Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Training in Internal Medicine Residents

Common allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and antibiotic allergies are frequently encountered by internal medicine physicians. These conditions are a significant source of health care utilization and morbidity. However, many internal medicine residency programs offer limited training in allergy and immunology. Internal medicine residents' significant knowledge deficits regarding allergy-related content have been previously identified. We conducted a survey-based study to examine the knowledge and self-assessed clinical competency of residents at an academic medical center to determine the need for further education in allergy and immunology. Our study revealed that the majority of these residents did not feel adequately prepared to treat allergic rhinitis, urticaria, contact dermatitis, antibiotic/drug allergies or anaphylaxis; and only half felt adequately trained to treat asthma. We believe that internal medicine residency programs should provide trainees with additional education in allergy and immunology in order to improve their knowledge and clinical competency.