Internal Medicine-Psychiatry

Does research experience need to be in the specialty itself?

No.

What M3/M4 electives would you recommend to a student who is interested in pursuing your specialty?

Try to rotate on the HCMU during your 4th year. Additional electives in psychiatry or internal medicine will help you get better exposure to the fields and give you more opportunities to get to know residents and faculty in med/psych, psychiatry, and internal medicine.

Does your specialty recommend doing away rotations?

No.

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 and December.

Does your specialty recommend that all letters of recommendation be written by members of your specialty?

Being a combined specialty, it is recommended to have at least one letter from an internist and at least one letter from a psychiatrist. A letter from a combined med/psych faculty member is recommended if possible but is not required. All letters should be written by those who have worked directly with you and are able to speak strengths and your interest in med/psych.

If letters can come from other disciplines, do you have a recommendation as to which disciplines are more highly valued?

See above.

Does the academic rank of the letter writer matter?

No.

How competitive are the residency programs in this specialty?

The number of programs is limited, and most programs only take 2 residents per year.  However fewer students overall pursue combined training as compared to a single specialty.  So this evens things out to be somewhere in the middle.

How important are each of the following for admission to a competitive program in your specialty?