Overview
National SIWF postgraduate programme for the federal specialist title in General Internal Medicine, completed through employed posts at recognised Swiss training sites. It offers a hospital-internist curriculum and a family-physician (Hausarzt) curriculum; Geriatrics can be added as a subspecialty.
The programme
- Training type
- Specialist training programme
- Duration
- 5 years: 3 years basic training in General Internal Medicine plus 2 years of individually chosen modules (hospital-internist or family-physician track)
- Start
- Not stated on official page
- Positions
- Not stated on official page
- Accreditation
- Federal specialist title (eidg. Facharzttitel) awarded by SIWF; programme accredited by the Federal Department of Home Affairs on 12 August 2025 (programme of 1 January 2022, last revised 26 August 2023). Specialist exam organised by SGAIM.
- Department
- Not stated on official page
Eligibility and visa
- Eligibility
- Medical graduates pursuing the specialist title; the SIWF page recommends sitting the written exam only after at least 3 years of training.
- International applicants
- 18 months of the training must be completed at a Swiss training site recognised for General Internal Medicine (Art. 33 WBO); foreign training otherwise creditable under Art. 33 WBO.
- Visa support
- Not stated on official page
- Licence requirement
- Admission to the specialist examination requires a Swiss federal or recognised foreign medical diploma (Art. 23 WBO).
How to apply
- Deadline
- Specialist exam (written, 120 MCQ in English, fee CHF 900) held twice yearly in Bern per SIWF page: 9 May 2026 (registration closed 26 Feb 2026) and 21 November 2026 (registration closed 10 Sep 2026); no deadline for training posts
- Application method
- Apply individually for resident (Assistenzarzt) posts at SIWF-recognised training sites (searchable in the SIWF register, www.siwf-register.ch); the title is then applied for through SIWF once all requirements, including the specialist exam, are met.
Funding
- Funding
- Not stated on official page
Official sources
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