Internal Medicine training lasts three years. Residency consists of a combination of primary care continuity clinic, inpatient wards, ICU, and subspecialty rotations. Some programs offer specific tracks, such as the primary care or research track, which provide those residents additional training opportunities in those areas.
In addition, there are several combined residencies, like Med-Peds, Med-Neuro, Med-Psych, Med-Research, Med-EM, which last four or five years. From any of these, there are numerous options to specialize which will require additional fellowship training. This usually means two to three years' training after residency.
Subspecialties include but not limited to:
- Addiction Medicine
- Allergy and Immunology
- Cardiology (with further training for Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology)
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology (with further training for Advanced Endoscopy, Hepatology and Transplant Medicine)
- Geriatric Medicine
- Hematology and Medical Oncology
- Hepatology
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- Infectious Disease
- Nephrology
- Obesity Medicine
- Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine (with further training for Interventional Pulmonology)
- Rheumatology
- Sleep Medicine
- Wound care and Hyperbaric Medicine.
What Does a Typical Workday Look Like?
This varies widely. Clinic-based physicians generally work 8:00-6:00, with some coverage by phone on the weekends. Hospital-based physicians typically work a set schedule, like one week "on" in the hospital, followed by one week "off." Both general internists and subspecialists can also do a combination of outpatient and inpatient medicine.
Important Qualities and Traits
Qualities recognized as important to internal medicine include:
- Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Commitment to lifelong learning
All Tulane medical students will get exposure to shadowing Internal Medicine faculty and residents in their Year 2 Clinical Diagnosis course.
We have over 100 faculty in the department of medicine, and there are research opportunities available in most areas.
Additionally, students may want to pursue research opportunities through the DeBakey Scholars Program. This program offers medical students the opportunity to pursue and complete a longitudinal, structured, closely supervised research experience culminating in a capstone presentation prior to graduation. For more information, contact Dr. Derek Pociask.
The Tulane University Research Network also offers a list of active ongoing projects in the School of Medicine.
The C. Thorpe Ray Society is dedicated to promoting the ideals and interests of the field of Internal Medicine through both social and academic functions. Participation in this organization provides students with additional opportunities to pursue an interest and increase knowledge in the field of Internal Medicine. Group functions also provide students with the opportunity to interact with the Internal Medicine faculty on an informal basis. The Society’s monthly academic meetings cover a broad range of topics that allow for learning and discussion of issues important to Internal Medicine. Through participation, students become more prepared for their clinical experiences in the field of Internal Medicine. The old tradition of the morning report has taken on new form as part of the Society’s yearlong series of luncheons, round-table discussions, and increasingly, interactive problem solving sessions. Social events hosted by the C. Thorpe Ray Society include the Annual Wine & Cheese party and a Residency Match Panel.
Recommended T3 & T4 Coursework
T3: Students complete the Core Internal Medicine Clerkship. There they will rotate on a hospital medicine team and gain exposure to various diseases and work with subspecialists. Additionally, they will have 2 weeks of ambulatory time including work in primary care as well as subspecialty clinics.
T4: As a T4 who is interested in applying to IM residency, completing your acting internship (AI) rotation in IM is strongly encouraged, ideally between May and August of T4 year. While not required, a critical care rotation, such as Medical ICU, can be beneficial in preparing for residency. Aside from these rotations, choose any rotations that appeal to you. Aside from the AI, elective choice will not affect residency application.
Summary Statistics (from "Charting Outcomes in the Match 2022")
Matched N = 3,024
1. Mean number of contiguous ranks | 13.2 |
2. Mean number of distinct specialties ranked | 1.0 |
3. Mean USMLE Step 1 score | 234* |
4. Mean USMLE Step 2 score | 251 |
5. Mean number of research experiences | 3.3 |
6. Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications | 8.7 |
7. Mean number of work experiences | 1.8 |
8. Mean number of volunteer experiences | 4.2 |
9. Percentage who are AOA members | 15.9 |
10. Percentage who graduated from one of the 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding | 31.8 |
11. Percentage who have Ph.D. degree | 5.0 |
12. Percentage who have another graduate degree | 19.0 |
Note: Only U.S. MD seniors who gave consent to use their information in research are included.
*Only applicants who reporting taking Step 1 prior to the transition to pass/fail included.
Special Considerations When Applying for Residency
Due to an increase in dual applications, residency programs are trying to screen in applicants who have IM as their primary choice. As such, make sure to complete your AI during T4 summer. It is okay to have had other interests before deciding to apply in IM. You don’t necessarily need to exclude these from your application. However, you will want to talk about what you learned from these experiences that will make you a strong IM physician.
Applying to Internal Medicine is generally not competitive, provided you apply to a range of programs.
Try to develop a working relationship with one or more IM faculty who can give you feedback on various parts of your ERAS application, including your personal statement and places to apply.
Where Past Tulane Students Have Matched
Zucker SOM-Northwell NS/LIJ-NY | GREAT NECK | NY | 2021 |
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FL | MIAMI | FL | 2021 |
U South Alabama Hospitals | MOBILE | AL | 2021 |
Brown Univ/Rhode Island Hosp | PROVIDENCE | RI | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
Penn State Hershey Med Ctr-PA | HERSHEY | PA | 2021 |
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2021 |
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CA | ORANGE | CA | 2021 |
Alameda Health Sys-Highland Hosp-CA | OAKLAND | CA | 2021 |
UT Ascension St Thomas-TN | NASHVILLE | TN | 2021 |
Unity Health | 2021 | ||
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2021 |
Scripps Clinic/Green Hospital-CA | LA JOLLA | CA | 2021 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2021 |
Brown Univ/Rhode Island Hosp | PROVIDENCE | RI | 2021 |
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2021 |
U Washington Affil Hosps | SEATTLE | WA | 2021 |
Brown Univ/Rhode Island Hosp | PROVIDENCE | RI | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CA | SAN DIEGO | CA | 2021 |
CA Pacific Med Center | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MA | BOSTON | MA | 2021 |
Kaiser Permanente-Oakland-CA | OAKLAND | CA | 2021 |
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DC | WASHINGTON | DC | 2021 |
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CA | ORANGE | CA | 2021 |
Ohio State University Med Ctr | COLUMBUS | OH | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
B I Deaconess Med Ctr-MA | BOSTON | MA | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
Brown Univ/Rhode Island Hosp | PROVIDENCE | RI | 2021 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2021 |
NYP Hosp-Columbia Univ Med Ctr-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2021 |
Hosp of the Univ of PA | PHILADELPHIA | PA | 2021 |
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NC | DURHAM | NC | 2021 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2021 |
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2021 |
LSUHSC | 2021 | ||
Kaiser Permanente-Oakland-CA | OAKLAND | CA | 2021 |
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CA | SAN DIEGO | CA | 2021 |
Ohio State University Med Ctr | COLUMBUS | OH | 2021 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2021 |
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CA | ORANGE | CA | 2021 |
U North Carolina Hospitals | CHAPEL HILL | NC | 2021 |
University of Utah Health | SALT LAKE CITY | UT | 2021 |
UCLA Med Ctr-CA | LOS ANGELES | CA | 2021 |
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TN | NASHVILLE | TN | 2021 |
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr-NH | LEBANON | NH | 2021 |
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NC | DURHAM | NC | 2022 |
U Texas at Austin Dell Medical School | AUSTIN | TX | 2022 |
Rush University Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2022 |
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2022 |
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2022 |
Penn State Hershey Med Ctr-PA | HERSHEY | PA | 2022 |
Yale-New Haven Hosp-CT | NEW HAVEN | CT | 2022 |
George Washington Univ-DC | WASHINGTON | DC | 2022 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2022 |
U New Mexico SOM | ALBUQUERQUE | NM | 2022 |
U Arizona COM-Phoenix | PHOENIX | AZ | 2022 |
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CA | SAN DIEGO | CA | 2022 |
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TN | NASHVILLE | TN | 2022 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2022 |
U Texas Med Sch-Houston | HOUSTON | TX | 2022 |
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NY | BRONX | NY | 2022 |
Indiana University SOM | INDIANAPOLIS | IN | 2022 |
Yale-New Haven Hosp-CT | NEW HAVEN | CT | 2022 |
ISMMS Mount Sinai Morningside-West-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2022 |
Massachusetts Gen Hosp | BOSTON | MA | 2022 |
U Maryland Mercy Med Ctr | BALTIMORE | MD | 2022 |
Rush University Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2022 |
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NY | BRONX | NY | 2022 |
U Rochester/Strong Memorial-NY | ROCHESTER | NY | 2022 |
U Texas Med Sch-Houston | HOUSTON | TX | 2022 |
U South Alabama Hospitals | MOBILE | AL | 2022 |
Ochsner Clinic Foundation-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2022 |
UCLA Med Ctr-CA | LOS ANGELES | CA | 2022 |
LSU SOM-Baton Rouge-LA | BATON ROUGE | LA | 2022 |
U Tennessee Health Sci Ctr-Memphis | MEMPHIS | TN | 2022 |
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NC | DURHAM | NC | 2022 |
MedStar Union Memorial Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2022 |
St Lukes Hosp-Bethlehem-PA | BETHLEHEM | PA | 2022 |
U Arizona COM-Tucson | TUCSON | AZ | 2022 |
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2022 |
LSU SOM-New Orleans-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2022 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2022 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2022 |
U Southern California | LOS ANGELES | CA | 2022 |
U Colorado SOM-Denver | AURORA | CO | 2022 |
U Colorado SOM-Denver | AURORA | CO | 2022 |
Wake Forest Baptist Med Ctr-NC | WINSTON-SALEM | NC | 2023 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2023 |
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2023 |
Kirk Kerkorian SOM at UNLV-NV | LAS VEGAS | NV | 2023 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2023 |
LSUHSC University Hosps & Clinics-LA | LAFAYETTE | LA | 2023 |
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FL | MIAMI | FL | 2023 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2023 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2023 |
Rush University Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2023 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2023 |
George Washington Univ-DC | WASHINGTON | DC | 2023 |
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MA | BOSTON | MA | 2023 |
ISMMS Mount Sinai Hospital-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2023 |
Harbor-UCLA Med Ctr-CA | TORRANCE | CA | 2023 |
UCLA Med Ctr-CA | LOS ANGELES | CA | 2023 |
U Tennessee Health Sci Ctr-Memphis | MEMPHIS | TN | 2023 |
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NY | BRONX | NY | 2023 |
UC Davis Med Ctr-CA | SACRAMENTO | CA | 2023 |
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CA | SAN DIEGO | CA | 2023 |
U Colorado SOM-Denver | AURORA | CO | 2023 |
Massachusetts Gen Hosp | BOSTON | MA | 2023 |
UMass Chan - Baystate-MA | SPRINGFIELD | MA | 2023 |
U Colorado SOM-Denver | AURORA | CO | 2024 |
Temple Univ Hosp-PA | PHILADELPHIA | PA | 2024 |
CA Pacific Med Center | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | 2024 |
Ochsner Clinic Foundation-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2024 |
U Arizona COM-Phoenix | PHOENIX | AZ | 2024 |
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DC | WASHINGTON | DC | 2024 |
Tufts Medical Center-MA | BOSTON | MA | 2024 |
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DC | WASHINGTON | DC | 2024 |
NYP Hosp-Weill Cornell Med Ctr-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2024 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2024 |
U Washington Affil Hosps | SEATTLE | WA | 2024 |
Emory Univ SOM-GA | ATLANTA | GA | 2024 |
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FL | MIAMI | FL | 2024 |
ISMMS Mount Sinai Morningside-West-NY | NEW YORK | NY | 2024 |
Medical University of SC | CHARLESTON | SC | 2024 |
Barnes-Jewish Hosp-MO | ST LOUIS | MO | 2024 |
UMass Chan Medical School-MA | WORCESTER | MA | 2024 |
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MA | BOSTON | MA | 2024 |
Barnes-Jewish Hosp-MO | ST LOUIS | MO | 2024 |
Kaiser Permanente-SF | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | 2024 |
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2024 |
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2024 |
Temple Univ Hosp-PA | PHILADELPHIA | PA | 2024 |
U New Mexico SOM | ALBUQUERQUE | NM | 2024 |
UMass Chan Medical School-MA | WORCESTER | MA | 2024 |
UC Davis Med Ctr-CA | SACRAMENTO | CA | 2024 |
U Illinois COM-Chicago | CHICAGO | IL | 2024 |
Methodist Hospital-Houston-TX | THE WOODLANDS | TX | 2024 |
2024 | |||
Hosp of the Univ of PA | PHILADELPHIA | PA | 2025 |
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TN | NASHVILLE | TN | 2025 |
U Texas Southwestern Med Sch-Dallas | DALLAS | TX | 2025 |
U Arizona COM-Tucson | TUCSON | AZ | 2025 |
U New Mexico SOM | ALBUQUERQUE | NM | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
U Washington Affil Hosps | SEATTLE | WA | 2025 |
LSUHSC University Hosps & Clinics-LA | LAFAYETTE | LA | 2025 |
UC San Francisco-CA | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | 2025 |
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NY | BRONX | NY | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
ISMMS NYC Health+Hospitals/Elmhurst-NY | ELMHURST | NY | 2025 |
Cambridge Health Alliance-MA | CAMBRIDGE | MA | 2025 |
Zucker SOM-Northwell Staten Island Univ-NY | STATEN ISLAND | NY | 2025 |
Kaiser Permanente-SF-CA | SAN FRANCISCO | CA | 2025 |
Zucker SOM-Northwell NS/LIJ-NY | GREAT NECK | NY | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
Kirk Kerkorian SOM at UNLV-NV | LAS VEGAS | NV | 2025 |
U Texas Southwestern Med Sch-Dallas | DALLAS | TX | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
Elson S Floyd COM WSU-WA | SPOKANE | WA | 2025 |
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FL | MIAMI | FL | 2025 |
U Texas at Austin Dell Medical School | AUSTIN | TX | 2025 |
Tulane Univ SOM-LA | NEW ORLEANS | LA | 2025 |
Zucker SOM-Northwell NS/LIJ-NY | GREAT NECK | NY | 2025 |
Johns Hopkins/Bayview-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2025 |
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MD | BALTIMORE | MD | 2025 |
Rush University Med Ctr-IL | CHICAGO | IL | 2025 |
MGB-Massachusetts Gen Hosp | BOSTON | MA | 2025 |
U South Florida Morsani COM-Tampa | TAMPA | FL | 2025 |
How Many Programs Should I Apply To?
Given the current landscape in IM of 15 total program signals (3 gold + 12 silver), students should on average apply to 15-20 programs if they have no limitations nor red flags in their applications. If couples matching or prior failures/remediation in medical school, students should apply to at least 30-40 programs.