General Internal Medicine Physicians
General internal medicine physicians diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. They provide care mainly for adults and adolescents and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.
A general physician's job is to apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. These physicians are well equipped to perform diagnoses of puzzling medical problems, care for ongoing chronic illnesses, and look properly after patients with more than one disease. Internist doctors also specialize in health promotion and disease prevention.
Internal medicine doctors regularly check patients with conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease. They may consult with doctors in other fields of medicine or maybe call for a consultation with other specialists. Internist doctors also provide counselling and preventive interventions for improved overall health and care for mental health disorders.
A medical school graduate needs to complete three years of residency in internal medicine to be able to get an internal medicine physician assistant salary.
Internist doctors render care for their patients in an ambulant setting (office or outpatient) and follow their patients when hospitalized (inpatient setting). They may also practice in rehabilitation centres and long-term care facilities.
A successful internal medicine doctor has expertise in diagnostic reasoning, managing uncertainty, dealing with co-morbidities (complex medical problems involving multiple symptoms and conditions) and recognising when speciality opinion or care is required.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- D.M. Critical Care Medicine
- M.D. Medicine
- MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Tasks
- Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
- Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
- Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
- Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
Progression Routes
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