What’s an Internist?

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Internists are physicians with advanced training in treating diseases in the body or specific systems. They may specialize in a particular organ or population, but also provide regular medical care. Some people prefer internists as primary care physicians due to their specialized training. Certification can be obtained through the American Board of Internal Medicine after a three-year residency in internal medicine.

Internists are physicians who often work as general practitioners, but also undergo advanced training, lasting three or more years after medical school, so that they become specifically skilled in treating disease in the body or as it pertains to one or more systems. body. Many internists choose to specialize in a specific system or organ, and there are internists who are cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and others. Alternatively, they may train to work with a population of people and may be physicians or pediatricians in geriatric medicine. The big difference between a person who simply calls himself an internist and a cardiologist is that the internist will also seek regular medical care, and not just for his area of ​​expertise.

For example, geriatric medicine is related to diseases that affect people as they age. Most internists specializing in geriatric medicine would have an elderly patient population, but they didn’t look to them just for age-related conditions. They would see them in all conditions including a sore throat attack or an ear infection. Likewise, an internist who specializes in gastroenterology doesn’t just work with patients when they have problems with their gastrointestinal function, he works with them when they have a case of pink eye, the flu, or bronchitis.

Many people prefer to work with an internist because this doctor works as a primary care physician and has specialized training. Anyone with serious illness in one of the body’s systems may feel more comfortable finding a doctor who specializes in that system and who is also trained to treat common ailments. Of course, it is not always possible to find an internist who specializes in the area that people need. Others choose an internist as their primary physician, even if they have no illnesses, which the physician is specially trained to treat.

This brings up an interesting point. While an internist may have a subspecialty, not all of these doctors do. Some only complete a three-year residency after medical school in internal medicine.

Once this residency is successfully completed, physicians can simply obtain certification, if in the US, through the American Board of Internal Medicine. It is not necessary to have other residencies or field fellowships. The training already leads to a strong experience in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the body systems and, mainly, of the internal organs. This additional training beyond medical school makes the internist particularly attractive to some patients, and most who have health coverage and need to choose a primary physician can choose internists if they prefer.




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