| Overview of the Specialty of Internal Medicine Internal medicine is a broad-based specialty encompassing the body's major organ systems. The general internist is a physician who provides care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex problems in adolescents, adults and the elderly. Internists diagnose and treat a spectrum of acute and chronic illnesses, promote health and help prevent disease. They are trained in the essentials of primary care which involves an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs. There are presently 16 subspecialties within internal medicine that are certifiable by the American Board of Medical Specialists. Training Requirements for Internal Medicine Training consists of a minimum of three years of postgraduate education in an ACGME-accredited internal medicine residency training program. There are over 370 internal medicine programs offering over 4,500 positions available to U.S. seniors. Matching Program Information and Match Statistics for Internal Medicine Internal medicine residency training programs participate in the NRMP. Match results through the NRMP and competitiveness information for residency training positions are summarized on the right. Subspecialty/Fellowship Training Subspecialty/fellowship training following completion of an internal medicine residency training program is available in a wide range of fields. Certifiable subspecialties include: cardiology, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious diseases, medical oncology, nephrology, pulmonary disease and rheumatology. Added certificates of qualifications can be obtained in adolescent medicine, clinical cardiac electrophysiology, clinical and laboratory immunology, critical care medicine, geriatric medicine and sports medicine. Detailed information about the scope of these subspecialty training programs, number of positions offered and length of training is available in the GMED. Further information can be obtained from the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access page (FREIDA). Career Information FREIDA physcian workforce information for each specialty includes statistical information on the number of positions/programs for residency training, resident workhours, resident work environment and compensation, employment status upon completion of program and work environment for those entering practice in each specialty. Access FREIDA
For summary statistics and physician workforce information, click on "Specialty Statistics." | 
