Choose your option :
Brain and Nerves
Nephrology
Chemotherapy
lung PFT
Children
Skin and blood
Psychiatry
What Is an Internist Specialist?
An internist is a doctor of internal medicine. Sometimes they're called internal medicine physicians. They are not interns.
These doctors specialize in the internal organs and systems of the body (hence the name), but they aren't limited to those areas. They can also give preventive care and treat many health problems, from a skin rash to diabetes and beyond. They only treat adults, and they don't perform surgery.
What Does an Internist Do?
Internists specialize in diseases of the internal organs (like the heart, kidney, liver, and lungs) and systems (like your respiratory system and your digestive system). Most diseases have something to do with at least one of your organs or systems. And sometimes a disease may affect more than one organ. With an internist, you can get care for your whole body at one time.
Related: How to Prevent Damaging Your Kidneys
Some internists are generalists while others specialize in one organ. For instance, they may be a heart specialist (cardiologist).
Internists often help to manage chronic illnesses. These are ongoing illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. They may provide women's health services (like a pelvic exam), mental health services, ear, and nose and throat care, and other health services.
Internists typically see people in their office. They'll take a patient history, order tests, diagnose what's wrong with you, refer you to a specialist if needed, and design a plan of treatment.
Education and Training
To be an internist, you first need to have a four-year undergraduate degree. Next, you'll need to complete:
Medical school, usually taking four years A three-year residency in internal medicine
You’ll then need to pass an exam to become certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Internist Doctor Specialties
If you choose a specialty, you'll need one to four more years of education. Areas of specialization for internists include:
Adolescent medicine (teens and young adults) Allergy and immunology (immune system) Cardiology (heart) Critical care medicine (caring for patients in intensive care) Endocrinology (diabetes and other diseases of the endocrine glands) Gastroenterology (digestive tract, liver, gallbladder) Geriatric medicine (older adults) Hematology (blood) Hospice and palliative care Infectious disease (infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) Nephrology (kidneys) Neurology (diseases of the nervous system, like the brain and spinal cord) Oncology (cancer) Psychiatry (mental conditions) Pulmonology (lungs) Rheumatology (joints and musculoskeletal system) Sleep medicine Sports medicine
Most internists with a specialty are referred to by their area of focus. For instance, they may be called cardiologists, oncologists, or hematologists. But they all start out as internists.
Some internists only see hospital patients. They are called hospitalists. Others may work in different care settings, such as rehabilitation facilities or centers for hospice care. Some go into research, and others choose to become administrators. Reasons to See an Internist
Here are some reasons you might see an internist:
Chronic disease care
Chronic diseases are ongoing diseases. These include conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and arthritis. An internist can monitor you to see that your disease doesn't get worse.
Related: How to Prevent Damaging Your Kidneys
Preventive care
These are things your general internist or their staff does to prevent health problems or to diagnose them early on. They include:
Annual checkups to make sure your body and its organs are working correctly; sometimes referred to as a physical Vaccinations Ordering blood tests and urine tests to make sure you're not developing chronic diseases, or to check for pregnancy, STDs, and other conditions Recommending screenings for diseases like breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer
Mental health care
Specialized internists called psychiatrists can treat problems like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and dementia. They can also treat substance abuse problems.
Infections and allergies
Allergists take care of problems like allergic rhinitis (hay fever), sinusitis, asthma, and bad reactions to foods, drugs, vaccines, and stinging insects. Internists treat infectious diseases as part of their practice, but they may also specialize in this area, helping to diagnose unknown infections or assist in managing complicated ones.
Pain management
Pain can have a variety of causes. It could be from something relatively minor, such as a muscle strain or a stomach virus. Or it could be something serious such as acute appendicitis or cancer. You might also have chronic pain from arthritis. An internist should be able to diagnose your problem and provide relief.
Internists are trained to treat most health conditions, but they may refer you to the right expert if needed. What to Expect at the Internist
Although what happens at your visit may vary depending on your reason for going, you can probably expect these steps in care:
The internist will check your vital signs. They’ll go over your medical history and your list of medications. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and your general state of health. They will usually give you a physical exam to get a complete picture of your health.
As part of your physical exam, your internist typically will:
Look at your general appearance, including your posture and how you move Listen to your heart, checking for a heart murmur, irregular heartbeat, or other unusual sounds Listen to your breathing, checking for crackles, wheezing, or shortness of breath Look at your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat Check your skin and nails