ACP: Internal Medicine residencies growing, greater patient access needed

Offering 26% of all postgraduate year one positions in the 2018 Main Residency Match, internal medicine remains the leading training medical specialty, but barriers still exist in patient access to general internal medicine care, according to a press release issued by ACP.

This year, internal medicine programs offered 4.3% more categorical positions and 9.7% more primary care positions than last year, according to the release. A majority (97.7%) of these positions were filled, mainly by medical school seniors in the United States (44.3%), according to the release.

“The overall increase in the number of matched internal medicine positions is essential to ensure that patients have access to general internal medicine and primary care physicians who specialize in preventive care, diagnostic evaluations, acute problem management and long-term care for complex conditions,” Davoren Chick, MD, senior VP of medical education at ACP, said in the release. “However, currently only about 18% of graduating internal medicine residents report planning a career in general internal medicine, with an additional 14% planning to pursue hospital medicine.”

Internal medicine enrollment increased from 5,526 in 2012 to 7,542 in 2018. From 2012 to 2018, there was a decline in the percentage of medical school seniors in the United States being matched to postgraduate year one internal medicine positions, according to the release. This percentage decreased from 46.6% in 2017 to 44.3% in 2018, according to the release.

“Internists provide essential cognitive expertise and interpersonal skills needed to make an accurate diagnosis, propose a patient-centered treatment plan, communicate with patients and their families and coordinate care across our complex health care system,” Chick said. “To ensure access to personalized care for future patients, we must continue to address barriers to careers in general internal medicine, including administrative burdens, under-recognition of cognitive skills and inequities in compensation models.”

There has been a rise in the overall number of national graduate medical education training positions offered, according to the release. These positions have been filled increasingly by international medical graduates, while positions filled by medical school seniors in the United States has decreased, according to the release.

“This trend is reflected in ACP’s ongoing support for our international members and raises concern for possible negative effects of travel restrictions for international physicians,” Chick said. – by Alaina Tedesco