Three areas of achievement in academic medicine are emphasized: research, education, and patient care service. Often, academic faculty devote time to all three, but should excel in at least two. Research can span the spectrum from basic science bench research to clinical studies and outcomes research. Education can involve medical students, interns and residents, and fellows in subspecialty training. Patient care can be through direct interactions in your own private clinic setting, or through supervision of residents in their outpatient clinic experiences or caring for patients in the hospital setting, either directly or in a consultative role.

Academic medicine allows a wide variety of daily experiences, depending on your area of interest and focus. Academics allows the opportunity to interact with subspecialists in all fields of internal medicine as well as other departments of medicine and stay abreast of recent advances in the medical field. Depending on your focus of research, education, and/or patient service, you can tailor your career experiences to focus on your interests and goals.

A career in academic internal medicine is one which offers flexibility, life long learning, and commitment to patient care, education, and research.