What is internal medicines future?
From the March 1998 ACP Observer, copyright 1998 by the American College of Physicians. By Deborah Gesensway There is no doubt that the ’90s have brought rapid change to the practice of internal medicine. And although the past is not necessarily prologue, there are some key signs of what the future may hold in store for internists. Consider the career of James L. Naughton, ACP Member, a general internist in San Francisco’s East Bay. Three years ago, his small group practice was the type familiar to most internists, with a mix of generalist and subspecialist internists. Today, the practice has doubled in size (14 physicians and growing) and has metamorphosed into a mix of primary care physicians. There are general internists, family physicians and pediatricians, and only two subspecialists remaining from the original group. This has presented a momentous shift in culture, he said. “With managed care, you suddenly have an alliance that you didn’t know you had before,” said Dr. Naughton,
