The Internal Medicine Residency is a three-year program to prepare superb medical doctors to practice internal medicine with a culture of safety and continuous quality improvement. Our program trains fully competent physicians to pursue career in ambulatory care, hospital medicine or pursue further subspecialty training.

During the training, residents rotate through a variety of general internal medicine and subspecialty inpatient services and outpatient clinics.

Career: Residency graduates continue working as physicians. They can also continue a fellowship program on internal medicine subspecialties.

The aim of an internal medicine residency program is to provide comprehensive training and education for physicians to become skilled internists. This training focuses on developing expertise in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of a wide range of adult diseases and conditions. The internal medicine residency program also aims to produce well-rounded, competent internists who are prepared to handle the diverse and often complex medical needs of adult patients and contribute to the advancement of the field.

After completing an internal medicine residency program, physicians have a variety of career options. These options can be broadly categorized into clinical practice, academic roles, research, and other specialties. Clinical practice can be completed in a variety of hospitals and outpatient settings as a general practitioner, hospitalist, primary care physician, and specialist physician. After completing your internal medicine training, you can also pursue a variety of fellowship programs in subspecialties such as cardiology, gastroenterology (and hepatology), pulmonology, infectious diseases, nephrology, rheumatology, endocrinology, hematology, geriatrics, medical oncology, and many more. There are also a wide variety of areas in which internal medicine physicians can pursue their work and training in academia (teaching and research), public health, consulting, health care management, and global health.

By the end of the Internal Medicine Residency program candidates should be able to achieve the graduation target in the majority of the ACGME Milestones for Internal Medicine, as follows:

1. Patient care and procedural skills:

• ability to manage patients, in a variety of health care settings including the critical care units, the emergency setting and the ambulatory setting
• using clinical skills of interviewing and physical examination as well as using the laboratory and imaging techniques appropriately
• demonstrating competence in the performance of common used medical procedures and treating patient’s conditions with practices that are safe, scientifically based, effective, efficient, timely, and cost effective

2. Medical knowledge:

• demonstrate knowledge of the broad spectrum of clinical disorders seen in the practice of general internal medicine
• to demonstrate sufficient knowledge evaluate patients with an undiagnosed and undifferentiated presentation
• treat medical conditions commonly managed by internists
• appropriately use and perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

3. Practice-based learning and improvement:

• identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise
• systematically analyze practice using quality improvement methods, and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement
• locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients’ health problems

4. Interpersonal and communication skills:

• communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds
• communicate effectively with physicians, other health professionals, and health related agencies
• work effectively as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group
• act in a consultative role to other physicians and health professionals

5. Professionalism:

• demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others
• responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest
• demonstrate respect for patient privacy and autonomy
• accountability to patients, society and the profession
• sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation

6. System-based practice:

• work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to their clinical specialty
• coordinate patient care within the health care system relevant to their clinical specialty
• incorporate considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care as appropriate
• advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems
• work in inter-professional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care quality
• participate in identifying system errors and implementing potential systems solutions
• work in teams and effectively transmit necessary clinical information to ensure safe and proper care of patients including the transition of care between settings

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

• Adult City Hospital #1;
• Adult City Hospital #2;
• MC Hospital of the President’s affair;
• CF University Medical Center;
• City Polyclinic #9;
• National Scientific Medical Center;
• National Research Cardiac Surgery Center;
• National Research Oncology Center;
• Tuberculosis Hospital;
• Adult Infectious Diseases Hospital.

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Read the instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

1. Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
2. Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) with final academic performance or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
3. Motivation letter in English;
4. Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee

The application fee is paid online via your personal account with a bank card.

The application fee is 10 000 tenge and it is increased 3 times from the established amount when paid within the last two weeks before the first officially approved deadline and/or during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process. This amount is non-refundable.

Step 4. Finish the registration process

Finish the registration process by pressing the “Submit application” button. After submission applicants can’t change their applications.

Step 5. Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates

Upload IELTS/TOEFL certificates in your personal account in the section "Upload IELTS/TOEFL" and fill up the required information about the certificate.

Further steps

Check your e-mail for notifications from the NU Admissions Department and your personal account to learn about your application status.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

Online application deadline for the residency program: February 12, 2024 - June 10, 2024.

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 Zero Year of Graduate programs. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for the Zero Year of Graduate program. “Zero Year of Graduate programs” is a two-semester full-time program for candidates, who do not meet the language requirements for direct admission to Master’s programs, with intensive language, academic and research preparation for Master’s programs.

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.

Accepted Zero Year of Graduate programs admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter to Zero Year of Graduate program, 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.

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

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

PGY1

The 1st year of the Internal Medicine Residency program will be focused on clinical experience in general internal medicine specialities at the Multiprofile City Hospital #2, including patients with different acute (emergent) and chronic diseases. NU SOM faculty and clinical preceptors at city hospital #2 will supervise the residents.

The residents will pass through the following rotations:

1. Emergency medicine – 2 months

2. Intensive care medicine – 1 month

3. Ultrasound diagnostics – 2 months

4. General Inpatient Internal Medicine – 2 months

5. Pulmonary Medicine – 2 months

6. Neurology – 2 months

PGY2

The 2nd year of the Internal Medicine Residency program will be focused on advanced clinical experience in general internal medicine and subspecialties at the high-level tertiary referral hospitals such as MC Hospital of President’s affair, National Scientific Medical Center, National Research Cardiac Surgery Center, National Research Oncology Center, and University Medical Center.

The residents will pass through the following rotations:

1. General Inpatient Internal Medicine – 6 months

2. Cardiology – 2 months

3. Rheumatology – 2 months

4. Elective rotation – 1 month

5. Neurology – 2 months

PGY3

The 3rd year of the Internal Medicine Residency program will be dedicated to some internal medicine subspecialty rotations and elective rotations at different hospitals such as Multiprofile city hospital #1, National Research Oncology (and Transplant) Center, and National Scientific Medical Center. The residents will have an opportunity to be involved in research.

The structure of the rotations during the last year of the internal medicine residency program is following:

1. Nephrology – 2 months

2. Gastroenterology – 2 months

3. Hematology – 2 months

4. Endocrinology – 2 months

5. Elective rotation – 1 month

6. Research – 2 months