Internal Medicine
Associate Vice Chair of Undergraduate Medical Education
Internal Medicine
Secondary Contact
Kehinde Odedosu, M.D.
kehinde.odedosu@utsouthwestern.edu
Please contact Agatha Villegas to schedule a meeting.
IM.Clerkship@utsouthwestern.edu
About the Specialty
Internal medicine is the medical specialty that focuses on the care of adult patients, and internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. The breadth and depth of internal medicine spans from an outpatient primary care practitioner coordinating all medical care for their patients to experts in electrophysiology. Careers include a mixture of clinical, administrative, and educational responsibilities.
Answers to Common Questions
- Attributes of a Competitive Student
What factors typically make a student competitive for this specialty?
Strong clinical performance, scholarly pursuits such as QI, med/ed, or research.
- Research
How important is research experience in your specialty? If important, does it need to be in the specialty itself?
Not essential.
- Shadowing
How can students identify opportunities for shadowing?
Contact the Student Interest Group student leaders for information on shadowing Subspecialty interest groups such as Palliative Care, Cardiology, etc. Summer programs with GIMSPP.
- Electives
What electives would you recommend to a student who is interested in pursuing your specialty?
Internal Medicine Exploratory Elective.
Based on your experience, what tips do you have for students to shine on your electives?
Be curious, ask reflective questions that illustrate your cognitive processes, be a hands-on learner.
- Away Rotations
Does your specialty recommend doing away rotations?
Very rarely – only if due to personal circumstances you need to be at a certain institution.
If your specialty recommends doing away rotations, how many “aways” do you recommend?
Discuss with your residency adviser.
If away rotations are necessary, when should they apply and when should they be completed?
NA.
- Interview Timing
Which month do you recommend taking off to interview?
November or December
- Letters of Recommendation
How many letters of recommendation are needed to apply to your specialty?
Two to three individual letter of recommendations and one departmental Structured Evaluative Letter to be completed by your departmental advisor.
Does your specialty recommend that all letters of recommendation be written by members of your specialty?
No, but it will depend on individual residency program specifications.
If letters can come from other disciplines, do you have a recommendation as to which disciplines are more highly valued?
Medicine values letters from people who can speak to your ability to work in a clinical environment well. A letter based on strong clinical observations is best.
Does the academic rank of the letter writer matter?
No.
Does your specialty require a letter from the chairman?
Yes.
