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Internal Medicine Preparing for Residency Resources | ACP

ACP's internal medicine residency resources include a searchable residency database, Match Day videos, and a resident career timeline.

Resources for Supporting Your IMIG

ACP is here to support the success of your IMIG. Below, you will find an ample list of resources to help your IMIG thrive. Student leaders and faculty advisors may use these resources to apply for sponsorship funding, plan events, recruit new members, and so much more.I.M. Career Path QuizAnswer five questions about your professional strengths, interests, and preferences to discover which internal medicine career is right for you.

Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) Activities

ACP is committed to the success of your Internal Medicine Interest Group. To support your IMIG, and to foster education and interest in the exciting field of Internal Medicine, ACP has developed some “ready to use” activities to simplify planning for engaging meetings. Each of these activities features a PowerPoint that promotes group discussion, along with a Leaders Guide to facilitate the meeting and discussion. Please plan to use at least one of these activities during this year's club meetings.

IMIG | Internal Medicine Interest Group Sponsorship Program | ACP

Learn how to participate in the Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) program, plus get resources if you are an IMIG student leader.

Additional Resources

ACP's medical student resources include Internal Medicine Interest Group resources, Council of Student Members information, and the ABCs of Policy.

The Prevalence and Characteristics of Difficult Patient Encounters. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis and "Difficult Patients," Persistent Symptoms, and the Biopsychosocial Model

(from March 2026 Annals for Educators)Some physician–patient interactions are perceived as difficult. This systematic review searched 10 databases and included 43 articles of 45 studies to estimate the prevalence of difficult patient encounters among adults being seen in nonpsychiatric settings. The authors also assessed patient and provider characteristics associated with difficulty as well as patient outcomes. The accompanying editorial discusses the findings in light of the challenges of being and caring for patients with persistent physical symptoms.

The Power of Narrative Medicine: Unveiling the Unspoken Stories

Growing up, I've had a love–hate relationship with my doctor visits. I've always been in awe of how—no matter what ailment I went to the doctor for—they'd always find a way to make me feel better in the end. However, there was always something that never sat right with me. I remember putting on a thin paper gown and sitting on a cold bed waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the doctor to enter. But that wasn't what bothered me: that time actually gave me the space to carefully mull over exactly what I wanted to express when the doctor walked in.

Acute Inhaled Cannabis and Oral Alcohol: Simulated Driving Performance and Subjective Driving Confidence in Humans

AuthorsMaribeth Stafford 1, Paul A. Nuzzo 1,3, Michelle Lofwall 1-4, Laura Fanucchi 3,4, Sharon Walsh 1-3,5,6, Shanna Babalonis 1-3; 1 University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, 2 Department of Behavioral Science, 3 Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, 4 Department of Psychiatry, 5 Department of Internal Medicine, 6 Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Science

These Annals of Internal Medicine results only contain recent articles.

Gatekeepers of Extermination: SS Camp Physicians and Their Scope of Action

The role of camp physicians of the Waffen-SS (“Armed SS,” military branch of the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel) in the implementation of the Holocaust has been the subject of limited research, even though they occupied a key position in the extermination process. From 1943 and 1944 onward, SS camp physicians made the individual medical decisions on whether each prisoner was fit for work or was immediately subjected to extermination, not only at the Auschwitz labor and extermination camp but also in pure labor camps like Buchenwald and Dachau. This was due to a functional change in the concentration camp system during World War II, where the selection of prisoners, which had previously been carried out by nonmedical SS camp staff, became a main task of the medical camp staff. The initiative to transfer sole responsibility for the selections came from the physicians themselves and was influenced by structural racism, sociobiologically oriented medical expertise, and pure economic rationality. It can be seen as a further radicalization of the decision making practiced until then in the murder of the sick. However, there was a far-reaching scope of action within the hierarchical structures of the Waffen-SS medical service on both the macro and micro levels. But what can this teach us for medical practice today? The historical experience of the Holocaust and Nazi medicine can provide a moral compass for physicians to be sensitive to the potential for abuse of power and ethical dilemmas inherent in medicine. Thus, the lessons from the Holocaust could be a starting point for reflecting on the value of human life in the modern economized and highly hierarchical medical sector.

Association of Low-Dose Colchicine With Incidence of Knee and Hip Replacements: Exploratory Analyses From a Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Trial: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 176, No 6

Background: Osteoarthritis is a major contributor to pain and disability worldwide. Given that inflammation plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis, anti-inflammatory drugs may slow disease progression. Objective: To examine whether colchicine, 0.5 mg daily, reduces incident total knee replacements (TKRs) and total hip replacements (THRs). Design: Exploratory analysis of the LoDoCo2 (Low-Dose Colchicine 2) randomized, controlled, double-blind trial. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12614000093684) Setting: 43 centers in Australia and the Netherlands. Patients: 5522 patients with chronic coronary artery disease. Intervention: Colchicine, 0.5 mg, or placebo once daily. Measurements: The primary outcome was time to first TKR or THR since randomization. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results: A total of 2762 patients received colchicine and 2760 received placebo during a median follow-up of 28.6 months. During the trial, TKR or THR was performed in 68 patients (2.5%) in the colchicine group and 97 (3.5%) in the placebo group (incidence rate, 0.90 vs. 1.30 per 100 person-years; incidence rate difference, −0.40 [95% CI, −0.74 to −0.06] per 100 person-years; hazard ratio, 0.69 [CI, 0.51 to 0.95]). In sensitivity analyses, similar results were obtained when patients with gout at baseline were excluded and when joint replacements that occurred in the first 3 and 6 months of follow-up were omitted. Limitation: LoDoCo2 was not designed to investigate the effect of colchicine in osteoarthritis of the knee or hip and did not collect information specifically on osteoarthritis. Conclusion: In this exploratory analysis of the LoDoCo2 trial, use of colchicine, 0.5 mg daily, was associated with a lower incidence of TKR and THR. Further investigation of colchicine therapy to slow disease progression in osteoarthritis is warranted. Primary Funding Source: None.

Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Disease Medicines' Availability in Low-Cost Generic Drug Programs in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 176, No 9

Background: Low-cost generic programs (LCGPs) that expand access to affordable cardiovascular disease (CVD) medicines can assist patients in achieving desired cardiovascular outcomes. It is important that LCGPs offer CVD medicines that promote evidence-based prescribing. Objective: To evaluate LCGPs’ coverage of evidence-based CVD medications using a clinical framework that examines coverage of core treatments, coverage of options with the highest-quality evidence, and the variety of medication options and strengths that create choices and allow dosing titration. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Publicly available LCGPs in March and April 2023 in the United States. Participants: 19 LCGPs. Measurements: Proportion of LCGPs that offered evidence-based CVD medicines within a clinical framework for 6 CVDs (atrial fibrillation, heart failure, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, post–acute coronary syndrome secondary prevention, and stable angina) according to 4 availability metrics (breadth, choice, high-quality evidence, and titratability). Results: The availability of CVD medication varied by program, drug, and CVD condition. Some programs had more breadth and choice of coverage for most CVDs (H-E-B, Kroger, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, and Walmart), whereas many had more focused coverage and others markedly limited offerings. Nearly all LCGPs offered angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, thiazides, and moderate-intensity statins, but availability was low for higher-cost or lower-use generics (antiplatelets and antiarrhythmics). Core pharmacotherapy coverage and choices were limited for atrial fibrillation and heart failure but widely available for hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Limitation: In-depth cost analysis was not investigated. Conclusion: Coverage of evidence-based medications for the 6 CVDs investigated varied by LCGP and condition. Because high availability of core CVD pharmacotherapy can enhance optimal disease state management, LCGPs should identify existing limitations in their coverage and continuously revise their formularies to improve the comprehensiveness of CVD medication coverage. Primary Funding Source: None.

Predicting Inflammatory Arthritis in At-Risk Persons: Development of Scores for Risk Stratification

Background: Inflammatory arthritis (IA) is an immune-related condition defined by the presence of clinical synovitis. Its most common form is rheumatoid arthritis. Objective: To develop scores for predicting IA in at-risk persons using multidimensional biomarkers. Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: Single-center, Leeds, United Kingdom. Participants: Persons with new musculoskeletal symptoms, a positive test result for anticitrullinated protein antibodies, and no clinical synovitis and followed for 48 weeks or more or until IA occurred. Measurements: A simple score was developed using logistic regression, and a comprehensive score was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox proportional hazards regression. Internal validation with bootstrapping was estimated, and a decision curve analysis was done. Results: Of 455 participants, 32.5% (148 of 455) developed IA, and 15.4% (70 of 455) developed it within 1 year. The simple score identified 249 low-risk participants with a false negative rate of 5% (and 206 high-risk participants with a false-positive rate of 72%). The comprehensive score identified 119 high-risk participants with a false-positive rate of 29% (and 336 low-risk participants with a false-negative rate of 19%); 40% of high-risk participants developed IA within 1 year and 71% within 5 years. Limitations: External validation is required. Recruitment occurred over 13 years, with lower rates of IA in later years. There was geographic variation in laboratory testing and recruitment availability. Conclusion: The simple score identified persons at low risk for IA who were less likely to need secondary care. The comprehensive score identified high-risk persons who could benefit from risk stratification and preventive measures. Both scores may be useful in clinical care and should also be useful in clinical trials. Primary Funding Source: National Institute for Health and Care Research Leeds Biomedical Research Centre.

Decompression Illness in Divers With or Without Patent Foramen Ovale: A Cohort Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 176, No 7

Background: In previous studies, the prevalence of patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been reported to be higher in scuba divers who experienced decompression illness (DCI) than in those who did not. Objective: To assess the association between PFO and DCI in scuba divers. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary cardiac center in South Korea. Participants: One hundred experienced divers from 13 diving organizations who did more than 50 dives per year. Measurements: Participants had transesophageal echocardiography with a saline bubble test to determine the presence of a PFO and were subsequently divided into high- and low-risk groups. They were followed using a self-reported questionnaire while blinded to their PFO status. All of the reported symptoms were adjudicated in a blinded manner. The primary end point of this study was PFO-related DCI. Logistic regression analysis was done to determine the odds ratio of PFO-related DCI. Results: Patent foramen ovale was seen in 68 divers (37 at high risk and 31 at low risk). Patent foramen ovale–related DCI occurred in 12 divers in the PFO group (non-PFO vs. high-risk PFO vs. low-risk PFO: 0 vs. 8.4 vs. 2.0 incidences per 10 000 person-dives; P = 0.001) during a mean follow-up of 28.7 months. Multivariable analysis showed that high-risk PFO was independently associated with an increased risk for PFO-related DCI (odds ratio, 9.34 [95% CI, 1.95 to 44.88]). Limitation: The sample size was insufficient to assess the association between low-risk PFO and DCI. Conclusion: High-risk PFO was associated with an increased risk for DCI in scuba divers. This finding indicates that divers with high-risk PFO are more susceptible to DCI than what has been previously reported and should consider either refraining from diving or adhering to a conservative diving protocol. Primary Funding Source: Sejong Medical Research Institute.

Diagnostic Strategies for the Assessment of Suspected Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 176, No 6

This article has been corrected. The original version (PDF) is appended to this article as a Supplement. Background: There is uncertainty about which diagnostic strategy for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) provides better outcomes. Purpose: To compare the effect on clinical management and subsequent health effects of alternative diagnostic strategies for the initial assessment of suspected stable CAD. Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Study Selection: Randomized clinical trials comparing diagnostic strategies for CAD detection among patients with symptoms suggestive of stable CAD. Data Extraction: Three investigators independently extracted study data. Data Synthesis: The strongest available evidence was for 3 of the 6 comparisons: coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) versus invasive coronary angiography (ICA) (4 trials), CCTA versus exercise electrocardiography (ECG) (2 trials), and CCTA versus stress single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) (5 trials). Compared with direct ICA referral, CCTA was associated with no difference in cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction (relative risk [RR], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.30 to 2.38]; low certainty) but less index ICA (RR, 0.23 [CI, 0.20 to 0.28]; high certainty) and index revascularization (RR, 0.71 [CI, 0.60 to 0.85]; moderate certainty). Moreover, CCTA was associated with a reduction in cardiovascular death and myocardial infarction compared with exercise ECG (RR, 0.66 [CI, 0.44 to 0.99]; moderate certainty) and SPECT-MPI (RR, 0.64 [CI, 0.45 to 0.90]; high certainty). However, CCTA was associated with more index revascularization (RR, 1.78 [CI, 1.33 to 2.38]; moderate certainty) but less downstream testing (RR, 0.56 [CI, 0.45 to 0.71]; very low certainty) than exercise ECG. Low-certainty evidence compared SPECT-MPI versus exercise ECG (2 trials), SPECT-MPI versus stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (1 trial), and stress echocardiography versus exercise ECG (1 trial). Limitation: Most comparisons primarily rely on a single study, many studies were underpowered to detect potential differences in direct health outcomes, and individual patient data were lacking. Conclusion: For the initial assessment of patients with suspected stable CAD, CCTA was associated with similar health effects to direct ICA referral, and with a health benefit compared with exercise ECG and SPECT-MPI. Further research is needed to better assess the relative performance of each diagnostic strategy. Primary Funding Source: None. (PROSPERO: CRD42022329635).