Residency in Endocrinology

Campus: Astana, Kazakhstan, NU School of Medicine building, hospitals

Language: English, Kazakh, Russian

Delivery mode: Full time

Duration: 5 years

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General information

The NU SOM Endocrinology Residency Program is designed to train medical doctors to become skilled general internists with subspecialty expertise in Endocrinology. The program emphasizes evidence-based practices, clinical research, and hands-on procedural experience. The program prepares residents to manage both common and complex endocrine disorders and equips them with the tools to engage in academic and scholarly activities.

The curriculum is in alignment with the ACGME core competencies and provides clinical training in a range of general internal medicine and endocrinology settings. Residents will gain exposure to a variety of inpatient and outpatient clinical services and engage in both clinical practice and translational research.

Program aims

The aims of the Endocrinology Residency Program are:

To educate residents according to the six ACGME core competencies in the field of Endocrinology (Patient Care and Procedural Skills, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism, System-Based Practice)
To train MD graduates to become skilled general internists and endocrinology specialists capable of applying knowledge and skills in clinical and scholarly activities.
To develop endocrinology specialists who meet the current needs of the Kazakhstan population, including both rural and urban communities.

Curriculum

Residency Structure

The clinical curriculum relies upon the ACGME Program Requirements for Endocrinology Residency and fulfils the ACGME Competencies and Milestones required for all residencies, as described previously.

PGY-1

Interns actively participate in patient care, including assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and procedures under supervision. Responsibilities include order writing and student teaching.

Rotations include:

General Internal Medicine (2 months)
Neurology (2 months)
Pulmonology (2 months)
Intensive Care Medicine (1 month)
Emergency Medicine (2 months)
Emergency & Point-of-Care Ultrasound (2 months)

PGY-2

Residents take on supervisory roles for interns and students, assisting in patient management, invasive procedures, and hospital medical records. Rotations include:

General Internal Medicine (Nephrology, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology, Cardiology) (6 months total)
Cardiology (2 months)
Rheumatology (2 months)
Elective Clinical Rotation (1 month)

PGY-3

Senior residents refine their supervisory and teaching roles while gaining exposure to subspecialties and research. Rotations include:

Endocrinology (2 months)
Hematology (1 month)
Gastroenterology (Hepatobiliary & Hepatology) (2 months)
Nephrology & Hemodialysis (2 months)
Ambulatory Medicine (1 month)
Elective Clinical Rotation (3 months)

PGY-4 to PGY-5 years focus on Endocrinology training

Residents completing the 3-year Internal Medicine Residency at NU SOM are eligible to continue Endocrinology training.

PGY-4

Clinical Endocrinology (Inpatient & Outpatient) – 5 months
Type 1 Diabetes Management – 4 months
Thyroid Disorders – 1 month
ICU – 1 month
Elective (Endocrine Imaging) – 1 month

PGY-5

Clinical Endocrinology (Inpatient & Outpatient) – 5 months
Diabetic Complications – 4 months
Hypothalamus / Pituitary – 1 month
Elective (Endocrine Genetic Diseases) – 1 month

Clinical rotation sites

During the training, residents will rotate through a variety of general internal medicine and endocrinology inpatient and outpatient clinics. All the clinical activities will be carried out in the following Hospitals/Centers:

Program learning outcomes

Upon completing the Endocrinology Residency Program, residents should demonstrate proficiency in the ACGME Milestone targets for Endocrinology, specifically in the following areas:

1. Patient Care and Procedural Skills

Residents will:

Practice health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, and care for patients across the life span, from adolescence to old age.
Demonstrate competence in various roles within the healthcare system, including as direct providers, team members, consultants, and teachers.
Manage patients in multiple healthcare settings, including inpatient wards, critical care units, and ambulatory clinics.
Perform and interpret diagnostic tests, including hormone assays, imaging, and radiologic studies.
Provide evidence-based care, employing population data and critical thinking to ensure safe, effective, timely, and cost-effective treatment.
Manage complex endocrine conditions such as diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid disorders, and disorders of calcium and bone metabolism.

2. Medical Knowledge

Residents must demonstrate in-depth knowledge in:

The scientific method and evidence-based decision-making.
Indications, contraindications, and techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including hormone assays and imaging.
Biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences as they relate to endocrinology and diabetes.
Key endocrine disorders, including diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, and metabolic bone diseases.
Pathogenesis, epidemiology, and genetics of endocrine conditions.

3. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Residents will:

Identify strengths and limitations in their knowledge and expertise.
Set learning goals and engage in continuous improvement.
Evaluate and incorporate evidence from scientific studies into patient care.

4. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Residents will:

Communicate effectively with patients, families, healthcare teams, and other professionals.
Lead and work within healthcare teams, ensuring clear, accurate, and timely information exchange.
Maintain comprehensive and legible medical records.

5. Professionalism

Residents will demonstrate:

Compassion, integrity, and respect for others.
Sensitivity to diverse patient populations, including gender, culture, race, and disabilities.
Accountability to patients, society, and the profession.

6. System-Based Practice

Residents will:

Work effectively within various healthcare settings and systems.
Coordinate patient care and advocate for quality patient care and safety.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient care outcomes.
Recognize system errors and implement solutions.

Career opportunities

Upon completion of the residency program in Endocrinology, trainees will acquire high skills that will allow them to work in:

Clinical practice in hospitals, endocrinology clinics, and outpatient centers.
Academic and research institutes, contributing to advancements in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolic disorders.
Leadership positions in healthcare systems, overseeing endocrinology departments and patient care services.

Faculty

Abduzhappar Gaipov

Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency, Associate Professor
abduzhappar.gaipov@nu.edu.kz

Entry requirements

There are two types of admission: Unconditional and Conditional

Applicants who qualify for unconditional admission are expected to have:

The NUSOM Admissions Committee will consider applicants recommended for admission by University Medical Center (UMC) Residency Admission Committee but the ultimate decision to admit these applicants is made by the NUSOM Admissions Committee.

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (the highest-level medical qualification that provides eligibility for registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained from a recognized university listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month.

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (the highest-level medical qualification that provides eligibility for registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained from a recognized university listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month.

An overall IELTS test score of 6.0 or higher (with no sub-score less than 5.5 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;

Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction, and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program officially taught in English;
The applicant is a graduate of NU.

An overall IELTS test score of 6.0 or higher (with no sub-score less than 5.5 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;

Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program officially taught in English;
The applicant is a graduate of NU.

IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step 1 test report.

You may provide an IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step 1 test report after receiving Conditional Admission during your first year of enrollment.

A high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program, as outlined in the personal statement.

A high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program, as outlined in the personal statement.

Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees, preferably related to the specific residency program.

Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees, preferably related to the specific residency program.

Important dates

Online application deadline for the residency program for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and for international applicants - May 16, 2025, inclusively (2 pm Astana time).

List of documents to be submitted by the applicants

All submitted documents shall be in English or with notarized English translation:

Complete application form;
National ID or passport;
Official document confirming name change (if applicable);
MD or equivalent terminal medical diploma with transcript;
IELTS or TOEFL test report/certificate valid as of the date of online documents submission to the Programs (if applicable);
IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE step 1 test report;
Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees preferably related to the specific residency program (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy) ;
Personal statement (up to 500 words);
075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international applicants);
The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.

Complete application form;
National ID or passport;
Letter of recommendation from UMC;
Official document confirming name change (if applicable);
MD or equivalent terminal medical diploma with transcript;
Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees preferably related to the specific residency program (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy) ;
Personal statement (up to 500 words);
075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international applicants);
The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.

Tuition fee

The residency program fee is $11,200 (5 723 200 KZT) for the 2025/2026 academic year for all students.

To learn more about tuition fees, please contact us at bursars_office@nu.edu.kz.

How to apply

Entry requirements

There are two types of admission: Unconditional and Conditional

Applicants who qualify for unconditional admission are expected to have:

The NUSOM Admissions Committee will consider applicants recommended for admission by University Medical Center (UMC) Residency Admission Committee but the ultimate decision to admit these applicants is made by the NUSOM Admissions Committee.

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (the highest-level medical qualification that provides eligibility for registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained from a recognized university listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month.

MD or an equivalent terminal medical degree (the highest-level medical qualification that provides eligibility for registration or certification to practice as an independent practitioner in the country), obtained from a recognized university listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcript and diploma before the end of the Program’s enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month.

An overall IELTS test score of 6.0 or higher (with no sub-score less than 5.5 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;

Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction, and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program officially taught in English;
The applicant is a graduate of NU.

An overall IELTS test score of 6.0 or higher (with no sub-score less than 5.5 in each section), or the equivalent TOEFL score as posted on the ETS website;

Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, may be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;
MD or equivalent terminal medical degree was earned in a program officially taught in English;
The applicant is a graduate of NU.

IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step 1 test report.

You may provide an IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE Step 1 test report after receiving Conditional Admission during your first year of enrollment.

A high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program, as outlined in the personal statement.

A high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program, as outlined in the personal statement.

Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees, preferably related to the specific residency program.

Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees, preferably related to the specific residency program.

Important dates

Online application deadline for the residency program for the citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and for international applicants - May 16, 2025, inclusively (2 pm Astana time).

List of documents to be submitted by the applicants

All submitted documents shall be in English or with notarized English translation:

Complete application form;
National ID or passport;
Official document confirming name change (if applicable);
MD or equivalent terminal medical diploma with transcript;
IELTS or TOEFL test report/certificate valid as of the date of online documents submission to the Programs (if applicable);
IFOM Basic Science Exam (BSE) or USMLE step 1 test report;
Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees preferably related to the specific residency program (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy) ;
Personal statement (up to 500 words);
075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international applicants);
The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.

Complete application form;
National ID or passport;
Letter of recommendation from UMC;
Official document confirming name change (if applicable);
MD or equivalent terminal medical diploma with transcript;
Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 months from academic or clinical referees preferably related to the specific residency program (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy) ;
Personal statement (up to 500 words);
075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international applicants);
The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.

How to apply

To participate in the competition the following steps must be completed:

Status assigned to the candidate

All registered candidates can check the status of their application in the Personal account. Description of the status below is presented in the order of assignment to the candidate in the Personal account.

Application in processing. This is interim status, which means that the application is being processed. Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the candidate on further steps/stages. Notification on final results will be sent to your email address.

Does not meet entry requirements. The status is assigned to the candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. It is given after checking the application forms and the documents by the Admissions Department.

Disqualified. The status is assigned to candidates who are disqualified for gross violations of the conditions of the competition. For example, provided deliberately false information.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. At one of the competition stages, the Admissions Committee decided to reject the candidate’s application.

Transfer to another program. At the stage of an application screening the Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for consideration by the Admissions Committee of another program within the same School.

Pending. Candidate’s application is pending.

Waiting list. The Admissions Committee has finished reviewing the candidate’s application and made a decision to put you on a waiting list. Such candidates should expect notification from the University, as there is a possibility that if other candidates reject to study, they may be sent an invitation letter to study.

Recommended for admission to program. Admissions Committee has decided to recommend candidate for the program without going through the Zero Year of Graduate programs.

Recommended for conditional admission. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend a candidate for the conditional admission with a requirement to fulfill the condition by the deadline specified in the notification.

Withdrawn. Candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.

Accepted Program admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Refused admission offer. The candidate was recommended for admission, but refused to study.

Refused in favor of another NU program. The status is applicable for those candidates, who applied for several graduate programs at NU. The status is assigned when the candidate chooses another program.

Deferred. The status is assigned to candidates who were accepted for the program, but decided to postpone their studies until the next year.

Did not submit the documents/Refused. The status assigned to candidates who did not provide originals of the documents by the stated deadline, which means that the candidate refuses to study at University.

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. The status is assigned to candidates who accepted the offer letter, provided hard copies of documents, but did not participate in Orientation week. The vacant place, if available, can be offered to the candidates in the Waiting list.

Enrolled to program. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the main program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

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