What Is Involved in an Internal Medicine Residency?

An internal medicine residency is a program designed to give students or newly licensed doctors real world training under the guidance of more experienced doctors. In some countries, such as the United States, residents are considered doctors and are able to practice medicine on their own in settings such as health clinics. In other countries, such as France, residents are considered students and are not allowed to practice medicine except under the direct supervision of an experienced doctor. In either case, the residents in internal medicine residency programs have many of the same responsibilities as experienced doctors. In addition to caring for patients, residents must also attend classes and lectures and keep up with the latest advancements in internal medicine.

A typical internal medicine residency program lasts between three and five years. First year residents are not often given many responsibilities with actual patients. Many programs have these residents examine patients who have come in for routine treatment or pretend patients with simulated medical conditions. By working with these types of patients, residents are able to practice their skills without jeopardizing a patient's health. In addition to working on these practice patients, a great deal of coursework and study is a large part of the first year of an internal medicine residency.

In a resident's second and third year, an internal medicine residency often includes work with actual patients in a hospital setting. These residents work with patients as their primary caregivers and report to a supervising doctor before administering treatment. In many cases, a resident will have a treatment plan in mind before checking in with the supervising doctor.

During this time, there are also a series of rotations in an internal medicine residency. These rotations expose a student to different facets of internal medicine, including emergency medicine, oncology, pediatrics, and pulmonary medicine. Residents are required to take each rotation, though there may be some room for elective rotations. In addition to rotations and routine work in a hospital, second and third year residents continue to take classes, attend lectures, and read medical journals.

In some countries, the internal medicine residency will continue for an additional one or two years. Students will often take these years to receive further training in a specialty field or to practice medicine with more autonomy, though still under the supervision of an experienced doctor. Countries that require only three years of residency often offer specialty training in the form of fellowships that doctors can take once they have completed their residency training.