Skip to main content

Unity Health Transitional Year Residency Program

New start date for the 2022-2023 Academic Year: June 15, 2022, with an end date of June 14, 2023

Mandatory Orientation to begin on Monday, June 13, 2022.

In the Unity Health Transitional Year Residency Program, we prepare residents for the next step toward their ultimate training program. Discover the key role our one-year ACGME-accredited program plays in your journey to practice medicine.

Program Director Opportunity

Program Director's welcome letter

Welcome to the Unity Health Transitional Year Residency site.

I am Stephen Wagner, the Transitional Year Residency Program Director, and I appreciate your interest. Our Transitional Year Program is sponsored by the Internal Medicine Program, of which I am the associate program director.

Unity Health has one of the largest Graduate Medical Education programs in Arkansas, second only to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. Our institution is the cornerstone of a progressive and modern system serving a nearly 200,000 population catchment area. Our hospital and administrative leadership are committed to training high-quality physicians by serving rural Arkansas.

Our goal is to provide our transitional year residents with exposure to a wide variety of general medical patients, both inpatient and outpatient. To teach them the basics of good quality care, and mentor them to become passionate and caring physicians as they transition from medical school to their ultimate training programs.

The Unity Health Internal Medicine Program provides the perfect groundwork for such development; the program’s graduates currently have a 100% board pass rate and have succeeded in obtaining employment and fellowship positions.

My fellow faculty and I are dedicated to resident education, and it is our wish to see our residents grow in their clinical, scholarly, and professional pursuits. Our mission is to lay an educational foundation that will support our residents for their career's entirety by utilizing the wealth of experiences in our community.

Wherever you plan to go in medicine, let us be part of your successful start.

Stephen Wagner, M.D.
Transitional Year Program Director

Curriculum

New start date for the 2022-2023 Academic Year: June 15, 2022, with an end date of June 14, 2023

Mandatory Orientation to begin on Friday, June 10, 2022

Our didactic curriculum includes MKSAP (ACP), Yale Office Curriculum, and Rosh Review. During their year with us, TY residents have access to:

  • Night float rotation instead of overnight call
  • Procedural experience with opportunities to perform central lines, thoracentesis, paracentesis, chest tubes, and lumbar punctures
  • A full simulation lab with ACLS scenarios

PGY 1 schedule

Site 1: Unity Health – White County Medical Center.

Available electives include:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Infectious diseases
  • Inpatient psychiatry
  • General surgery
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Palliative care
  • Radiology
  • Obstetrics and gynecology
  • Oncology
  • Orthopaedic surgery
  • Outpatient pediatrics
  • Research

Additional requirements

New start date for the 2022-2023 Academic Year: June 15, 2022, with an end date of June 14, 2023

Mandatory Orientation to begin on Monday, June 13, 2022.

The Ray Montgomery Department of Graduate Medical Education encourages and provides funding for a variety of resident research projects. You'll work closely with your program director and the director of research to properly complete journal publications and conference or committee presentations.

Learn more about our scholarly activity requirements.

Faculty

Stephen Wagner, M.D., ACP, FAAP
Program Director
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine

Greg Mock, M.D.
Core Faculty Member
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Jayton Lim, M.D.
Core Faculty Member
University of Santo Thomas, Manila, Philippines

Seth Coleman, M.D.
Core Faculty Member
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine

Wesley Cunningham, D.O.
Core Faculty Member
Kansas City University of Medicine & Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine

Susan Fell, BSLinda Voyles
Transitional Year Program Coordinator

Current residents

Phillip Avila, M.D.
St. George's University

BIOGRAPHY

Elliott Berry, M.D.
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Christian Spallino, M.D.
Ross University School of Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Colten Dillinger D.O.
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Bailey Farr, M.D.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

BIOGRAPHY

Zacharie Finneman, D.O.
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Carl Heinrich, D.O.
University of North Texas HSC - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Caleb Niehues, D.O.
A.T. Still University

BIOGRAPHY

Bilal Rehman, M.D.
University of Oklahoma

BIOGRAPHY

Stephen Stabbert, D.O.
University of Washington

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Tidwell, D.O.
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Ahad Samad, M.D.
St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine

BIOGRAPHY

Kyle Kaneko D.O.
Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University

BIOGRAPHY

How to apply

New start date for the 2022-2023 Academic Year: June 15, 2022, with an end date of June 14, 2023

Mandatory Orientation to begin on Monday, June 13, 2022

We only accept applications for our Transitional Year Residency Program via the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Our code number for the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) is 2104999P0. Our ACGME Program ID is 9990400009.

We accept up to 16 residents each year. Preferred applicants are within two years of their medical school graduation and have the following qualifications:

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • USMLE scores of 205 or greater, especially Part II, or COMLEX scores of 450 or greater
  • Dean's letter or Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • ECGMG certification, if applicable, by June 2020

Unity Health will consider applicants who are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and other individuals with work authorizations that do not require visa sponsorship by Unity Health.

Unity Health does not sponsor any visas or allow observerships.