Internal Medicine
What advice would you offer first- and second-year students who are interested in pursuing your specialty?
Find things you are curious about and engage in all the learning opportunities available to you as a medical student. Look for leadership opportunities and be committed. Show that through your service to others that you will be an excellent member of your residency community. And study hard! Curious. Committed. Community.
Specialty Career Advisor:
William J. Leland, MD
Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Does research experience need to be in the specialty itself?
No. Use your research opportunity to explore something that interests you and enables you to gain new skills.
What M3/M4 electives would you recommend to a student who is interested in pursuing your specialty?
Pursue something that you think might be interesting. Use this time to explore new horizons.
Does your specialty recommend doing away rotations?
An away rotation in Internal Medicine will rarely help you. I do not recommend.
If your specialty recommends doing away rotations, how many away rotations do you recommend?
N/A
If away rotations are necessary, when should they be completed?
N/A
Which month/s are interviews most concentrated?
November, December, and January.
Does your specialty recommend that all letters of recommendation be written by members of your specialty?
At least two of the four letters should come from Internal Medicine. It is best that letters come from clinicians who have observed your work with patients. You are applying for a clinical position and letters from research mentors will not be able to speak to your clinical abilities.
If letters can come from other disciplines, do you have a recommendation as to which disciplines are more highly valued?
Any one who has observed your work as a clinician.
Does the academic rank of the letter writer matter?
No.
How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?
Almost all US grads will match into Internal Medicine.