Residency Lengths This is a quick reference for residency training lengths from shortest to longest. Not surprisingly, many of the primary care residences are the shortest while the surgical round out the longest. Transitional/Preliminary: 1 year Emergency Medicine: 3-4 years Family Practice: 3 years Internal Medicine: 3 years Pediatrics: 3 years Obstetrics-Gynecology: 4 years Pathology: 4 years Psychiatry: 4 years Anesthesiology: 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Dermatology: 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Neurology: 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Opthamology: 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Physical Medicine: 3 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Diagnostic Radiology: 4 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary Radiation Oncology: 4 years plus PGY-1 Transitional/Preliminary General Surgery: 5 years Orthopaeic Surgery: 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) Otolaryngology: 5 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) Plastic Surgery: 5-6 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) Neurological Surgery: 6 years (includes 1 year of general surgery) Source
