Internal Medicine: The Foundation of Adult Healthcare

By: Dhyan Patel

Internist (Internal Medicine)

Note: This article is part of a student-run educational series on medical specialties, based on research and/or shadowing (in person or virtual), in order to educate other students who are interested in healthcare careers and may lack the ability to shadow specialists in their areas.

Background

When people need a doctor who can understand everything about their health, that may range from the heart and lungs to the kidneys and immune system, they often turn to an internist. An internist is a physician who specializes in studying internal medicine. Internists are experts in diagnosing, treating, and preventing complex diseases that affect adults.


Internal medicine is one of the broadest and most demanding fields in medicine. Internal medicine focuses on understanding how the body’s systems interact, recognizing signs of illnesses, and manage acute and chronic conditions. 

So, what do they do?

Internists are physicians who specialize in adult medicine. This means that they focus on diagnosing and treating patients who are 18 and older. They often treat a wide range of conditions that can include everything from a common cold to heart disease. 


Unlike family physicians (family medicine), who care for all groups, internists concentrate on adults, which allows them to understand diseases that appear in adulthood. They conduct a variety of responsibilities that may include conducting physical exams and diagnostic tests, managing chronic illnesses, and advising preventive care or choices for a better lifestyle. Internists often work and build long term relationships with their patients. This helps them to understand their patients and what their needs are.

Additional Information

Due to the fact that the internal medicine field is so broad, many internists may choose to pursue various subspecialities:

  1. Cardiology (heart)

  2. Gastroenterology (digestive system)

  3. Pulmonology (lungs)

  4. Nephrology (kidneys)

  5. Endocrinology (hormones)

  6. Infectious diseases

  7. Hematology-oncology (blood and cancer)

Required education and training

People who are looking to go into internal medicine must first earn their bachelor’s degree typically done in a science related major after four years. Then they must spend another four years in medical school. After that internists must spend three years doing an internal medicine residency. This is when they can rotate through many subspecialties in order to understand and diagnose a wide range of conditions. 

Importance

These doctors are important as they play an important role in keeping adults healthy and preventing diseases before they become severe. By spending time analyzing the whole history of their patients, they are sometimes able to find things that many others have missed. Although they may not perform surgeries, their work still contributes to millions and is one of the most important careers in the medical field.

References

American College of Physicians. (2025). Internal Medicine Subspecialties Career Information | ACP. Acponline.org. https://www.acponline.org/about-acp/about-internal-medicine/subspecialties-of-internal-medicine

Christensen, T. (2009, May 23). What is an Internist? Practical Adult Insights. https://www.practicaladultinsights.com/what-is-an-internist.htm

Cleveland Clinic. (2025, October 13). What Is an Internist (Doctor of Internal Medicine)? Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/internist

Medschoolcoach. (2021, February 10). Internal Medicine with Dr. Mili Mehta - Virtual Pre-Med Education by MedSchoolCoach. Virtual Pre-Med Education by MedSchoolCoach. https://shadowing.medschoolcoach.com/lessons/internal-medicine-with-dr-mili-mehta/

Whitbourne, K. (2020, November 11). What Is an Internist? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-internist

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