Is internal medicine competitive? How important are the USMLEs, research, med school reputation, and AOA membership for matching into internal medicine? Is internal medicine IMG-friendly? And what is the DO match rate for internal medicine programs?
In this article, you’ll learn everything about internal medicine’s competitiveness in 2022. In the process, you’ll learn what to focus on – and what not to – to maximize your chances of matching into this desirable specialty.
Summary:
- Internal Medicine Overall Competitiveness: Low
- Research Importance: Low
- USMLE Importance: Moderate
- Importance of Attending Top 40 Med School: Low
- Importance of Class Rank / Obtaining AOA (Med School Honors): Low
Table of Contents
Is Internal Medicine Competitive in 2022?
One way to assess the competitiveness of a specialty is to look at the match rate – the % of people who apply who end up matching into their preferred specialty.
Among US Seniors, the unmatched percentage was 2%, making it less competitive among US residencies. The match rate for internal medicine is better than the most competitive specialties like plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, or otolaryngology. Internal medicine ranked 2nd as the least competitive speciality in the 2022 match.
For more on the most competitive US specialties, see this article.
Internal Medicine Match Rate
What is the Internal Medicine match rate for US seniors, DO seniors, and IMGs? The “match rate” is the % of people who applied to a particular specialty as their preferred specialty who successfully matched into the specialty.
- US Senior Internal Medicine Match Rate (2022 Match): 98%
- DO Senior Internal Medicine Match Rate (2022 Match): 94%
- US IMG Internal Medicine Match Rate (2022 Match): 58%
- Non-US IMG Internal Medicine Match Rate (2022 Match): 58%
See below for more on matching into Internal Medicine as a DO or IMG.
Internal Medicine Match Statistics 2022
In 2022, there were 9,809 internal medicine positions available in the NRMP match. A total of 11,598 applicants listed it as their preferred specialty.
In the 2022 Match, internal medicine ranked #1 for most total positions offered, ahead:
- Family medicine: 4,926 positions
- Pediatrics: 3,016 positions
- Emergency medicine: 2,921 positions
- Psychiatry: 2,047 positions
- Anesthesiology 1,969 positions
How Many Applicants Receive Interviews in Internal Medicine?
According to the 2021 Program Director survey, each Internal Medicine program received 2,906 applications on average. Other data include:
- Applications received (Internal Medicine): 2,906
- Applications rejected based on standardized screen (Internal Medicine): 1,645
- Applications receiving holistic review (Internal Medicine): 749
- Interview invitations sent (Internal Medicine): 281
- Applicants interviewed (Internal Medicine): 240
- Applicants ranked (Internal Medicine): 212
Looking at the percentages, we can see that for the 2021 Match:
- 57% of Internal Medicine applications were rejected via standardized screen,
- Only 26% of Internal Medicine applications received a holistic review,
- 10% of Internal Medicine applications received an interview invitation, and
- 7% of all Internal Medicine applicants were ranked to match
Internal medicine is Reliant on Screens
Internal medicine relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, internal medicine PDs respondents reported that 57% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked near the uppermost of residencies.
USMLE Scores for Internal Medicine
Step 1 scores for internal medicine for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Internal medicine Step 1 Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 226
- Median: 239
- 75%ile: 249
Step 1 Internal Medicine Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
Similarly, Step 2 CK scores for internal medicine for matched US seniors reflect its moderate competitiveness.
Internal medicine Step 2 CK Scores (Matched Applicants in 2022 Match):
- 25%ile: 240
- Median: 251
- 75%ile: 260
Step 2 CK Internal Medicine Scores Are Middle of the Road (2022 Match)
See this article for more on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK percentiles for each specialty and the overall percentiles.
Matching into Internal Medicine as a DO
Matching into internal medicine as a DO is less competitive, with a 94% match rate and 15% of spots filled by DO Seniors in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 1596 DO seniors applied for internal medicine; 1503 matched.
Internal Medicine is Moderately DO-Friendly (2022 Match)
For more on the most DO-friendly specialties, see this article.
Is Internal Medicine IMG Friendly?
Internal Medicine is moderately IMG-friendly, with an overall 58% match rate and 36% of spots filled by IMGs in the 2022 Match. In 2022, 1809 US IMGs and 4200 non-US IMGs applied to internal medicine; 1054 US IMGs and 2431 non-US IMGs matched. 
We can see that US IMGs (58%) and non-US IMGs (58%) had equal match rates in Internal Medicine.
For internal medicine, US IMGs and Non-US IMGs had equal match rates (58%)
For more on the most IMG-friendly specialties, see this article.
Internal Medicine-Friendly IMG Residency Programs
For a list of the most IMG-friendly internal medicine programs, see this article.
How Much Do Internal Medicine Doctors Make per Year? Per Hour?
Internal Medicine Doctors have an average annual salary of $264,000. This can vary dramatically based on practice setting, specialty training, and experience level.
Internal Medicine Doctors make $264,000 per year on average
However, annual salaries can be misleading. Some specialties work much more than others. By considering the estimated hours worked per year for internists, we get an estimated hourly salary of $100/hr.
Internal Medicine Doctors make roughly $100/hr on average when taking in hours worked per year
See this article for more on physician annual salaries and estimated hourly wage by specialty.
How Important is AOA for Internal Medicine?
AOA – Alpha Omega Alpha – is the med school honors society. Each school may elect up to 20% of the graduating class of students.
Having AOA membership confers a greater advantage to matching into some specialties more than others. Often this AOA advantage is greatest for the most competitive specialties.
AOA membership correlated with a 2% match rate advantage for internal medicine in the 2022 Match
In the 2022 Match, the match rate for US seniors with AOA membership was 2% greater than that of US seniors without AOA membership. AOA membership provided a modest advantage to matching into internal medicine residency.
A number of schools do not have AOA chapters. Even in those schools, many of them rank students against each other. Regardless of AOA status, we can see that class rank is an important factor in successfully matching into internal medicine.
For more on AOA medical schools and the importance of class rank for matching, see this article.
How Many Publications for Internal Medicine Residency in 2022
Research is an important characteristics for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into an internal medicine residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into internal medicine was 6.9. The mean number of research experiences was 3.6.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Match Into Internal Medicine?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into internal medicine. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a modest advantage of 1% when applying into internal medicine. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 1% higher than for those without one when applying into internal medicine.
Having a PhD correlated with a 1% match rate advantage for internal medicine in the 2022 Match
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among internal medicine residents. In fact, only 4.7% of matched applicants into internal medicine had a PhD in 2022.
4.7% of matched applicants to internal medicine had an MD-PhD in 2022
Should You Attend a Top Medical School to Match Into Internal Medicine?
Does attending a top medical school help with matching into internal medicine? According to the program director survey results above, 47.6% of internal medicine PDs consider medical school reputation when considering whom to interview. The mean importance score was 3.8.
Similarly, we can look at the advantage to attending a school in the top 40 by NIH funding. In 2022, there was a 1% advantage in match rate to those attending a school in the top 40 for NIH funding vs. those who did not.
Graduating from a medical school ranked in the top 40 by NIH funding correlated with a 1% match rate advantage for internal medicine in the 2022 Match
Does an MPH or MBA Help Match Into Internal Medicine?
Medical training is long. Despite this, many consider – or complete – other degrees, like MPH’s or MBA’s.
But how much of an advantage – or disadvantage – does an MPH (Master of Public Health) or MBA (Master of Business Administration) confer when applying into internal medicine? Not much, it turns out. In fact, the match rate for US seniors with other degrees was the same (no advantage) as those with no other degrees.
These statistics imply that having a second degree that isn’t a PhD doesn’t appear to help your chances of matching into internal medicine.
Having another degree like an MBA or MPH correlated with a 0% match rate disadvantage for internal medicine in the 2022 Match
What Are the Best Internal Medicine Programs?
While internal medicine may be less competitive, the most desirable programs will always be extremely difficult to enter. So which are the best internal medicine residency programs?
Opinions will vary. However, some of the most desirable internal medicine residency programs would include:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- University of California-San Francisco
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
- Duke University Hospital
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Concluding Thoughts
So how competitive is internal medicine in 2022? Based on the statistics, low competitiveness. It is among the least competitive specialties like emergency medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Nor does it require huge amounts of research or extra credentials like AOA membership or an Ivy League education to match.
That said, internal medicine is still competitive, particularly for the most desirable programs. While it is true for all specialties, USMLE scores – and particularly Step 2 CK – will be emphasized moving forward, particularly given how reliant internal medicine is on standardized screens to weed out applicants.
To learn more about how to master – not memorize – for impressive USMLE scores and higher class rankings, sign up for a free consultation. You can learn more about how Yousmle can help you to make the most of your time, to excel in your classes, Board exams, and the extracurriculars that are critical to matching.
Looking for an Internal Medicine Residency Advisor?
Looking for an internal medicine residency advisor? Want help writing your personal statement? Need effective strategies for interviewing? Do you have things on your application – e.g., low USMLE scores, failed USMLEs, no research, IMG status, or others – you need help overcoming?
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