Career Development - Internal Medicine

What Does Training Look Like?

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

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
 

Shadowing Opportunities

All Tulane medical students will get exposure to shadowing Internal Medicine faculty and residents in their Year 2 Clinical Diagnosis course. 

 

Research Opportunities

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.

 

Specialty Interest Group

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.

Sample-T4-MED-Schedule.pdf

 

Specialty Statistics

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.

Important Advice

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-NYGREAT NECKNY2021
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FLMIAMIFL2021
U South Alabama HospitalsMOBILEAL2021
Brown Univ/Rhode Island HospPROVIDENCERI2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
Penn State Hershey Med Ctr-PAHERSHEYPA2021
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2021
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CAORANGECA2021
Alameda Health Sys-Highland Hosp-CAOAKLANDCA2021
UT Ascension St Thomas-TNNASHVILLETN2021
Unity Health  2021
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2021
Scripps Clinic/Green Hospital-CALA JOLLACA2021
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2021
Brown Univ/Rhode Island HospPROVIDENCERI2021
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NYNEW YORKNY2021
U Washington Affil HospsSEATTLEWA2021
Brown Univ/Rhode Island HospPROVIDENCERI2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CASAN DIEGOCA2021
CA Pacific Med CenterSAN FRANCISCOCA2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MABOSTONMA2021
Kaiser Permanente-Oakland-CAOAKLANDCA2021
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DCWASHINGTONDC2021
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CAORANGECA2021
Ohio State University Med CtrCOLUMBUSOH2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
B I Deaconess Med Ctr-MABOSTONMA2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
Brown Univ/Rhode Island HospPROVIDENCERI2021
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2021
NYP Hosp-Columbia Univ Med Ctr-NYNEW YORKNY2021
Hosp of the Univ of PAPHILADELPHIAPA2021
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NCDURHAMNC2021
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2021
Univ of Chicago Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2021
LSUHSC  2021
Kaiser Permanente-Oakland-CAOAKLANDCA2021
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CASAN DIEGOCA2021
Ohio State University Med CtrCOLUMBUSOH2021
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2021
UC Irvine Med Ctr-CAORANGECA2021
U North Carolina HospitalsCHAPEL HILLNC2021
University of Utah HealthSALT LAKE CITYUT2021
UCLA Med Ctr-CALOS ANGELESCA2021
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TNNASHVILLETN2021
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr-NHLEBANONNH2021
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NCDURHAMNC2022
U Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAUSTINTX2022
Rush University Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2022
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2022
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NYNEW YORKNY2022
Penn State Hershey Med Ctr-PAHERSHEYPA2022
Yale-New Haven Hosp-CTNEW HAVENCT2022
George Washington Univ-DCWASHINGTONDC2022
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2022
U New Mexico SOMALBUQUERQUENM2022
U Arizona COM-PhoenixPHOENIXAZ2022
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CASAN DIEGOCA2022
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TNNASHVILLETN2022
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2022
U Texas Med Sch-HoustonHOUSTONTX2022
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NYBRONXNY2022
Indiana University SOMINDIANAPOLISIN2022
Yale-New Haven Hosp-CTNEW HAVENCT2022
ISMMS Mount Sinai Morningside-West-NYNEW YORKNY2022
Massachusetts Gen HospBOSTONMA2022
U Maryland Mercy Med CtrBALTIMOREMD2022
Rush University Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2022
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NYBRONXNY2022
U Rochester/Strong Memorial-NYROCHESTERNY2022
U Texas Med Sch-HoustonHOUSTONTX2022
U South Alabama HospitalsMOBILEAL2022
Ochsner Clinic Foundation-LANEW ORLEANSLA2022
UCLA Med Ctr-CALOS ANGELESCA2022
LSU SOM-Baton Rouge-LABATON ROUGELA2022
U Tennessee Health Sci Ctr-MemphisMEMPHISTN2022
Duke Univ Med Ctr-NCDURHAMNC2022
MedStar Union Memorial Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2022
St Lukes Hosp-Bethlehem-PABETHLEHEMPA2022
U Arizona COM-TucsonTUCSONAZ2022
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2022
LSU SOM-New Orleans-LANEW ORLEANSLA2022
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2022
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2022
U Southern CaliforniaLOS ANGELESCA2022
U Colorado SOM-DenverAURORACO2022
U Colorado SOM-DenverAURORACO2022
Wake Forest Baptist Med Ctr-NCWINSTON-SALEMNC2023
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2023
NYU Grossman School Of Medicine-NYNEW YORKNY2023
Kirk Kerkorian SOM at UNLV-NVLAS VEGASNV2023
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2023
LSUHSC University Hosps & Clinics-LALAFAYETTELA2023
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FLMIAMIFL2023
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2023
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2023
Rush University Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2023
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2023
George Washington Univ-DCWASHINGTONDC2023
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MABOSTONMA2023
ISMMS Mount Sinai Hospital-NYNEW YORKNY2023
Harbor-UCLA Med Ctr-CATORRANCECA2023
UCLA Med Ctr-CALOS ANGELESCA2023
U Tennessee Health Sci Ctr-MemphisMEMPHISTN2023
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NYBRONXNY2023
UC Davis Med Ctr-CASACRAMENTOCA2023
UC San Diego Med Ctr-CASAN DIEGOCA2023
U Colorado SOM-DenverAURORACO2023
Massachusetts Gen HospBOSTONMA2023
UMass Chan - Baystate-MASPRINGFIELDMA2023
U Colorado SOM-DenverAURORACO2024
Temple Univ Hosp-PAPHILADELPHIAPA2024
CA Pacific Med CenterSAN FRANCISCOCA2024
Ochsner Clinic Foundation-LANEW ORLEANSLA2024
U Arizona COM-PhoenixPHOENIXAZ2024
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DCWASHINGTONDC2024
Tufts Medical Center-MABOSTONMA2024
MedStar Georgetown Univ Hosp-DCWASHINGTONDC2024
NYP Hosp-Weill Cornell Med Ctr-NYNEW YORKNY2024
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2024
U Washington Affil HospsSEATTLEWA2024
Emory Univ SOM-GAATLANTAGA2024
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FLMIAMIFL2024
ISMMS Mount Sinai Morningside-West-NYNEW YORKNY2024
Medical University of SCCHARLESTONSC2024
Barnes-Jewish Hosp-MOST LOUISMO2024
UMass Chan Medical School-MAWORCESTERMA2024
Boston Univ Med Ctr-MABOSTONMA2024
Barnes-Jewish Hosp-MOST LOUISMO2024
Kaiser Permanente-SFSAN FRANCISCOCA2024
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2024
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2024
Temple Univ Hosp-PAPHILADELPHIAPA2024
U New Mexico SOMALBUQUERQUENM2024
UMass Chan Medical School-MAWORCESTERMA2024
UC Davis Med Ctr-CASACRAMENTOCA2024
U Illinois COM-ChicagoCHICAGOIL2024
Methodist Hospital-Houston-TXTHE WOODLANDSTX2024
   2024
Hosp of the Univ of PAPHILADELPHIAPA2025
Vanderbilt Univ Med Ctr-TNNASHVILLETN2025
U Texas Southwestern Med Sch-DallasDALLASTX2025
U Arizona COM-TucsonTUCSONAZ2025
U New Mexico SOMALBUQUERQUENM2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
U Washington Affil HospsSEATTLEWA2025
LSUHSC University Hosps & Clinics-LALAFAYETTELA2025
UC San Francisco-CASAN FRANCISCOCA2025
Montefiore Med Ctr/Einstein-NYBRONXNY2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
ISMMS NYC Health+Hospitals/Elmhurst-NYELMHURSTNY2025
Cambridge Health Alliance-MACAMBRIDGEMA2025
Zucker SOM-Northwell Staten Island Univ-NYSTATEN ISLANDNY2025
Kaiser Permanente-SF-CASAN FRANCISCOCA2025
Zucker SOM-Northwell NS/LIJ-NYGREAT NECKNY2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
Kirk Kerkorian SOM at UNLV-NVLAS VEGASNV2025
U Texas Southwestern Med Sch-DallasDALLASTX2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
Elson S Floyd COM WSU-WASPOKANEWA2025
U Miami/Jackson Health System-FLMIAMIFL2025
U Texas at Austin Dell Medical SchoolAUSTINTX2025
Tulane Univ SOM-LANEW ORLEANSLA2025
Zucker SOM-Northwell NS/LIJ-NYGREAT NECKNY2025
Johns Hopkins/Bayview-MDBALTIMOREMD2025
Johns Hopkins Hosp-MDBALTIMOREMD2025
Rush University Med Ctr-ILCHICAGOIL2025
MGB-Massachusetts Gen HospBOSTONMA2025
U South Florida Morsani COM-TampaTAMPAFL2025
 

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.