Reforms for cost of medical education and payment models still needed to increase general internal medicine and primary care physician workforce
Philadelphia, March 21, 2014 — The number of U.S. senior medical students choosing categorical internal medicine residencies increased slightly for the fifth consecutive year. According to the 2014 National Resident Matching Program, 3,167 U.S. medical school seniors matched for residency training in internal medicine. Categorical internal medicine enrollment numbers were 3,135 in 2013, 2,941 in 2012, 2,940 in 2011, and 2,772 in 2010.
"While the number of U.S. medical students choosing internal medicine residencies continues in an upward trend, the exorbitant cost of medical education with the resulting financial burden on medical students and residents along with problematic payment models and administrative hassles are barriers to a career in general internal medicine and primary care," said Patrick Alguire, MD, FACP, senior vice president for medical education, American College of Physicians (ACP), the nation's largest medical specialty organization. "General internists and other primary care physicians are the heart of a high performing, accessible, and high quality health care system."
The 2014 match also showed a slight increase of U.S. medical graduates who matched in Internal Medicine-Primary Care (202 in 2014, 200 in 2013, 186 in 2012, 166 in 2011, and 156 in 2010) but a decrease in Medicine-Pediatrics (284 in 2014, 312 in 2013, 276 in 2012, 309 in 2011, and 299 in 2010).
The 2014 match for internal medicine is still well below the 3,884 U.S. medical school graduates that chose internal medicine residency programs in 1985.
The great majority of current internal medicine residents will ultimately enter a subspecialty of internal medicine, such as cardiology or gastroenterology. Only about 20 to 25 percent of internal medicine residents eventually choose to specialize in general internal medicine, compared with 54 percent in 1998, according to ACP.
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