If you have a passion for treating, diagnosing and preventing complex or chronic illnesses and diseases, and have reached the residency stage in your journey, you may be wondering what the best internal medicine residency program is. Internal medicine residents are trained heavily in related subspecialties like endocrinology, rheumatology, and infectious diseases. In this article, we’ll discuss what makes a residency program the best and list the best internal medicine residency programs. We’ll also provide some tips on how to match with residency programs.
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List of Best Internal Medicine Residency Programs
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
- Internal Medicine (Core) Residency Program at University of Toronto
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of California
- Internal Medicine at McGill University
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Core Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Alberta
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Pennsylvania Health System
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at John Hopkins University
- Internal Medicine Core Residency at University of Manitoba
- Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at Stanford Health Care
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at Duke University
- Internal Medicine at McMaster University
- Internal Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
- Core Internal Medicine Residency at Queen's University
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Michigan Health System
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Calgary
- Internal Medicine Residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Internal Medicine Residency Program at University of Chicago
Want to learn how to answer "Tell me about yourself" and other common residency interview questions? Watch this video:
What Makes a Residency Program the Best?
There are a lot of factors that determine how good a residency program is, so to name one program as the best is not possible. The unique features of a specific residency program may not be what you as a resident want, which means the “best internal medicine residency program” is quite subjective. We recommend you take time to determine what is important to you when you make your residency rank order list.
There are a lot of factors to consider, such as their acceptance rates, notable faculty, research programs, student life, curriculum, facilities, and more.
Best Internal Medicine Residency Programs in the US
In the US, medical schools use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). This is a centralized application system that allows applicants to create an application with all their documents in one place and apply to residency programs of their choice. The actual matching is carried out by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
1. Massachusetts General Hospital
The Massachusetts General Hospital offers an Internal Medicine Residency Program that has been training internists for 75 years. It supports students' professional growth through academic advising, intense mentoring, and coaching.
The residency program includes two tracks: the Categorical Program and the Primary Care Program, each lasting three years and leading to board eligibility in internal medicine. The main difference is the time spent in ambulatory training.
Categorical Program
- PGY-1: Focuses on clinical skills and team building.
- PGY-2: Adds advanced clinical skills, ICU experience, and leadership development.
- PGY-3: Emphasizes hospital and systems management skills.
- Rotations include General Medicine, Ambulatory Rotations, and ICU among others.
- Features the Stanbury Physician-Scientist Pathway for aspiring physician-scientists.
Primary Care Program
- Emphasizes clinical training, health system innovations, and skill-building for impacting vulnerable populations.
- Includes 16.5 months of ambulatory rotations and elective time.
- Special Primary Care Designer Blocks in PGY-2 for focused pathways.
Unique electives, including clinical, community, and classroom-based options, along with point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training, make this program stand out. Residents use Butterfly iQ handheld ultrasounds and participate in a longitudinal POCUS curriculum with bedside ultrasound rounds and a two-week POCUS elective.
Want to know the most competitive and least competitive residencies? Watch this video:
2. University of California
The Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at the University of California offers four main tracks: Categorical Medicine, Physician-Scientist Training (PSTP), Combined Medicine/Pediatrics, and Primary Care.
- Categorical Medicine Track: A traditional three-year track providing broad exposure to general internal medicine and subspecialties.
- Physician-Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP): Combines internal medicine, research, and optional subspecialty fellowship training. It includes three years of internal medicine residency, two to three years of mentored research, and an optional subspecialty fellowship.
- Combined Medicine/Pediatrics Track: A four-year program split evenly between internal medicine and pediatrics, leading to careers in primary care, hospitalist positions, academic medicine, international health, or subspecialty fellowships.
- Primary Care Track: Includes three annual primary care blocks with exposure to primary care environments, skills training, and subspecialty clinic sessions, alongside a weekly didactic curriculum.
Residents can modify their training by applying for one of five specialized pathways: Primary Care Pathway, Resident as Clinician Educator (RACE) Track, Hospital Medicine Pathway, Global Medicine Pathway, and Integrative Medicine Pathway.
The program emphasizes both clinical training and research. Each resident undertakes a scholarly project, participates in teaching activities, and may choose a two-month research elective in the third year, presenting results at the Medicine Grand Rounds series.
The program stands out for its strong research focus, with many residents presenting at national meetings and being included in peer-reviewed publications
3. Duke University
The Department of Medicine at Duke University offers an internal medicine residency program with five pathways: Categorical Program, Preliminary Program, Research Pathways, Global Health, and Health Care Leadership.
Best Internal Residency Programs in Canada
Medical schools in Canada use the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), which matches applicants to the residency program of their choice and residency program directors with applicants that fit them best.
1. University of Toronto
The University of Toronto’s Internal Medicine (Core) Residency Program is one of the largest in North America, accepting around 70 residents annually. This diversity fosters a broad and inclusive learning experience, welcoming Canadian Medical Graduates, International Medical Graduates, and Internationally Funded Trainees.
Curriculum:
- General Medicine Training: Minimum of 15 blocks in general internal medicine.
- Critical Care: At least four blocks managing critically ill patients.
- Subspecialty Focus: Up to five blocks in one subspecialty.
- Electives: Up to six blocks, including cardiology, clinical immunology, emergency medicine, and more.
- Research: Completion of a scholarly project.
The program aims to train future leaders in Canadian medicine, ensuring competency across all CanMEDS roles. Residents gain hands-on experience with diverse populations, including LGBTQ2S+ individuals, immigrants, refugees, and Indigenous Canadians.
Distinguished by its extensive learning opportunities and community diversity, the program also offers a Black and Indigenous Resident Application and Mentorship Program to support minority communities.
2. McGill University
McGill University’s Internal Medicine Residency Training Program emphasizes a robust curriculum and producing capable internists. Residents train at three major teaching centers in Montreal, aiming to develop medical experts, strong communicators, collaborators, leaders, health advocates, scholars, and professionals.
Curriculum:
- Clinical Teaching Unit (CTU) and General Internal Medicine Consultation Service (ERC): 12–20 weeks per year.
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU): Four weeks per year.
- Coronary Care Unit (CCU): Four weeks per year.
- Ambulatory Clinic: Four weeks in PGY2 and PGY3.
- Night Float: Two to four weeks per year.
Special Rotations:
- Community Hospital Internal Medicine Experience (CHIME): Experience in a community setting.
- Research/Scholarly Activity Rotation (SAR): Exploration of clinical research, medical education, quality improvement, etc.
- Epidemiology: Optional four-week elective on epidemiological and statistical methods.
The program allows electives at any McGill University training site, offering a comprehensive and flexible learning experience; urban and rural residency rotations are also an option. This strong focus on curriculum makes McGill’s program stand out, aiming to develop well-rounded internists.
Tips to Match With the Best Internal Medicine Residency Program
Depending on which country you are applying to (US or Canada), the components of the application can vary slightly, so pay attention to the program requirements to increase your chances of being matched.
The following are some of the application components you will need to prepare:
- Residency CV
- Letters of recommendation
- Residency personal statement or residency letter of intent
- Medical student performance evaluation (MSPE)
- Medical licensing exam scores
Residency CV
With the right residency CV editing help, you can develop a strong CV that appropriately highlights your employment history, including volunteer work, extracurriculars, research, awards, publications, and elective experiences that highlight your suitability for internal medicine. This may include clinical rotations, or relevant certifications like ACLS or PALS.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation play a vital role in your application. Once you have identified how many letters are required by the residency program of your choice, dedicate some time to think about who you ask for reference. It should be someone you have worked closely with for a long time, as they will be able to speak of your achievements and skills that are essential to internal medicine – such as having an excellent bedside manner, a curiosity for finding a diagnoses and a passion for patient education (just to name a few)..Make sure you ask for an ERAS letter of recommendation or a CaRMS reference letter 2–3 months before you start applying.
Personal Statement/Personal Letter
From your personal statement or personal letter, the admissions committee wants to see your commitment to the field. You can highlight this by describing any personal experiences that influenced you to pursue the specialty, such as having a parent with diabetes or experiences with internal medicine from a young age. If there was something interesting about your rotations that stuck with you, share it in your personal statement. You should also look at some internal medicine residency personal statement examples to get an idea of how to frame your statement.
Medical Student Performance Evaluation
The MSPE or Medical Student Performance Evaluation informs the residency program directors of your academic performance, strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments in a comprehensive and objective way. You should start thinking of your MSPE early and try to ensure good evaluations during clerkships and electives. Speak with your supervisors and incorporate their feedback in your performance.
Medical Licensing Exam Scores
Medical licensing exam scores such as the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 1, USMLE 2 CK, USMLE 3) scores are another major requirement in a residency application. To improve your chances of scoring high, you may want to consider a USMLE Step 1 prep course or one dedicated to the other levels. Understanding what residency program directors look for will help you tailor your application and stand out from the competition.
Interview Prep
The interview stage is just as important for residency as the application stage. Whether you are focusing on your ERAS interview prep or CaRMS interview prep, make sure to first take a moment to introspect and think about what you have achieved, what your goals are, and how you plan on achieving those goals; there’s a high chance you may be asked “why internal medicine?”. Once you have this part figured out, move on to reviewing resources, starting with internal medicine residency interview questions and sample answers to get an idea of what can be asked and how you should answer those questions. Taking on residency mock interviews will give you the confidence for when you sit for your actual interview, be it in person or virtual. It will also help you time your answers and make them more succinct if needed.
FAQs
1. What factors should I consider when choosing the best internal medicine residency program?
Consider factors such as program curriculum, faculty expertise, research opportunities, clinical exposure, and location to determine the best fit for your career goals.
2. How competitive is the internal medicine residency match?
Internal medicine residency is moderately competitive, with a large number of applicants each year. Strong academic performance, research, and clinical experience can improve your chances.
3. What makes the Massachusetts General Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program unique?
Massachusetts General Hospital offers extensive mentoring, unique electives like POCUS, and two distinct tracks: Categorical and Primary Care, catering to different career goals.
4. How does the University of Toronto support diversity in its internal medicine residency program?
The University of Toronto offers a Black and Indigenous Resident Application and Mentorship Program to support minority applicants and promote diversity.
5. What is the focus of the Primary Care Pathway at the University of California?
The Primary Care Pathway at the University of California emphasizes ambulatory care, primary care skills training, and a didactic curriculum tailored for future primary care physicians.
6. What research opportunities are available in Duke University's Internal Medicine Residency Program?
Duke offers the Physician-Scientist Training Program and the R38 Research Pathway, providing significant protected research time and mentorship for aspiring physician-scientists.
7. What is the Community Hospital Internal Medicine Experience (CHIME) at McGill University?
CHIME offers residents exposure to internal medicine practice in a community setting, enhancing their clinical experience and understanding of diverse healthcare environments.
8. How many letters of recommendation are typically required for internal medicine residency applications?
Most programs, like Massachusetts General Hospital, require three letters of recommendation, including one from a medical school dean and one from the Department of Medicine chair or clerkship director.
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