 for most of our incoming Residents and Fellows.  Colon/Rectal Surgery, Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery, and Vascular Surgery Fellows will begin Friday, August 1, 2025.
  2. Give permission for and pass a Criminal Background Check (online) through a third party company called the "Cora Croup."
  3. Pass a drug screen, mask fit test, 2-TB skin tests, and immunization screening (including necessary titers and immunizations) performed by the Erlanger Employee Health arm of Erlanger Express Care.  Erlanger requires that male residents and fellows must be clean- or close- shaven in order that the respirator will be able to seal for the OSHA-required mask fit test which would be used in negative pressure patient rooms.
  4. Document a physical exam conducted since January 2025 and have a health statement form stating that the resident/fellow is physically and mentally fit to begin duty in our residency program. The form must be signed by a U.S. licensed physician who is not related to the incoming resident/fellow.  Residents or fellows may not conduct and sign the physical exam/health statement form for one another.  If you do not have a primary care physician and cannot get the physical exam done prior to July 1,  you will be able to contact Erlanger Express Care to schedule a physical exam earlier this upcoming Spring (at your own cost: $65).
  5. You can begin scheduling appointments for your pre-employment drug screen, mask fit-tests, TB skin tests, and immunization screening, as well as physical exams if you cannot get one otherwise as early as April 28, 2025.

You should have already received emails to log into our secure, web-based residency management information system "New Innovations." Please complete the onboarding checklist. 

In order to be eligible to receive the GME orientation and electronic communication stipends on your July 31, 2025 paycheck, you must complete assigned online checklists #1 - 4 by June 13, 2025 (or the indicated deadline for each step). These stipends total $950. For Checklists #5 - 9,  you will also need to comply with the deadline for each Checklist and each individual step (before you begin training on either July 1 or August 1). In addition, you must also attend all required certification training, department orientation sessions, and GME institutional orientations sessions in order to receive those orientation stipends.

More Important Information

You will be an employee of the University of Tennessee and not our affiliated hospital, Erlanger.

Please be aware that your first official day of residency/fellowship training will be Tuesday, July 1, 2025, unless you have already been given a later start date by your Program Director.  This includes Plastic Surgery Advanced Residents unless otherwise approved by the Chair and Program Director.  Fellows in Cardiovascular Disease, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography, Primary Care Sports Medicine, and Gastroenterology also start on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.  Surgical Fellows, including Colon/Rectal Surgery, Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery, and Vascular Surgery, have a start date of Friday, August 1, 2025.  

Life support certification: Depending on your specialty, you will need to obtain BLS, ACLS, PALS, NRP, ALSO, and/or ATLS certification before you officially begin your residency or fellowship on July 1. If you can obtain the required certifications prior to July 1 at your medical school or current training program, you will just need to send the GME Office a copy of your certification cards denoting dates of certification (email to your Program Coordinator).  

Please let us know if we can assist you in any way. To our new matches, congratulations and welcome to the UT Health Science Center family!

GME and Dean's Office Staff

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Oct 7, 2025