AAIM Recommendations for the 2020-2021 Internal Medicine Residency Application Cycle in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

This statement was released in June 2020 by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine to provide guidance for the 2020-2021 residency application cycle in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many of the recommendations are specific to this cycle, others, such as the Department Summary Letter of Evaluation, are meant to be an enduring change to the internal medicine residency application process. We realize that some schools may not yet have the tools or resources to implement the template fully this cycle and look towards collaboration within the internal medicine education community to facilitate adoption in the cycles to come. • Limit away rotations • Conduct virtual interviews • Adopt a standardized Department Summary Letter of Evaluation • Adjust requirements for Letters of Recommendation • Reflect challenges related to acquiring fourth-year medical student experiences in program requirements • Utilize data when advising students on number of applications • Consider innovations in addressing application inflation