How To Become An Internal Medicine Doctor: What It Is and Career Path

What is an internal medicine doctor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Abram Brummett Ph.D.

Internal medicine doctors, or internists, are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases threatening internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, digestive and intestinal tract. They provide care for patients with complex medical conditions and excel in resolving puzzling issues causing chronic illnesses.

Working as an internist, you will consult doctors of other specializations on a regular basis, sharing problems and asking for their advice to figure out complex internal conditions. Coming up with diagnoses for patients with more than one disease is often the case you will deal with.

Completing the entire length of medical school with years of resident practice is the path you will have to take if you decide to become an internist. It is one of the most challenging branches of medicine that requires an in-depth understanding of the human body's mysteries with all the intricate connections between the malfunction of organs.

What general advice would you give to an internal medicine doctor?

Abram Brummett Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

One thing I am seeing my medical students have success with is delving into ethics issues that arise in the medical specialty that interests them. This work often comes up in their residency interviews, which may impact their future training opportunities and eventual salary. I am very proud of the ethics research our students are doing at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine.

ScoreInternal Medicine DoctorUS Average

Salary

9.1

Avg. Salary $155,640

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 18.97%

Black or African American 5.33%

Hispanic or Latino 9.96%

Unknown 4.50%

White 61.07%

Gender

female 75.74%

male 24.26%

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 an internal medicine doctor

Explore internal medicine doctor education requirements

Most common internal medicine doctor degrees

Bachelor's

32.7 %

Doctorate

14.7 %

Master's

13.5 %

Start to develop specific internal medicine doctor skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	34.11%
Internal Medicine	28.15%
EMR	14.06%
Pediatrics	7.37%
Patient Care	5.52%

Complete relevant internal medicine doctor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New internal medicine doctors 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 an internal medicine doctor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real internal medicine doctor resumes.

Research internal medicine doctor duties and responsibilities

Detail patient assessment, management, and resuscitation of acutely ill medical patients.
Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents
Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents

Prepare your internal medicine doctor resume

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

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an internal medicine doctor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable internal medicine doctor resume templates

Build a professional internal medicine doctor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your internal medicine doctor resume.