Are you wondering how to match into internal medicine/pediatrics? Or how many internal medicine/pediatrics residency programs are there? Do you want to know everything there is about internal medicine/pediatrics residency interviews? Need to know how many interviews to match in internal medicine/pediatrics?
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to match into internal medicine/pediatrics.
Summary:
- Internal medicine/pediatrics is moderately competitive, in part due to the low % of unmatched US Seniors.
- In part due to the volume of applications, internal medicine/pediatrics residency programs use standardized screens modestly to “weed out” applicants
- The most successful applicants won’t fail any USMLE, have good USMLE scores, a stellar MSPE, and demonstrate lots of interest in programs
- Historically, most internal medicine/pediatrics interview invites occur before November 30, and the vast majority before December 31
Table of Contents
How Competitive is it to Match into Internal Medicine/Pediatrics?
How competitive is it to match into internal medicine/pediatrics in the US? Here we have the unmatched % for US seniors by specialty. The “Unmatched %” means the % of US seniors who applied into internal medicine/pediatrics who did not match during the given year.
This is one measure of specialty competitiveness – perhaps the most relevant if you want to match into internal medicine/pediatrics.
For more on the competitiveness of internal medicine/pediatrics relative to other medical specialties, see this article.
How Many Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Programs Are There?
Before we discuss how many internal medicine/pediatrics residency programs there are in the US, let’s review some terminology. For many specialized residency programs (e.g., anesthesiology, dermatology, radiology, radiation oncology, etc.), the specialty training begins during the second year of residency. This second year is also known as the PGY-2 (post-graduate year 2, for the second year after graduating from medical school).
Categorical vs. Advanced vs. Physician Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Programs
Internal medicine/pediatrics has three different kinds of residency programs applicants can potentially enter: categorical, advanced, and physician (R).
Categorical refers to programs that include all years of residency training. Internal medicine/pediatrics residency lasts four years. The first year of training, however, is a “preliminary” year that can be either internal medicine, surgery, or transitional (a sort of grab-bag that will depend on the hospital). Some programs include the PGY-1 “intern” year – these programs are known as “categorical” programs.
Others, however, require applicants to match separately into an intern year. These programs, which begin in the PGY-2 years, are referred to as “advanced” positions.
Finally, others who have already completed at least a year of residency training may be eligible for a “physician” internal medicine/pediatrics position. These positions allow applicants to move directly into the PGY-2 specialty training and skip the PGY-1 year. This arrangement may be ideal for those who want to complete residency sooner and not have to repeat their intern year.
How Many Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Programs and Positions Are There?
In the 2022 NRMP Match, there were:
- 78 Internal Medicine/Pediatrics programs offering 392 PGY-1 (categorical) positions,
- 0 Internal Medicine/Pediatrics programs offering 0 PGY-2 (advanced) positions, and
- 0 Internal Medicine/Pediatrics programs offering 0 Physician (R) positions
Thus, the total number of Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency positions in 2022 was 392 + 0 + 0 = 392. There were at least 78 Internal Medicine/Pediatrics programs in 2022. However, it is unclear how many more than that there were since many of the residency programs that offer advanced and/or physician positions also offer categorical ones.
See the 2022 Main Residency Match Results and Data for more information on internal medicine/pediatrics match statistics.
How to Match into Internal Medicine/Pediatrics: Impressing Program Directors
To match into internal medicine/pediatrics, you must first be invited to interview. According to the most recent program director (PD) survey from 2021, PDs shared what they look for in candidates they hope to interview.
For internal medicine/pediatrics, the top five most important characteristics for receiving an interview, according to program directors, were:
- USMLE Step 1 Score
- MSPE
- USMLE Step 2 CK Score
- Grades in Required Clerkships
- Any Failed USMLE Attempt
The same data are presented more fully in a table. Here you will see the % of program director respondents who cited a factor as important for granting an interview, as well as the mean importance score (out of 5).
To balance the breadth of program directors citing each factor with the importance given to each factor, a “composite score” was created. This composite score takes the average of the % respondents citing a factor with the importance score scaled to 100%. For example, if 80% of PDs cited a given factor, with a mean importance score of 5.0 (out of 5), the composite score would be 90%. (The average of 80% of PDs citing with 5/5 – or 100% – for the mean importance, for a composite score of 90%).
| Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to INTERVIEW (Mean Importance / 5) | Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered for Interview Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 95.0% | 3.4 | 93.0% |
| MSPE | 100.0% | 4.1 | 91.0% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 85.0% | 3.4 | 89.5% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 85.0% | 4.1 | 89.0% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 85.0% | 4.3 | 87.0% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 85.0% | 3.9 | 87.0% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 90.0% | 3.9 | 85.5% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 55.0% | 4.5 | 85.5% |
| Consistency of Grades | 55.0% | 4 | 84.0% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 55.0% | 3.6 | 83.5% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 80.0% | 3.7 | 83.5% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 50.0% | 3.7 | 83.0% |
| AOA Membership | 60.0% | 3.6 | 81.5% |
| GHHS Membership | 75.0% | 4.3 | 81.5% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 50.0% | 3.7 | 81.5% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 60.0% | 3.8 | 80.5% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 35.0% | 2.6 | 77.0% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 45.0% | 4.6 | 76.5% |
| Medical School Reputation | 50.0% | 3.9 | 75.0% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 25.0% | 3.8 | 72.5% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 30.0% | 2.8 | 68.5% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 30.0% | 4 | 68.5% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 0.0% | 68.0% | |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 0.0% | 67.5% | |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 5.0% | 2 | 66.0% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 90.0% | 3.8 | 64.5% |
| Personal Statement (Overall) | 95.0% | 3.8 | 64.0% |
| Diversity Characteristics | 90.0% | 4.4 | 63.5% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 85.0% | 4.1 | 62.0% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 90.0% | 4.2 | 62.0% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 80.0% | 4.7 | 62.0% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 70.0% | 4 | 60.5% |
| Leadership Qualities | 90.0% | 4.8 | 56.0% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 95.0% | 4.2 | 55.0% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 65.0% | 3.6 | 53.0% |
| Other Life Experience | 75.0% | 4.4 | 50.5% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 40.0% | 3.6 | 49.0% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 30.0% | 3.4 | 43.5% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 30.0% | 4.7 | 43.0% |
| Visa Status | 25.0% | 4.8 | 42.5% |
| Fluency in Language of Pt Population | 30.0% | 3.8 | 34.5% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 35.0% | 4.7 | 22.5% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 15.0% | 3.5 | 0.0% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 15.0% | 2.7 | 0.0% |
Here are the composite scores for the criteria internal medicine/pediatrics program directors use for grading interviews.
What Do Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Program Directors Look for When Ranking Applicants?
Getting an interview is only part of the process of matching into internal medicine/pediatrics. Program directors also rank the most important factors for creating their rank order list.
In the 2021 Program Director Survey, internal medicine/pediatrics PDs rated these criteria as most important for deciding whom to rank:
- Interactions with Faculty During Interview/Visit
- Interactions with House Staff During Interview/Visit
- Leadership Qualities
- Feedback from Current Residents
- Interpersonal Skills
We can see the full list here:
| Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (% of Respondents Endorsing) | Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered in Deciding Whom to RANK (Mean Importance / 5) | Internal Medicine-Pediatrics: Characteristics Considered for Rank Composite Score (Average of % Respondents Endorsing and Mean Importance / 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interactions with Faculty During Interview/Visit | 80.0% | 4.8 | 88.0% |
| Interactions with House Staff During Interview/Visit | 80.0% | 4.8 | 88.0% |
| Leadership Qualities | 80.0% | 4.7 | 87.0% |
| Feedback from Current Residents | 80.0% | 4.6 | 86.0% |
| Interpersonal Skills | 75.0% | 4.8 | 85.5% |
| Diversity Characteristics | 75.0% | 4.6 | 83.5% |
| Volunteer/Extracurricular Experience | 75.0% | 4.3 | 80.5% |
| MSPE | 80.0% | 3.8 | 78.0% |
| Professionalism and Ethics | 60.0% | 4.8 | 78.0% |
| GHHS Membership | 65.0% | 4.1 | 73.5% |
| Having Overcome Significant Obstacles | 60.0% | 4.3 | 73.0% |
| Perceived Commitment to Specialty | 65.0% | 4 | 72.5% |
| Other Life Experience | 55.0% | 4.5 | 72.5% |
| Grades in Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 70.0% | 3.6 | 71.0% |
| Personal Statement | 70.0% | 3.6 | 71.0% |
| Grades in Required Clerkships | 65.0% | 3.7 | 69.5% |
| Perceived Interest in Program | 55.0% | 4.2 | 69.5% |
| Letters of Recommendation in Specialty | 55.0% | 3.9 | 66.5% |
| Any Failed USMLE Attempt | 40.0% | 4.5 | 65.0% |
| USMLE Step 2 CK Score | 60.0% | 3.5 | 65.0% |
| Class Ranking/Quartile | 60.0% | 3.5 | 65.0% |
| USMLE Step 1 Score | 55.0% | 3.4 | 61.5% |
| AOA Membership | 55.0% | 3.3 | 60.5% |
| Consistency of Grades | 40.0% | 4 | 60.0% |
| Personal Prior Knowledge of Applicant | 45.0% | 3.7 | 59.5% |
| Any Failed COMLEX-USA Attempt | 25.0% | 4.6 | 58.5% |
| Medical School Accreditation Status | 15.0% | 5 | 57.5% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 2 CE Score | 40.0% | 3.6 | 56.0% |
| Fluency in Language of Patient Population | 30.0% | 4 | 55.0% |
| Ability to Work Legally w/o Visa | 20.0% | 4.5 | 55.0% |
| NRMP Flag for Match Violation | 10.0% | 5 | 55.0% |
| Medical School Reputation | 15.0% | 4.7 | 54.5% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 1 score | 35.0% | 3.7 | 54.5% |
| Audition Elective/Rotation in PD's Dept | 25.0% | 4 | 52.5% |
| Awards/Honors in Clinical Clerkships | 45.0% | 2.9 | 51.5% |
| Visa Status | 15.0% | 4.3 | 50.5% |
| Awards/Honors, Clerkship in Preferred Specialty | 35.0% | 3.3 | 50.5% |
| Interest in Academic Career | 10.0% | 4.5 | 50.0% |
| Passing USMLE Step 2 CS | 20.0% | 3.8 | 48.0% |
| Involvement and Interest in Research | 30.0% | 3.2 | 47.0% |
| Away Rotation in Specialty Elsewhere | 10.0% | 4 | 45.0% |
| Sigma Sigma Phi Membership | 20.0% | 3.5 | 45.0% |
| Passing COMLEX-USA Level 2 PE | 15.0% | 3.7 | 44.5% |
| Second Interview/Visit | 5.0% | 3.9 | 41.5% |
| Continuous Medical Education w/o Gaps | 10.0% | 3.5 | 40.0% |
| Other Post-Interview Contact | 5.0% | 3.7 | 39.5% |
| Applicant Facility with Meeting Platform Tech | 5.0% | 3.6 | 38.5% |
| Awards/Honors in Basic Sciences | 10.0% | 3 | 35.0% |
| USMLE Step 3 Score | 5.0% | 1 | 12.5% |
| COMLEX-USA Level 3 Score | 0.0% | 0.0% | |
| How Medical School Handled Virtual Rotations | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Finally, we can see the composite scores for criteria used to rank internal medicine/pediatrics applicants.
What Characteristics Do Successful Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Applicants Share?
Here are the characteristics of matched vs. unmatched US seniors applying to internal medicine/pediatrics.
| Matched | Unmatched | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean number of contiguous ranks, US Senior | 11.9 | 3.3 |
| Mean number of distinct specialties ranked, US Senior | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Step 1, US Senior | 236 | 217 |
| Step 2, US Senior | 250 | 234 |
| Mean number of research experiences, US Senior | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications, US Senior | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| Mean number of work experiences, US Senior | 4 | 3.7 |
| Mean number of volunteer experiences, US Senior | 10.3 | 8.2 |
| Percentage who are AOA members, US Senior | 22.1 | 0 |
| Percentage who graduated from one of the 40 U.S. medical schools with the highest NIH funding, US Senior | 30.5 | 19.2 |
| Percentage who have Ph.D. degree, US Senior | 2.2 | 0 |
| Percentage who have another graduate degree, US Senior | 23.1 | 29.2 |
Match Into internal medicine/pediatrics: Pass the Screens with High USMLEs
Internal medicine/pediatrics moderately relies on standardized screens to weed out applicants. In the 2021 Program Director Survey, internal medicine/pediatrics PDs respondents reported that 26% of applications were rejected via standardized screen. This ranked near the lower end of all residencies.
What Are the Step 1 and Step 2 CK Cut-Offs for Interviews in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics?
Many programs screen out applicants with failed USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK (see below). In addition, PDs use Step 1 and Step 2 CK score cut-offs to weed out applicants.
Step 1 CK Cut-Off data was not provided for internal medicine/pediatrics, but you can see other specialties data below.
Similarly, Step 2 CK Cut-Off data was not provided for internal medicine/pediatrics, but you can see other specialties data below.
For more on the USMLE cut-off scores for granting interviews – or weeding out applicants – see this article.
If I Fail Step 1, Can I Still Match Into Internal Medicine/Pediatrics?
If you failed Step 1, you might wonder if you can still match into internal medicine/pediatrics. In the most recent program director survey addressing this question, we can see that internal medicine/pediatrics programs are relatively forgiving if you’ve failed Step 1.
In 2020, internal medicine/pediatrics 14% of PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 1, while 43% would “seldom” consider it. That being said, 43% of internal medicine/pediatrics programs “often” consider someone with a Step 1 fail.
Did you fail Step 1 and are wondering what you can do to recover? Read this article and consider scheduling a consultation.
If I Fail Step 2 CK, Can I Still Match Into Internal Medicine/Pediatrics?
Similarly, you may wonder what your chances of matching into internal medicine/pediatrics are if you fail Step 2 CK. Unlike with Step 1, internal medicine/pediatrics PDs are unforgiving for not passing Step 2 CK.
In 2020, 43% of internal medicine/pediatrics of PDs reported they “never” consider applicants who fail Step 2 CK, while 29% would “seldom” consider it. That being said 29% of internal medicine/pediatrics programs “often” consider someone with a Step 2 CK fail.
Did you fail Step 2 CK and wonder what you can do to recover? Read this article and consider scheduling a consultation.
How Many Publications for Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency in 2022
Research is an important characteristic for matching into many specialties, particularly the most competitive. So, how many publications do you need to match into an internal medicine/pediatrics residency?
In 2022, the mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications for US seniors who matched into internal medicine/pediatrics was 6.5. The mean number of research experiences was 3.5.
Do I Need an MD-PhD to Become an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Doctor?
You may wonder how much an MD-PhD helps with matching into internal medicine/pediatrics. It appears that having a PhD correlates with a moderate advantage of 8% when applying into internal medicine/pediatrics. Specifically, the match rate for those with a PhD is 8% higher than for those without one when applying into internal medicine/pediatrics.
Note that those with PhDs are relatively rare among internal medicine/pediatrics residents. In fact, 8% of matched applicants into internal medicine/pediatrics had a PhD in 2022.
Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Interviews
When you apply to internal medicine/pediatrics, you may be wondering what the chances of getting an interview are. Here we present the outcomes of applicants per the 2021 NRMP Program Director Survey.
Note that internal medicine/pediatrics uses standardized screens to reduce the number of applicants. Roughly 26% of applicants that year were eliminated via a screen (e.g., Step 2 CK scores, visa status, failed a USMLE in the past, etc.).
When Are Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Interview Invites Sent vs. Conducted?
When you apply to residency, you’ll be doing a lot of waiting. Specifically, you’ll be waiting to hear whether – and when – you will be able to interview.
Want to know when you might expect to hear from internal medicine/pediatrics programs regarding your residency application? Here are when programs typically extend and conduct interviews. Note that the most recent data are from 2020.
Here are the same data presented differently. Note that due to rounding, sometimes the percentages can add up to more than 100%.
How Many Interviews to Match in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics?
How many interviews to match in internal medicine/pediatrics with confidence? For US Seniors, the magic number of interviews needed to match into internal medicine/pediatrics is 6. In 2022, having 6 interviews (and ranking them all on their match list) led to a ≥91% chance of matching. For even greater safety, though, having 11+ interviews led to a 100% chance of matching into internal medicine/pediatrics for US seniors.
How Many Interviews to Match in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics as a DO?
For DO seniors, having 7+ interviews led to a 100% chance of matching into internal medicine/pediatrics for US seniors.
How Many Interviews to Match in Internal Medicine/Pediatrics as an IMG?
For IMGs, because of so few candidates, the numbers become considerably “noisier,” and can’t be interpreted with much confidence.
Concluding Thoughts
Matching into internal medicine/pediatrics is a challenging proposition. The challenge may feel more daunting if we have perceived weaknesses in our application, or if we want to match in a top program, a desirable location, and/or couples match.
The good news? How to match into internal medicine/pediatrics depends largely on things you can control – your USMLEs, your clinical performance/MSPEs, whether you fail Step 1 or Step 2 CK, and how much interest you show to programs.
Looking for an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Advisor?
Looking for an internal medicine/pediatrics 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?
Be sure to check out our Residency Advisor service.
