Internal Medicine

Internal medicine deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in adult patients. Internal medicine specialists are also referred to as internists. An internist is a fully qualified medical doctor with specialized post-graduate education and training, and should not be confused with an intern, who is a doctor in the first year of residential training.

Internists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the heart, blood, kidneys and joints; cancer and common illnesses and infections; and conditions affecting the digestive, respiratory and vascular systems. They're also trained in primary care internal medicine, which includes disease prevention, substance abuse, mental health, and treatment of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system, and reproductive system. Because internists have extensive education and training in the function of multiple internal systems, they often treat patients with complex or multi-system diseases.

An internist may act as the primary care physician for adult patients, or you may be referred to an internist by your family medicine practitioner or other primary care provider. Internists provide long-term, comprehensive health care in both office settings and in the hospital.