How to become a General Internal Medicine Physician

Official title: General Internal Medicine Physicians

Also called: Doctor, Gastroenterologist, General Internal Medicine Physician, General Internist, Internal Medicine Doctor, Internal Medicine Physician (IM Physician), Internist, Medical Doctor (MD), Physician, Primary Care Physician

Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.

Main tasks

• Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
• Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
• Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
• Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
• Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
• Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
• Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.

How to become one

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

Typical education to start: Doctoral or professional degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• College: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the US
• Licence: A licence is required in 48 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $256,560 a year The middle half earn $124,470 to $374,850.
• About 73,100 people work in this job now, and about 76,000 are projected by 2035. (+4%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Anesthesiologists
• Cardiologists
• Dermatologists
• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Neurologists

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Questions people ask

How do I become a General Internal Medicine Physician?

Physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree as well as a medical degree, which takes an additional 4 years to complete. Depending on their specialty, they also need 3 to 9 years in internship and residency programs. Subspecialization includes additional training in a fellowship of 1 to 3 years.

How much does a General Internal Medicine Physician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $256,560 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $124,470 to $374,850.

Is a General Internal Medicine Physician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 73,100 to about 76,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a General Internal Medicine Physician?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a General Internal Medicine Physician?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.