Internist Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Internist? I want to be an Internist but are they like the docs on Mystery Diagnosis where the doctors find out what's wrong with the patients? Also, what do they do?

Answer: What internists do better than other types of physicians is to make difficult diagnoses. But internal medicine is more than that. Internal Medicine is the prevention, diagnosis, prognostication and prescriptive treatment (or referral for other treatment) of diseases of the blood (fluids, electrolytes, nutrients, immunoglobins, hormones, and cells) and visceral organs of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis in adults. What are the visceral organs? When cleaning a fish, after you carve off the outer, edible, fleshy bony somatic body, you have blood and guts (visceral body) left to throw out. WHAT IT'S NOT (other specialties) IM is what's left after removing pediatrics, OB/GYN, psychiatry and surgery (general, ortho, neuro, thoracic, ENT, ophthalmologic, vascular, etc.) from the total. Formerly part of IM, but now branched off into their own domains, are neurology, rheumatology, and dermatology, IM SUBSPECIALTIES These include oncology, hematology, immunology, infectious diseases, endocrinology, nephrology, gastroenterology, cardiology, and pulmonary medicine.

Question: Please provide contact of internist practicing in Miami as soon as possible? I am currently running through several diseases, so I need to consult an internist. I am currently on my vacation and have come to my uncle's house in Miami. Please provide contact of internist practicing in Miami as soon as possible?

Answer: There are many internists practicing in Miami but my experience with one of the doctor at Elite Health medical service provider was quite satisfying. So I would recommend you to visit elitehealth.com.

Question: Should I see an endocrinologist or an internist for thyroid problems? My thyroid test came back high plus I have some thyroid nodules. Can an internist take care of this or do I need to see an endocrinologist?

Answer: You can see either. An endocrinologist is more for complex problems and cancer. I have seen both and find the family doctor more open to new ideas, where the endocrinolgist is more set in their ways and will not vary off the course. I wanted to use Armour thyroid, but endo refused because it came from pigs. I switched to a family doctor to treat my hypothyroidism and got on Armour. It was the best move I made and 95% of my symptoms are gone. I guess what really matters is if you can find a doctor who will work in a partnership with you.

Question: What is the difference between a family/general practice doctor and a doctor who is an internist? They are both considered primary care physicians. Is an internist more specialized? Thanks!

Answer: First of all, an internist is NOT someone who specializes in the inside of the body. An internist is a diagnostician. They often have little patient contact, they are sometimes called the "Doctor's doctor" because they are consulted when the primary care physician is stumped. Internist's often specialize in adults but may work with adolescents and children (usually not infants) An internist's job is to figure out unclear or mystery disease (structural or micro-biological cause) diagnoses when the symptoms are confusing, conflicting or non-existent. Internist are most likely to rigorously utilize a differential diagnoses. On the show "House M.D." Dr. House is more or less an internist. P.S. The first response is referring to an INTERN, two very different things

Question: How do I become an internist? Becoming an internist seems intresting. Can someone give me a description on what they do and how to become one?

Answer: An internist is actually a medical specialist in internal medicine -- where a family doctor takes a humanistic approach to medicine, the internist takes an organ systems approach toward medicine -- they have an in-depth study in the different organ systems of the body, their normal and pathological functions, and different illnesses affecting each of the systems. To become an internist you'll have to have a bachelor degree (in anything) but you'll need one year of college biology, one year of college general chemistry, one year of college organic chemistry, and one year of college physics. After that, you'll have to go to medical school. The first two years are called "basic sciences" years -- you'll study things like pharmacology (medications), anatomy (what the body is), physiology (how the body works), microbiology (organisms . . . ) and all of that fun stuff. In the second two years, you'll do a series of "clerkships." In these training sessions, you'll learn with a practicing physician, the ropes -- you'll see basic diagnostic techniques -- and will probably assist in performing some tests. You'll get to choose some of your clerkships, but some will be mandatory, too. After that, you'll apply to a residency program. Depending upon your specialty (family medicine, internal medicine, radiology, surgery. . . ) your residency can last from 3 to 7 years (internal medicine is 3). After that, you can have a sub-specialty (interventional radiology, cardiology, endocrinology. . . ) which is usually 1-2 years. The residency and the fellowships are both paid experiences, although they're not HIGHLY paid (usually in the range of 30,000 a year). You'll learn how to be a doctor in your residency. It's a LOT of work -- but, the pay is well worth it (150,000/year plus productivity) or higher . . in some areas. The hours are long, the work is stressful, and if you're cut out, it'll be the ride of a lifetime. Good luck!

Question: How can I find a caring doctor (internist) that is not money hungry like most ? Ive been to 2 doctors here in Dallas Fort Worth. Dr. Madala (gastroenterologist), Robert Bartlett (Internist) and its been a total waste of time. These people are in it for the wrong reasons. They move patients faster then cattle at an auction. I want someone that can give me the time and give me personal attention. Heck Im not paying cheap. I believe bad doctors are the biggest sinners. They have the capacity to heal and they dont give you one on one attention because they are busy booking appointments so they can afford their "doctor" lifestyles.

Answer: I too have been to my fair share of dr.'s that don't give a crap about the patients only the dollars. Some are good dr.'s they just lack the bedside manner that most of us feel is necessary to be comfortable with them. I just think that it should be required to graduate med school. It is your right to find someone that you can be comfortable with. It is a matter of trial and error!! Unfortunately it ends up costing us bundle in office visits!!

Question: What would be a better Primary Care Physician for an adult male: Family Practice, General Practice, Internist? Internist = Internal Medicine. I have to pick a PCP for my insurance and these are the categories that physicians are grouped into and I don't know if one is better or has more training.

Answer: Either a family practitioner or an internist would be fine. The advantage of a family practioner is that when you get married and have children your whole family can have the same physician. An internist would have more specific adult training coming out of residency, but after a few years there isn't much difference, and most internists are going into hospitalist or specialty work these days, so the general internist in the clinic is becoming increasingly rare. Bottom line, it doesn't matter. just find one you like.

Question: I want to be a internist for my career choice, so what should I major in before going to medical school? I want to be a internist (general) for my career choice, so what should I major in before going to medical school?

Answer: Medical schools don't care what you major in as long as you get the mandatory science classes done, such as a year of biology, a year of chemistry, a year of physics, a year of english, and so on. Some of them even like if you majored in something completely different like music or history to show you are well-rounded. My advice would be to major in something you are interested in because more then anything medical schools like good grades and you having a passion for what you're studying. If you feel like you just really want to study biology in depth, and want to major in it, go for it, but its not a requirement that you do so for medical school.

Question: How to become a Medical Internist? I want to know what courses to take in first two years of college. Some good universities that teach medicine. The books I need for first year of med school. Do i have to have a Bachelors in Science (BS) degree? Tell me all i need to do and know to become a medical internist. Thanks so much. Do u also need a PhD and whats the best medical university in los angeles, california add a whole bunch of details and the exams and all of the stuff you've got to do. what u have to study and the BOOKS AT LEAST TELL ME WHAT BOOKS U NEED. i want to become an internist before i become 20 and right now im 14 being a freshman in high school. help me out what other degrees do u need and how many and also the names and im not that good at math is that a drawback or is it ok

Answer: Get your undergrad degree (premed, nursing, whatever) and then go to medical school. After that match in an internal medicine residency (there are a lot of good ones). Three years later-BAM, you're an internist, easy as that.

Question: What is the difference between an Internist and a Family Practice Doctor? I am in the process of finding a new primary care Doctor, and am lost as to which kind of doctor is better to have. Over all is better to have one rather than the other? Thanks for any advice you can give me

Answer: You want a family practice doctor. An internist is a doctor who specializes in a wide array of diseases and disorders of the body and generally knows how to manage them.