Internal Medicine

Internal medicine is a special branch of conventional medicine that treats diseases of the internal organs of the body. Physicians who become doctors of internal medicine are physicians who train to be doctors for adults. Called internists, “general internists,” and “doctors of internal medicine,” they are not interns, nor family physician, family practitioners, or general practitioners. General practitioners may have medical training in surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, or other specialties that are not focused exclusively on adult care.

The practice of internal medicine developed in Germany in the late 1800s when physicians combined laboratory medical science with the care of patients. Americans studying medicine in Germany brought the specialty to the United States.

In the United States at the beginning of the 21st century, primary care for adults is provided by either by physicians engaged in family practice or as general internal medicine physicians. There is some overlap between internists and family practice and pediatricians because all three give care to adolescents.

Physicians who become internists are internal medicine specialists. As internists, they have a specialty in some aspect of medicine affecting the internal systems of the body. They specialize in medicine focused on the diseases experienced from young adult years into old age. Their specialized training is focused on the prevention and treatment of adult medicine.

Internists have either an MD (medical doctor) degree or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy) degree. Their training is certified by either the American Board of Internal Medicine or by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine for physicians practicing in the United States. In other countries, other certification agencies are used and the qualifications may differ.

Qualifications needed to be satisfied to become a doctor of internal medicine include a basic medical degree, internist training, and three or more years of study and practice in a internal medicine specialty. Specialties in internal medicine include allergy, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, geriatrics, hematology, immunology, infectious diseases, metabolism, molecular medicine, nephrology, neurology, oncology, pulmonology, and rheumatology.

The goal of internal medicine is to prevent adult disease or to cure them. Internists are sometimes called “doctors’ doctors” because they may serve as consultants to other physicians in solving diagnostic puzzles. The internist is a personal physician who establishes a long-term relationship with a patient to provide comprehensive care lasting over the lifetime of the patient.

Whether in a routine examination or in a clinical setting that is focused on the management of a chronic disease such as diabetes, the internist provides care that will educate the patient as well as provide treatment for the immediate ailment of the patient.

Internists are trained to deal with any medical problem that a patient brings. It may be that the problem is common or it may be rare. It may be simple or complex, but it is of concern of the internist to solve diagnostic problems that are acute or chronic. In addition they are equipped with the knowledge to also understand and to treat cases where a combination of different diseases strike simultaneously.

Internal medicine is also sufficiently broad in scope to deal not only will illness but also with wellness. Part of their medical advice may be to educate patients in their own self-care that will prevent disease and promote health.

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