Internal medicine focuses on caring for adults through the use of scientific techniques combined with thoughtful care. Doctors practicing internal medicine are called internists and they vary from physicians in that they only specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of conditions affecting adults. Internists provide adults with comprehensive care and receive training in endocrinology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, neurology, psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, office gynecology, otorhinolaryngology, non-operative orthopedics, palliative medicine, sleep medicine, geriatrics, and rehabilitation medicine.
Did You Know?
Internal medicine has been responsible for several key medical advancements, including: the development of the polio vaccine, identification of hepatitis C virus, development of statin drugs, and the discovery of H Pylori in relation to peptic ulcer disease. It is the “scientific attitude” that internists posses that allows them to continue to make medical advancements such as these.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between an internist and a family physician?
Although the majority of their patients are adults, family physicians see both children and adults, and their training is aimed at providing care for both children and adults. Internists, on the other hand, see only adults, so their training is aimed solely at providing more comprehensive care for conditions that are only seen in adults. Internists are also able to work in outpatient and inpatient settings, meaning that they are able to co-manage cases were their patient requires specialty care and possible hospitalization. Finally, a notable difference between the two is that internists regularly apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise when diagnosing and treating their patients. However, they do so while maintaining the same compassionate care as general or family physicians.
The training between internists and general, or family, physicians is also different. In addition to a Bachelor’s degree and four years of medical school, general internists also undergo three years of residency specializing in adult conditions. Physicians undergo three years of residency as well, however this has a broader focus and includes surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics.
