Nation still have shortfall of internal medicine and primary care physicians

PHILADELPHIA – The number of U.S. medical student seniors at medical schools choosing internal medicine residencies have leveled after two years of continuous increases. According to the 2012 National Resident Matching Program, 2,941 U.S. medical school seniors matched internal medicine, nearly unchanged from 2011 when 2,940 matched internal medicine.

The 2012 match numbers include students who will ultimately enter a subspecialty of internal medicine, such as cardiology or gastroenterology. Currently, about 20 to 25 percent of internal medicine residents eventually choose to specialize in general internal medicine, compared with 54 percent in 1998. Internal medicine enrollment numbers decreased from 2007 to 2009 (2,680 in 2007; 2,660 in 2008; and 2,632 in 2009).

Source: American College of Physicians