How To Become A Residency In Internal Medicine: What It Is and Career Path

What is a residency in internal medicine and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Roger Kelley

An internal medicine resident is a medical school graduate who participates in a graduate medical education (GME) training program. The general objective of the training is to gain foundational training in medicine. The internal medicine resident works under the supervision of an attending physician and assists him or her in providing patient care, performing rounds, recording patient progress, admissions, ordering tests and examinations, and organizing for discharge and patient care.

An internal medicine resident may decide to subspecialize in a specific area of internal medicine such as cardiology, oncology, nephrology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, gastroenterology, endocrinology, or hematology. A successful internal medicine resident must be open to learning, compassionate, detail-oriented, understanding, objective, and empathetic.

Resident physicians do not have a regular work schedule. They usually work in shifts for an average of 40 hours a week but are expected to be on call 24/7 should emergencies arise.

What general advice would you give to a Residency In Internal Medicine?

Roger Kelley

Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Henderson State University

There will an impact in "overserved" areas of the country with the pandemic, and this includes places like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia where thousands of local trainees graduate each year and often enter the local job market. There is only so much to go around, and there will be cutbacks in reimbursement for care related to the financial impact of COVID-19 on the economy as well as the competition in the job market tends to drive the reimbursement lower. The higher unemployment rate, in particular areas, will have a definite effect on health insurance coverage. The underserved areas, such as rural and areas of the country with much less in terms of trainees entering the job market, will continue to have a strong demand for healthcare workers to fill ongoing critical needs that are not presently filled. Economic regions, particularly impacted by COVID-19, such as leisure and travel, will certainly suffer in terms of the need for healthcare services related to job loss and relocation.

ScoreResidency In Internal MedicineUS Average

Salary

9.3

Avg. Salary $165,294

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.9

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 21.22%

Black or African American 5.21%

Hispanic or Latino 9.67%

Unknown 4.47%

White 59.27%

Gender

female 48.05%

male 51.95%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress Level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.4

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a residency in internal medicine

Explore residency in internal medicine education requirements

Most common residency in internal medicine degrees

Doctorate

42.2 %

Bachelor's

35.2 %

Master's

10.1 %

Start to develop specific residency in internal medicine skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	23.54%
Primary Care	8.76%
Pediatrics	6.45%
Gastroenterology	6.38%
Geriatrics	6.03%

Complete relevant residency in internal medicine training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New residencies in internal medicine learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a residency in internal medicine based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real residency in internal medicine resumes.

Research residency in internal medicine duties and responsibilities

Analyze and record vital signs for EHR.
Serve as PGY-1 to PGY-4 resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology.
Gain comprehensive skill sets in preventive medicine, pediatrics, sport medicine, gynecology, obstetrics, and geriatrics.
Experience with routine pregnancy care, high risk pregnancy, outpatient gynecology.

Prepare your residency in internal medicine resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your residency in internal medicine resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a residency in internal medicine resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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Apply for residency in internal medicine jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a residency in internal medicine job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average residency in internal medicine salary

The average Residency In Internal Medicine salary in the United States is $165,294 per year or $79 per hour. Residency in internal medicine salaries range between $84,000 and $322,000 per year.

Average Residency In Internal Medicine Salary

$165,294 Yearly

$79.47 hourly