How to Apply

Internal Medicine Residency Application Process

Woman Applying for Medical Residency

U.S. Graduates

Applicants to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Internal Medicine residency program must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). All internship positions will be offered through the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). Please be sure to register. The relevant program numbers are:

  • Preliminary Year (Internship only): 1256140P0
  • Categorical Training in Medicine (Internship plus residency): 1256140C0
  • Primary Care Program (Internship plus residency): 1256140M0

Please be certain to use the correct program identification number.

All Applicants

The deadline for applications is September 24, 2025. All applicants are required to submit the following supplemental materials:

  • Curriculum vitae (generated by ERAS)
  • Personal statement
  • Medical Student Performance Evaluation (formerly Dean's Letter)
  • Medical school transcript
  • USMLE Steps 1 & 2 scores or the equivalent FLEX examinations. Step 1 required at the time of interview. Any matched applicant in the State of Massachusetts will not be able to apply for a limited license until these scores are reported.
  • Letter from the Chair of the applicant's Department of Medicine or from a designee (the latter must indicate that his/her letter is in place of a Chair's letter). A chairman's letter is preferred, but not required for applicants applying to our Preliminary Program.
  • Two additional letters of recommendation. Additional letters may be submitted without penalty.
  • Reprints are not required, but will be added to your application file if submitted.

Primary Care Applicants

The Primary Care Program offers additional opportunities for clinical experience and mentoring in the outpatient setting. There is a separate program for Primary Care.

Physician/Scientist Track

Housestaff with a strong interest in research careers can elect during their internship to pursue a research pathway consisting of two years of residency training in conjunction with an expanded research fellowship experience. More information about the Physician/Scientist Track is available through the American Board of Internal Medicine.

International Medical Graduates

International Medical Graduates must be ECFMG Certified, or in the process of becoming certified (required to start internship) and apply through the ECFMG; the ERAS application kit for international medical graduates is available on the ECFMG website.

For international medical graduates we require:

  • At least one year of "hands-on" clinical experience in the United States (not an observership or research)
  • Two letters of recommendation from clinical supervisors in the United States
  • USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores
  • Medical school graduation date within three years of the start of internship
  • We sponsor J-1 and H-1B Visas

Program Signaling and Geographic Preferences

BIDMC's Internal Medicine Residency Program will be participating in this year's ERAS geographic and program signaling process. We encourage applicants who are excited about our program to apply.

We will continue to holistically review applications to our residency program with ERAS signaling and geographic preferencing tools as one aspect of the holistic review process that is taken into account in order to focus on applicants who express an interest in our program. Due to the high volume of applications, applicants should not expect an interview if they do not signal our program with either a gold or silver signal. Signaling, however, does not guarantee an interview.

The Internal Medicine Residency Training Program receives in excess of 4,000 applications annually. Interviews are granted by invitation only. All completed applications are reviewed by our Selection Committee. Once a decision has been made to invite a candidate to interview, an invitation will be sent via email. The email will contain the interview dates available, and will provide instructions on how to schedule your interview. Please note that our application cycle and interviews occur virtually.

Post-Interview Communication

Additionally, we strongly believe that applicants should submit a rank list that reflects their preferences for training and should not be influenced by post-interview communication. Created in collaboration with many other programs, this statement on post interview match integrity highlights our commitment to an equitable match process.

Medical Student Electives/Clerkships

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Thus, all electives and clerkships are processed via Harvard Medical School's Office of the Registrar. Please visit the HMS Registrar page or call 617-432-1515.

Observerships

We currently do not offer any observerships.