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Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

Internal Medicine

Nature of the work

A personal physician who provides long-term comprehensive care in the office and the hospital, managing both common and complex illness of adolescents, adults and the elderly. Internists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of of cancer, infections, and diseases affecting the heart, blood, kidneys, joints and digestive, respiratory and vascular systems. They are also trained in the essentials of primary care internal medicine which incorporates an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system, and reproductive organs.

Internists can receive training in the following subspecialties:

Adolescent Medicine
Cardiovascular Disease
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
Clinical & Laboratory Immunology
Critical Care Medicine
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Gastroenterology
Geriatric Medicine
Hematology

Infectious Disease
Interventional Cardiology
Medical Oncology
Nephrology
Pulmonary Disease
Rheumatology
Sleep Medicine
Sports Medicine

Training/residency information

The residency for general internal medicine is three years. To practice in an internal medicine subspecialty requires from one to three years of additional training.

Workforce and salary information

According to the American College of Physicians, "the number of individuals trained in internal medicine and its subspecialties will keep pace with growth in the total U.S. physician workforce. As a result, internal medicine will continue to account for 20-25% of the physician workforce, remaining the dominant medical specialty." The annual salary ranges from $161,200 to $192,000.

For more information

Source: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American College of Physicians, and the "2006 Physician Compensation Survey," Modern Healthcare. July 17, 2006. (Based on surveys conducted by American Medical Group Association; Cejka Search; Daniel Stern & Associates; Delta Physician Placement; Hay Group; Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service; Jackson & Coker; Martin, Fletcher & Associates; MD Network; Medical Group Management Association; Medicus Partners; Merritt, Hawkins & Associates; Pcific Cos.; Pinnacle Helaht Group; and Sullivan, Cotter & Associates.)