St. Joseph Hospital appeared on the first list of intern training programs approved by the American Medical Association more than 85 years ago.  St. Joseph Hospital appeared on its list published in 1914.  This initial training consisted of little more than a series of apprenticeships.

     In 1939, our OB/Gyn department set up a formal, shared residency program with the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston and later became free standing.

     Our general surgery residency program began as a free-standing program in 1945.  The first surgery program was started at the John Hopkins Hospital in 1927, but we were the first in Houston, with our two medical schools not arriving here until circa 1948 (Baylor Medical School) and 1968 (University of Texas).

     The St. Joseph Hospital transitional internship program (then called a rotating internship and for a time, a flexible internship) was born during the tenure of Dr. James E. Dailey, who became our first Director of Medical Education in 1965, but was developed into its present structure by Dr. Herbert L. Fred, who succeeded Dr. Dailey in 1969. 

     The establishment of a plastic surgery residency followed, with the vision of Dr. Cronin and Dr. Brauer, and is now more than 20 years old.

     The Family Practice Residency, our newest program, began in 1995, in response to wide spread changes in the delivery of medical care in this country.

     In the past, St. Joseph Hospital has also sponsored residency programs in pathology and anesthesiology. These two programs both were discontinued in the late 1970's, because of difficulties in attracting quality graduates of domestic medical schools.

     After the establishment of an affiliation agreement with the University of Texas Medical School, we began to receive residents from their training programs in internal medicine, urology, radiology, and orthopedics.  Resident rotations to CHRISTUS St. Joseph Hospital in internal medicine from UT ceased about 7 years ago, the others continue today.  We also have had fellows assigned here in ophthalmology, oncology, microsurgery, dermatology, and orthopedics, under various auspices.

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