How To Become A Chief Of Internal Medicine: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief of internal medicine and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The chief resident position is the single biggest investment in leadership made by the Department of Medicine, and the chiefs act as core figures throughout the program. Chiefs are chosen for their outstanding clinical and leadership abilities. Although each chief has different duties at their primary location, the camaraderie within the chiefs sets a constructive tone for the organization and helps achieve the multiple targets set for the year.

The Chief of Internal Medicine serves the team by providing guidance and sponsorship of the core missions of the residency program and acts as key advisors and advocates for the residents. They play a vital role in the educational mission or residency programs. They also do administrative, educational, and clinical tasks.

To become the Chief of Internal Medicine, you must have successfully completed an Internal Medicine Residency Program or be scheduled to complete a program within few months of the start date. Candidates will undergo an interview process by a panel including the Program Director or Chairperson.

ScoreChief Of Internal MedicineUS Average

Salary

9.4

Avg. Salary $170,137

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 18.90%

Black or African American 5.39%

Hispanic or Latino 10.12%

Unknown 4.52%

White 60.90%

Gender

female 58.20%

male 41.80%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief of internal medicine

Explore chief of internal medicine education requirements

Most common chief of internal medicine degrees

Bachelor's

42.4 %

Master's

14.6 %

Certificate

13.9 %

Start to develop specific chief of internal medicine skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	44.99%
Patient Care	14.51%
Pediatrics	11.65%
Diagnosis	11.59%
Medical Care	7.64%

Complete relevant chief of internal medicine training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chiefs of internal medicine learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief of internal medicine based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief of internal medicine resumes.

Research chief of internal medicine duties and responsibilities

Monitor patients' drug therapy for safety and efficacy by reviewing laboratory values and evaluating their response
Perform statistical analysis of pharmacy customers in order to segment and target patients for specialize products and programs.
Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents
Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents

Prepare your chief of internal medicine resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief of internal medicine resume.

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