Careers in Internal Medicine

If You Are Thinking about Internal Medicine
Not every student who comes through the internal medicine clerkship will ultimately choose to specialize in internal
medicine. However, a substantial number of students will ultimately choose to pursue internal medicineit is by far
the most frequently chosen residency, and there are more residency positions in internal medicine than in any other
specialty. Additionally, internal medicine residency training is frequently combined with other specialty training,
including pediatrics, emergency medicine, and psychiatry. Given the wide variety of options the internist has upon
completion of trainingincluding practicing primary care, subspecializing, entering procedurally based fields, practicing
hospital medicine, working with specialized populations, teaching medical students and residents, conducting quality
improvement work, entering industrythe flexibility that internal medicine offers will likely continue to make it a
frequently chosen career path for medical school graduates.
While the ultimate function of the clerkship is not to entice you into entering internal medicine practice, we hope that
you are interested in learning more about what a residency and career in internal medicine offers.
Why do most people choose internal medicine?

There are many reasons frequently cited for pursuing internal medicine as a career. Obviously, caring for adult
patients is a cornerstone of the discipline. Most internists also state a love for the diagnostic process, the detective
work that comes with trying to analyze a patients problems. Many physicians in internal medicine express a desire to
be actively involved in the care of inpatients and outpatients. Some clearly want to follow patients over time, to
experience continuity, and to make a lasting impact on their patients.
Students who choose internal medicine express an affinity for the training, which tends to be intellectually and
educationally rigorous, where colleagues are collegial, professional, and respected. Medical students also pursue
internal medicine to enter a specific subspecialty or to learn specific procedures.
Many students may consider lifestyle issues when considering internal medicine; the lifestyle of an internist tends to be
very manageable, although this obviously varies widely across physicians and areas of the practice
What about lifestyle? How hard do internists work?

There is a tremendous range of lifestyles in internal medicine, which reflects the wide variety of practice types and
styles within internal medicine. There are many fields that have essentially a 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule. There
are some fields within medicine in which one may expect to work longer hours and have more overnight call. For
example, if one chooses to become an interventional cardiologist, one knows that patients may occasionally need an
coronary intervention in the early hours of the morning. Many internal medicine careers do have some degree of
overnight call, but the extent and nature of call may vary tremendously depending on the number of patients and
physicians in the practice/coverage group, the specific needs of patients, etc. Many hospitalist groups work shifts.
Additionally, there tends to be substantial flexibility to practice on a part-time basis. All internists recognize the desire
to build a family and to preserve personal time. Many people within internal medicine achieve the desired level of
balance between professional and personal life.
How well are internists and subspecialists of internal medicine reimbursed?

We ultimately hope that our future physicians will choose a career based on enjoyment and satisfaction that the field
produces, as this will likely produce longer term fulfillment. However, compensation is an important variable most
students consider. Data on compensation of various specialties are widely available; we have not included them here
due to space limitations.
A review of these data demonstrate: (1) internists earn compensation to support a very comfortable life; (2) some
subspecialties earn more than others, particularly in the private sector; (3) compensation for internal medicine and its
subspecialties is on par with other major specialties.
What does an internal medicine residency consist of?

Internal medicine is a three-year residency program. There are two main types of internal medicine residencies,
categorical or traditional, and primary care. There may be additional tracks of residencies (womens health and
hospital medicine) that you will find, but these are the most common.
Generally, categorical residencies are heavily hospital-based. Residents spend most of their time on hospital medical
wards, in intensive care units, in subspecialty services, in the outpatient setting, in the emergency department, etc. All
internal medicine residents have a continuity clinic in which they follow their own patients (with supervision) over time.
Continuity clinics are required to happen at least one session (approximately four hours) per week, regardless of the
rotation. In primary care tracks, medical residents spend a higher percentage of their time in the outpatient setting,
especially after internship. Regardless of the track chosen, residents can still choose a variety of career options at the
end of training, including an outpatient or hospitalist practice or further training in a subspecialty.
In the majority of internal medicine programs, the internship year is the most intense year of training with the most
months of direct patient care and least months of electives. Call schedules vary from program to program, but they
tend to range from every fourth to sixth day on call. Many programs have transitioned to more day shift and night shift
scheduling to accommodate graduate medical education (GME) work hour restrictions. In the second and third years
of an internal medicine residency, residents have progressively more time for elective rotations, during which residents
can determine their schedules for some months during the year. Some residents choose to do research, some choose
clinical electives on site, and some travel elsewhere. There tends to be a fair amount of flexibility to the training.
How difficult is it to get into an internal medicine residency program?

In general, internal medicine is not currently very competitive as there more internal medicine residency positions than
positions for any other specialty. However, top internal medicine programs remain extremely competitive. Students
who match at top internal medicine programs often have sustained superior clinical performance on their clerkships
and fourth-year rotations, obtained AOA status, scored well on the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step I
and Step II, and secured strong letters of recommendation. However, for the majority of applicants and the majority of
programs, it remains a buyers marketstudents who perform well can typically enter a program of their choice.
Internal medicine residencies typically offer a comprehensive teaching program and extensive supervision by skilled
physicians. One does not need to attend the very top programs to become very well prepared in internal medicine.
What combined internal medicine programs are there?

It is possible to complete a combined residency with internal medicine and other areas such as pediatrics, emergency
medicine, family practice, preventative medicine, and psychiatry. These combined programs offer dual board
certification eligibility with fewer years of residency than internal medicine (three years) and the corresponding
specialty put together (e.g., pediatrics is three years; however, most medicine/pediatrics residency programs last four
years). There are some benefits and some disadvantages of pursuing a combined program. Some physicians feel
students should pick one specialty and focus on it. The idea behind these combined programs was that students could
build practices based on where these programs overlapped. An example of this would be how some
medicine/pediatrics residents are interested in pursuing a career in adolescent medicine, while others plan to
subspecialize and see patients of all ages in that subspecialty in the future. For instance, a medicine/pediatrics
specialist could further subspecialize in cardiology and focus on congenital heart disease or endocrinology and follow
type I diabetics throughout their lifetime. Many internal medicine/emergency medicine residents choose this route
because they are interested in having a private clinic in addition to working shifts in an emergency department.
Im still interested. What should I do?

Keep your mind open during this and every other clerkship. Actively consider what it is that you enjoy and that you can
envision doing for the rest of your professional career. Work hard. Express enthusiasm for your work. Read actively
and frequently. Embrace opportunities for patient care, learning, and presenting. Getting yourself positively recognized
will probably help you, although it is not critical at this early point. Learn more about internal medicine.
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has prepared a number of resources for students who are considering
entering internal medicine. See the ACP website at www.acponline.org.
Finally, identify an internal medicine advisor who can give you guidance about how to proceed as you plan your fourth
year, applications, and interviews.
If you remain unsure at the end of your clerkship like very many people do, do not get anxious. Your fourth year
should allow you substantial opportunities to experience different aspects of internal medicine and other fields, and for
most students, these additional rotations are helpful in determining career choice. Use an advisor to help you find
direction.

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If You Are Thinking about Internal Medicine

Why do most people choose internal medicine?

What about lifestyle? How hard do internists work?

How well are internists and subspecialists of internal medicine reimbursed?

What does an internal medicine residency consist of?

How difficult is it to get into an internal medicine residency program?

What combined internal medicine programs are there?

Im still interested. What should I do?

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