Internal Medicine: Understanding The Body's Puzzles

Author: matt warner

Author: matt warner

Internal medicine jobs tend to attract a diverse mix of students; those who like to solve all of the puzzles that affect our health -- confining their practice to adults. Whether a new patient seeks care for a single, straightforward problem, or for complex, multi-condition problems, practitioners aim for overall optimal care from head-to-toe, beginning-to-end. Many adults, in fact, consider an internist their primary care provider.

Because this area of health care requires a deep understanding of screenings and tests; prescribing appropriate medication; and determining if specialized procedures are necessary, an internist is often called "the doctor's doctor. Internal medicine practitioners must enjoy combining the interaction of preventive education with long-term treatment. These interest in investigating the body, in modern practice, often results in general practice internists to seek further study in a sub-specialty, thereby limiting their work to the problems of one organ system or area of medical knowledge.

Although the phrase "internal medicine" suggests intense study of organs and blood and other unseen physical parts, this type of doctor treats the body inside and out, from kidney problems to asthma to skin cancer. This expertise runs a wide gamut of knowledge, excluding surgery. To practice internal medicine, after earning a bachelor's degree, students attend medical school for four years, then complete a residency. Residency periods vary from country to country, but tend to last approximately three years. Once qualified to practice -- either in a hospital setting or in a private clinic -- an internist can pursue board certification, which among other things, increases the ability to be hired and boost patient confidence.

One of the attractions for those who pursue internal medicine jobs is the necessity to truly interact with people. Because the patient's entire condition takes priority, internists make time to interview the people who seek help. Care is comprehensive, and even when other medical specialties are involved, the internist will coordinate the patient's situation -- sometimes for life.

Jobs in the this field are changing rapidly. The American Board of Internal Medicine currently recognizes 13 sub-specialties, including: adolescent medicine; allergy and immunology; cardiology (heart); endocrinology (diabetes and other diseases that involve the glands; gastroenterology (colon and intestinal tract); geriatrics (elderly people's care); hematology (blood); infectious disease; nephrology (kidneys); oncology (cancer); pulmonary (lungs); rheumatology (arthritis) and sports medicine. Members of the Board are currently considering adding new sub-specialties, as health care issues such as AIDS and other similar conditions emerge globally.

Whether you develop breathing problems, suffer from continual stomach aches, suddenly notice extreme pain in your joints, or have any combination of these kinds of health complaints, you'll most likely seek the advice of an internist. These Jacks-and-Jills of all medical trades have the background and sincere intent to figure out what parts of your medical mysteries can be solved -- opening the door to a healthier and happier life.About the Author:

To learn more about careers in Internal Medicine, visit the Internal Medicine Jobs page for more information and how to apply for a job.

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