Internship (medicine)

Not to be confused with Internist.

A medical intern is a term used in the United States for a physician in training who has completed medical school. An intern has a medical degree, but does not have a full license to practice medicine unsupervised. In other countries medical education generally ends with a period of practical training similar to internship, but the way the overall program of academic and practical medical training is structured differs in each case, as does the terminology used (see medical education and medical school for further details).

Australia

In Australia, medical graduates must complete one year in an accredited hospital post prior to receiving full registration; this year of conditional registration is known as the intern year.^{[citation needed]}

Egypt

In Egypt, after medical students complete their 6 years of studies they require one year of Internship or Clerkship Training in a University or Teaching Hospital. During this year the student must complete two month rotations in each General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, and Obstetrics/Gynaecology. They also must complete one month rotations of their choice in each a sub-speciality of Surgery, sub-speciality of Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology and ER medicine. Once the student has completed their Internship they are awarded a Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery (Mb BCh). There are also two years of mandatory service in an undeserved area. If the Medical graduate fails to complete these two years they are not allowed to work in a University or Teaching Hospital and can only work in a Private Hospital or Clinic.

DR Congo

In DR Congo, a 2 years internship program will start in 2011 for public health schools. Many hospitals employ Doctors prior to their full registration with the medical council (CNOM). Some medical schools, like Kongo University**, University of Kinshasa, University of Lubumbashi, Protestant University, University of Mbujimai and University of Kisangani have already started this 2 years internship program.

Ghana

The housemanship (internship period) is a two - year period after graduating from medical school during which newly qualified doctors, practice under supervision in designated hospitals in the country. This involves six (6) month rotations each in Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Paediatrics in no particular order. Alternatively, a houseman may opt for a rotation in Anaesthesia or Psychiatry in place of one of the traditional four rotation areas. During this period the houseman (intern) is given provisional registration status with the Ghana Medical and Dental Council and would only be granted full registration status after successfully completing the housemanship. They then assume the rank of Medical Officer (M.O.).

Nigeria

The internship program (Housemanship) is one year period in most of the Hospitals in Nigeria. After internship program which is done under the supervision of qualified licensed doctors; each house officer is now required to do a compulsory one - year program in NYSC (National Youth Service Corp)where posted. During this period a provisional license must have been issued out to house-officer by Nigeria Medical and Dental Council in order for them to practice temporary with little or no supervision. Residency program is available for any medical doctor who wishes to continue in their medical career.

Iran

In Iran, internship is an 18-month period at the end of the 5½ year medical education which should be done in one of the university hospitals. Then, medical students can graduate and work independently as a Medical Doctor (MD) or participate in National Comprehensive Residency Exam and continue to study in desired specialty. If they decide to work as a General Practitioner, they should first do their service for a period of 2 years in underserved areas recognized by Iranian Ministry of Health, as part of the commitments to the ministry. Medical Internship offers a schedule that rotates through all the major and minor specialties, including emergency medicine, family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT, infectious diseases, and psychiatry.

Iraq

In Iraq medical intern (or Stagiaire which is more commonly used among medical students in Iraq) is the sixth year of medical college in which each student must complete the specialities of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and pediatrics. Each speciality is given in particular courses of 4 months, after completion of internship they enter a general examination concerning all their medical information and tasks they have learned if passed then the student will be given qualification degree (i.e. MBChB)

Republic of Ireland

In order to register fully with the Irish Medical Council, graduates are required to complete twelve months of training in an approved public hospital. Internship comprises six months of medicine and six months of surgery. A minimum of two months and a maximum of three months may be spent in a sub-speciality, including emergency medicine, general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry and perioperative medicine. Anaesthesia and radiology are not covered by the programme.

After completion of the internship, doctors obtain a certificate of satisfactory service which must be signed by the Dean of Medicine at the university from which the intern graduated. Upon receipt of the certificate, the Medical Council will entitle the provisionally registered doctor to apply for full registration in the General Register of Medical Practitioners, subject to payment of a fee.^[1]

México

In order to become a physician in Mexico, one must study 12 years of elementary and high school before entering Medical School.

Medical education includes:

• 2 years of basic sciences: anatomy, histology, embriology, pharmacology, physiology, etc.,
• 2 years of clinical sciences: cardiology, pneumology, dermatology, endocrinology, etc.,
• one year of internship, in which the main objective is to become gradually responsible to manage clinical attention without supervision. Clinical areas included are: pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency department, communitary medicine. And:
• one year of social service, whether the Medical School one attends is private or public

After completing Medical School, the medical student is able to obtain a license to work as a general physician. If it is of interest of this general physician to train in a specific field such as pediatrics, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, etc., he/she must complete a residency program of 3 to 7 years (it depends of the chosen field) to obtain a license to work as a specialist in such field.

Curriculum of Medical School at UNAM, México

Peru

In Peru, the medical intern is the seventh year medical student who must to complete the specialities of internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery and pediatrics.

Lebanon

In Lebanon, universities like the American University of Beirut (AUB) or the Lebanese American University (LAU), follow the curriculum similar to that of universities in the US. But other universities, that follow the French (European) system like Universite Saint Joseph (USJ) follow the French curriculum, this excludes for example Pre-medical studies (BS in science), instead the student is directly enrolled in a 7 year program during which he studies science and medicine.

Israel

In Israel, medical graduates must complete one year in an accredited hospital prior to receiving full registration; this year of conditional registration is known as the intern year. Some residencies start at the second year (PGY-2), including Anesthesia, Radiology, Physical medicine and rehabilitation, and Neurology. There are two kinds of internships outside the context of a "categorical" residency:

• "Prelim" internships are done in either internal medicine or surgery. Interns spend 12 months focusing on either internal medicine or surgery.
• "Transitional internships" or "traditional rotating internships", offer a schedule that rotates through all the major specialties, including emergency medicine, family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, and surgery.^[2]

Some applicants prefer transitional year programs because they generally are not as strenuous as a prelim year. However, a prelim year can provide better preparation for the second year of residency.

Sweden

The Swedish equivalent to an internship is the allmäntjänstgöring ("general practice"), which is a requirement for obtaining a medical license. Its duration is at least 18 months , but usually lasts a bit longer, around 2 years in most cases. After the allmäntjänstgöring, the student can complete a test to receive their medical license. Then follows specialisation practice ("specialisttjänstgöring"), the equivalent of residency.

South Africa

An Internship is a compulsory (statutory) requirement that recently qualified doctors who are registered with the HPCSA work in designated hospitals under medical supervision for two years. They may work independently within this context in specified medical disciplines and for periods of time designated by the HPCSA. They are employed by the institution and this option is generally only available to South Africans. Foreign qualified doctors that have recently qualified and do not have the required medical experience to register with the HPCSA may be requested by the HPCSA to do their internship in order to qualify for full registration. They either do this back in their country or in South Africa.

In South Africa, an elective for medical students is where a student arranges to visit a hospital for a short period (3 – 6 months) of time to gain experience in a different medical context, where they will work under supervision and be mentored by experienced doctors. It is primarily a learning experience and they cannot work independently^[3]

United Kingdom

The British equivalent of an intern is traditionally called a "House officer" (often affectionately nicknamed a House plant), although educationalists involved in the Modernising Medical Careers scheme now prefer Foundation House Officer, and the title of Foundation Doctor is being encouraged in hospitals. Nonetheless, within clinical teams "House Officer" is still the preferred term. The Foundation Programme is a 2 year long training period in which competencies are developed and documented. Useful information on choices for Foundation Schools can be found on the Foundations School Chooser website.

United States

A medical internship typically lasts one year (a loose term) and usually begins July 1. Internships come in two variations, transitional and specialty track. After a physician has completed an internship and Step 3 of the USMLE or COMLEX-USA, he or she can practice general medicine. However, the majority of physicians complete a specialty track medical residency over two to seven years, depending on the specialty. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) officially dropped the term intern in 1975, instead referring to individuals in their first year of graduate medical education as residents.^[4] However, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) continues to require osteopathic physicians (D.O.'s) to complete an internship before residency.

In popular culture

In the first three seasons of the popular television drama Grey's Anatomy, five of the main characters, Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Isobel Stevens, Alex Karev, and George O'Malley were surgical interns at the fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, where the series takes place. Also in Seasons 4 and 5, George O'Malley and Lexie Grey are Interns.

In the first season of Scrubs, J.D. and Elliot are medical interns, and Turk and Todd are surgical interns.

In Holby City Tom O'Dowd is a House Officer and Maddy Young was a Senior House Officer but is currently training to be a Registrar or equivalent Resident.

In Dill Mill Gaye on channel Star One (Indian Television Program), all the main characters are interns at the Sanjeevani Hospital in Mumbai. The interns are Ridhima and Anjali Gupta, Armaan Malik, Atul Joshi, Muskaan Chadda, Rahul Garewal and Nikhita Malhotra. They are supervised by Dr. Shashank Gupta, Dr. Kirti Mehra and Dr. Shubhanakr.

References

1. ^ http://www.rcsi.ie/index.jsp?1nID=93&2nID=94&pID=108&nID=213
2. ^ http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/downloads/RRC_progReq/999pr703.pdf
3. ^ http://www.capeintern.com/organise-your/medical-internship
4. ^ http://acgme.org/acWebsite/about/ab_ACGMEglossary.pdf

• ACGME.org (pdf) - Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Glossary
• Man.ac.uk - 'A Doctor's Life: A personal (and probably biased) guide to how doctors in the UK are trained and work within the structure of the National Health Service' (last updated February 2002)
• UK Foundations School Chooser
• RookieDoctor.com - Useful for new interns, but also includes tips for family and friends of interns and what they can expect.
  • www.universitekongo.org & (Dr Mbuilu P.)