Internal medicine physicians, or internists, are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. They are usually the doctors to whom most people go first irrespective of the problems they are having, whether it is a problem with their skin, eyes, ears, reproductive organs or nervous system. Internal medicine physicians also provide wellness and disease prevention goals and management of mental health problems to their patients. The term internal medicine has been derived from the German term Innere Medizin, this term became very popular in late 19th century to describe the physicians who combined the science of the laboratory with the care of patients. In early 20th century many American doctors studied medicine in Germany and brought this medical field to the United States. Thus, the name "internal medicine" was adopted.
- Adolescent medicine
- Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and management of allergies, asthma and disorders of the immune system.
- Cardiology, dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels*
- Clinical cardiac electrophysiology
- Critical care medicine
- Endocrinology, dealing with disorders of the endocrine system and its specific secretions called hormones
- Gastroenterology, concerned with the field of digestive diseases
- Geriatric medicine
- Haematology, concerned with blood, the blood-forming organs and its disorders.
- Hospital medicine
- Infectious disease, concerned with disease caused by a biological agent such as by a virus, bacterium or parasite
- Interventional cardiology
- Medical oncology, dealing with the chemotherapeutic (chemical) and/or immunotherapeutic (immunological) treatment of cancer
- Nephrology, dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney
- Pulmonology, dealing with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract
- Rheumatology, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases
- Sleep medicine
- Sports medicine
- Transplant hepatology
Courses and Eligibility:
|Master Course||3 years||
- Government Hospitals
- Private Hospitals
- Own Health Care clinic
- Research centers
- Medical Health Centre
Internal Medicine is the postgraduate level education and can be pursued only after the completion of MBBS
- Take an MBBS degree from a well-recognized medical institution.
- Appear the entrance tests like JIPMER PG, AIIMS PG, NEET PG for taking admission in MD/MS course.
- Choose the Internal Medicine branch as a specialization in MD/MS.
- Candidates get admission to doctorate level courses, are selected on the basis of performance in the qualifying entrance exam. There are certain Institutions that conduct their own entrance test for admission doctoral-level courses even after qualifying NEET.
- Students get admission after counseling followed by personal interviews.
- Emergency medicine
- Endocrinology, including metabolic diseases and diabetes mellitus
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Lung diseases
- Kidney diseases
- Ability to work long hours, often under pressure.
- Good practical skills.
- Ability to solve problems.
- Effective decision-making skills.
- Leadership and management skills.
- Communication skills, compassion and a good bedside manner.
- Drive to continue learning throughout a career.
- Analytical ability.
Average Salary per annum
Internal Medicine Specialist
Physicians who diagnose and provide non-surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and problems of the lung, brain, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract
|9 lakhs to 12 lakhs|
|Internal Medicine Consultant||Responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, and care provided by Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) treating patients under the Consultant's care.||5 lakhs to 8 lakhs|
|Assistant Professor||College professors are responsible for preparing course materials and teaching classes to graduate and postgraduate students. College professors tend to spend a lot of time in a classroom setting conducting lectures, or in an office setting meeting with students, colleagues, and preparing materials||8.5 lakhs to 10 lakhs|
Q: What diseases do internists treat?
A: Many patients of internists struggle with diseases including diabetes, COPD, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, heart disease, kidney issues, endocrine issues, blood disorders and even infectious diseases.
Q: Do internal medicine doctors do surgery?
A: They do not perform surgery. When other specialists, such as surgeons and obstetricians, are involved in a patient's care, internists often coordinate and manage treatment.