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General Internal Medicine Physicians

Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.

What you’d do

  • Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
  • Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
  • Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
  • Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
  • Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
  • Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
  • Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
  • Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Science

How to get there

Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

Also called

  • Internal Medicine Physician (IM Physician)
  • Internist
  • Medical Doctor (MD)
  • Physician
  • Doctor
  • Gastroenterologist

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