The ISU Residency program must require residents to complete two pediatric rotations away from Pocatello because of low pediatric patient numbers in the city. Although this requirement can be frustrating, the experience is well worth the effort. In addition, the program takes steps to minimize the impact on residents' families and homes. The Residency maintains small apartments in both Boise and Salt Lake City, which allows the resident an option of taking their spouse/family with them while on rotation.

First-year residents complete eight weeks of general inpatient training at St. Luke's Regional Medicine Center in Boise (a 3.5 hour drive). Each resident returns to Pocatello during the Boise rotation to complete eight continuity clinics in the fourth and sixth weeks of the eight-week rotation, thus meeting ACGME continuity guidelines.

Second-year residents complete four weeks of emergency room pediatrics at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, and four weeks of outpatient pediatrics in Pocatello. A two week neonatology elective in Boise is strongly recommended for the third year residents to gain intubation and vascular access skills.

The residency has organized an intensive NICU experience in Ogden under the auspices of neonatologist, Dr. Eggert. This is a very busy NICU and residents act as primary resuscitator for all the newborns born during the two-week period and rapidly achieve competence in intubation, umbilical line placement and stabilization of neonates. This acts as invaluable experience for those residents who are going to be doing obstetrics in isolated rural communities and will need to stabilize the babies that are born unexpectedly premature prior to transport to a tertiary care center.