What is an internal medicine physician?

In plain English

Internal medicine is adult general medicine. An internist trains in the diagnosis and long-term management of conditions across the adult body rather than in one organ, and in the care of admitted patients as well as clinic work.

It is also the parent of most physician sub-specialties. Cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, pulmonology, rheumatology, infectious disease, hematology and oncology are all fellowships taken after an internal medicine residency. On the public record a cardiologist is filed under internal medicine with cardiovascular disease as the specialisation beneath it, which is why a list filtered to the classification finds the sub-specialists too, and a list filtered to one sub-specialty code does not.

Two very different practice patterns sit inside the same specialty: the office-based general internist with a continuing panel of adults, and the hospitalist who works only with admitted patients. The record does not always separate them, so employer and practice address usually tell you more than the taxonomy does.

Training and credentials

Medical school, a three-year internal medicine residency and board certification; a sub-specialist adds a fellowship of one to three years or more on top of that.

Where they practise

Primary care clinics, multi-specialty groups, hospital medicine services, academic medical centres, and the outpatient arms of health systems.