About the specialty
Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) is concerned with the assessment, diagnosis and management of adults presenting to secondary care with acute medical illness. There is a broad spectrum of clinical work within the specialty and trainees will acquire competencies relevant to:
- the prompt practical management of acute presentation of medical illness
- the management of medical patients in an in-patient setting
- the development of new patient pathways to maximise safe, effective care in the community where feasible
- the provision of leadership skills within an acute medical unit
- the development of multi-professional systems to promote optimal patient care
- the care of patients requiring more intensive levels of care than would be generally managed in a medical ward. These competencies are generally acquired from experience within a critical care unit.
All trainees in AIM must develop a specialty skill. These generally fall into one of four categories:
- Procedural skill (eg: echocardiography)
- Additional qualification (eg: medical education)
- Specialty interest (eg: intensive care medicine)
- Research
The complete list of specialty skills with links to further information can be found in the curriculum section of this webpage. Trainees wishing to apply for a skill which is not on the list should contact curriculum@jrcptb.org.uk.
Entry into acute internal medicine training is possible following successful completion of both a Foundation Programme and a core training programme. There are two core training programmes in acute internal medicine:
- Internal Medicine Training (IMT)
- Acute Care Common Stem - Internal Medicine (ACCS-IM)
Latest news and developments
A new curriculum for dual training in AIM and Internal Medicine was implemented in August 2022. Trainees already in training in 2022 will need to transfer to the new curriculum unless in their final two years of training. Please see our transition page for further information.
Curriculum
The curriculum for each specialty defines the process of training and capabilities needed for the award of a certificate of completion of training (CCT). The curriculum includes the assessment system for measuring trainees’ progress comprising workplace based assessment and knowledge based assessment. Information on the Specialty Certificate Examination (SCE) in Acute Internal Medicine can be found on the MRCP(UK) website.
The new curriculum for Acute Internal Medicine has been approved by the GMC and was implemented in August 2022.
Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) 2022 curriculum
AIM Specialty skills (2022 curriculum)
The 2009 curriculum is given below.Previous versions of the curriculum are no longer available online but copies can be requested from curriculum@jrcptb.org.uk.
Specialty skills
Guidance on the specialty skills for trainees on the 2009 curriculum is available here. The 2022 AIM curriculum specialty skills is available above.
ARCP Decision Aids
The ARCP decision aid for each specialty defines the targets that have to be achieved for a satisfactory ARCP outcome at the end of each training year. The current ARCP decision aid is for the new 2022 curriculum.
Trainees on the previous curriculum should use the ARCP decision aid below.
Forms and guidance
Rough Guide
The SAC has produced the following guide for training programme directors, supervisors and trainees to support the implementation of the new curriculum.
Specialty placement checklists
The top presentations and other important presentations (as defined in the curriculum) have been mapped to specialties to provide guidance for trainees and supervisors. Checklists have been produced for the specialty placements in CMT and AIM where trainees are likely to encounter five or more presentations. The mapping document and checklists can be used as guides help identify educational objectives and inform the personal development plan. The checklists can be used to record which presentations were explored during the placement and supervisors can comment on what went well, any areas which need further development and agree an action plan with the trainee. The checklists can be helpful when reviewing trainee’s progress and adding ratings for top and other important competencies at group level.
The checklists are available in MS Word format so they can be edited and uploaded to the ePortfolio - see the table below. The overall mapping document is available here: Mapping of presentations in CMT and AIM to specialties.pdf
Checklists for CMT and AIM specialty placements | |
Cardiology specialty placement checklist.docx(679.917 KB)
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Dermatology specialty placement checklist.docx(679.058 KB)
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Endocrinology specialty placement checklist.docx(680.043 KB)
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Neurology specialty placement checklist.docx(679.046 KB)
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Rheumatology specialty placement checklist.docx(679.071 KB)
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