February 24, 2023

Thank a resident or fellow today

Both residency and fellowship are intensive periods of clinical training, often combined with research training, that prepare new physicians for independent practice

Thank a Resident and Thank a Fellow Day

They number more than 1,300 strong, and are critical members of the caregiver, research and education teams who are realizing our tripartite mission. 

Today, Feb. 24, the Michigan Medicine community expresses gratitude for our organization’s residents and fellows by thanking them for their contributions during a national Thank a Resident Day and Thank a Fellow Day.

“Our GME residency and fellowship programs attract outstanding medical school graduates and provide a pipeline of talented and dedicated physicians to care for patients at Michigan Medicine and far beyond. We also train physician-scientists, innovators and leaders who go on to have major impact on health,” says Executive Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Debra F. Weinstein, M.D. “Today, please join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our residents and fellows for their enormous contributions to Michigan Medicine.”

Both residency and fellowship are intensive periods of clinical training, often combined with research training, that prepare new physicians for independent practice. Graduate medical education also is a phase of professional development where individuals sharpen their goals and vision for a career in medicine. Michigan Medicine offers 113 accredited programs, including 31 residency programs and 82 fellowships.

In 2018, the Gold Humanism Honor Society decided to bring to light the importance of the resident and fellow staff and encourage medical students at chapters throughout the nation to show their gratitude and appreciation. Many U-M departments are gathering and sharing thank-you messages and well-wishes for their residents and fellows. These will be featured throughout the day on social media using #ThankaResidentDay and #ThankaFellowDay.

“Our resident and fellow colleagues are key to our mission: to advance health to serve Michigan and the world,” says J. Sybil Biermann, M.D., associate dean for graduate medical education. “They are critical to providing excellent care for fellow Michiganders now, and are the future of our physician health care workforce. We are grateful for their hard work on behalf of our patients, and for their dedication to learning their specialties.”

If you have an opportunity — either in-person, in writing, or on social media using the hashtags — thank a resident or fellow for all they do for Michigan Medicine.