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General internal medicine physician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a general internal medicine physician. General internal medicine physicians usually study medicine, biology, or health care administration. 52% of general internal medicine physicians hold a doctoral degree, and 19% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 66 real general internal medicine physician resumes to see exactly what general internal medicine physician education sections show.

The most common colleges for general internal medicine physicians are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.

There are also many online general internal medicine physician courses to help get the education required to be a general internal medicine physician.

What education do you need to become a general internal medicine physician?

What degree do you need to be a general internal medicine physician?

The most common degree for general internal medicine physicians is doctoral degree, with 52% of general internal medicine physicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 19% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.
  • Doctorate, 52%
  • Bachelor's, 19%
  • Master's, 12%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a general internal medicine physician?

You should major in medicine to become a general internal medicine physician. 53% of general internal medicine physicians major in medicine. Other common majors for a general internal medicine physician include biology and health care administration.

Most common colleges for general internal medicine physicians

General internal medicine physicians often get their degrees at University of the Sciences, Central State University, and Sam Houston State University. Here are the most common colleges for general internal medicine physicians in the US based on their resumes.
General internal medicine physician common collegePercentages
University of the Sciences20.00%
Central State University13.33%
Sam Houston State University6.67%
University of Missouri - St Louis6.67%
George Washington University, The6.67%

Best majors for general internal medicine physicians

Best colleges for general internal medicine physicians

The best colleges for general internal medicine physicians are Duke University, Yale University, and Vanderbilt University.

A general internal medicine physician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for general internal medicine physicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become general internal medicine physicians.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for general internal medicine physicians

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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

2. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

3. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Advanced Diploma

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4.3
(1,105)

A complete program in one course, This Diploma is an Encyclopedia in The Natural Medicine field...

4. Introduction to Longevity Medicine

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4.4
(344)

A Medical Guide to Longevity Medicine for Physicians...

5. Everyday Chinese Medicine

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This course aims to serve as an education platform on Chinese medicine (CM) for the general public. Our primary goal is to empower healthcare choices by promoting awareness and practical application on CM diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, as well as regulation on CM services and herbal products using international examples. In the first part of this course, learners will develop skills in applying basic theory of Chinese medicine (CM) for understanding health and illnesses, and be able to...

6. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

7. Doctor of Natural Medicine

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4.4
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This course is a mini encyclopedia in natural medicine field...

8. Herbalism:: Medicinal Mushrooms Certificate

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Learn the top mushrooms used in holistic and natural medicine that are most effective, safe and easily available...

9. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...

10. COVID-19 Training for Healthcare Workers

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COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across the globe and all providers must be prepared to recognize, stabilize and treat patients with novel coronavirus infection. Following completion of this short course physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will have a unified, evidenced-based approach to saving the lives of patients with COVID-19, including those who are critically ill. Learning modules are broken into short videos presented in a richly illustrated and compelling manner. The...

11. Herbalism:: Introduction & Medicine Making Certificate

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Take charge of your health with herbal medicine. Using herbs and natural holistic medicine is easy, effective and safe...

12. Herbalism:: Medicinal Kitchen Herbs & Spices Certificate

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Discover how common kitchen herbs and spices are used as herbal medicine and natural medicine for ultimate health...

13. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

14. Case Studies in Personalized Medicine

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Learn how advances in biomedicine hold the potential to revolutionize drug development, drug treatments, and disease prevention: where are we now, and what does the future hold? This course will present short primers in genetics and mechanisms underlying variability in drug responses. A series of case studies will be used to illustrate principles of how genetics are being brought to bear on refining diagnoses and on personalizing treatment in rare and common diseases. The ethical and...

15. Herbalism:: Growing Top Medicinal Plants Certificate

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Growing your own herbal medicine is easy and allows you to have quick access to medicinal plants when you need them...

16. Herbalism:: Identify & Harvest Medicinal Plants Certificate

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Identify, harvest and use easy to find herbs from the wild that are commonly used in herbal, holistic, natural medicine...

17. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

18. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

19. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation

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Kidney transplantation is a major advance of modern medicine which provides high-quality of life for patients with end-stage renal disease. What used to be an experimental, risky, and very limited treatment option more than 50 years ago is now routinely performed in many countries worldwide. The number of renal transplants is expected to rise sharply in the next decade since the proportion of patients with end stage renal disease is increasing. Are you interested in clinical kidney, pancreas...

20. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...

Top 10 most affordable universities for general internal medicine physicians

The most affordable schools for general internal medicine physicians are University of Florida, florida international university, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for general internal medicine physicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for general internal medicine physicians.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general internal medicine physicians

The hardest universities for general internal medicine physicians to get into are Duke University, Yale University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for general internal medicine physicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for general internal medicine physicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general internal medicine physicians

The easiest schools for general internal medicine physicians to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a general internal medicine physician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for general internal medicine physicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average general internal medicine physician salary by education level

General internal medicine physician education levelGeneral internal medicine physician salary
Doctorate Degree$197,328

General internal medicine physician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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