What is a Doctor of Internal Medicine, or Internist?
The real value of internal medicine for me is coordinating care. Its very interesting, the variety of problems I address on a daily basis. My work is never routine. Ive never known an internist who was bored, myself included.– Mark D. Anderson, MD, FACP Internists are specialists in adult medicine and are major providers of primary care to adults in this country. They are especially well trained in the diagnosis of puzzling medical problems, in the ongoing care of complex and chronic illnesses, and in caring for patients with more than one disease. Internists also specialize in health promotion and disease prevention. Simply put, doctors of internal medicine are Doctors for Adults. They can be called “internists,” “general internists,” and “doctors of internal medicine.” (But don’t mistake them with “interns,” who are doctors in their first year of residency training.) Although internists may act as primary care physicians, they are not family physicians, family practitioners, or gene
