HWN Suggests

Internists must reassume the mantle of the ‘doctor's doctor’

It was not that many years ago (OK, more like 40, but within the memory of many of us) that general internists were highly valued clinicians (doctors' doctors); were paid on par with other physicians; often had a subspecialty area of interest; and enjoyed a professionally and personally satisfying lifestyle. Since then, we have suffered the death of a thousand cuts with the persistent whittling away of compensation, stature, and well-being. Proceduralists' compensation has diverged greatly from that of cognitive specialists. Administrative burdens have increased logarithmically with the predictable rise in moral injury, aka burnout. This has been a self-reinforcing downward spiral, which has…

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Articles of Interest

Internal Medicine as a Specialty Is Said to Be Losing Favor

WHILE crises plaguing medicine such as skyrocketing costs, unavailable health insurance, and soaring malpractice awards have been highly publicized, within the medical world another problem is quietly festering. The specialty of internal medicine is ailing.

Internal medicine in the 21st century: Back to the future

Internists must play a key role, as hospitalists do, in the continued care of acute patients hospitalized for medical or surgical diseases, establishing shared care models in multidisciplinary teams. Likewise, to guarantee continuity of care for chronic patients, internists must establish mechanisms for collaboration with primary care and nursing, participating in the development of new out-of-hospital care models that use the available technological resources. Internal medicine should play a leading role in graduate and postgraduate medical education to promote a holistic vision among medical students and residents in medical subspecialties.

Med Students Like Internal Medicine OK. Primary Care? Not So Much.

Despite some efforts to make primary care more appealing to med students and residents, there's still a shortage of those doctors looming -- particularly with more people gaining coverage under the health-care overhaul law.

Primary Care Internal Medicine is Dead—Long Live Primary Care Internal Medicine

At the dawn of modern primary care in the early 1970s, many of us interested in the field as a career viewed internal medicine as the ideal specialty for its training and practice. We admired internal medicine’s breadth, depth, and intellectual rigor. Its comprehensive, personalized approach to care dovetailed nicely with primary care’s mission of first contact responsibility and establishment of long-term trusting relationships.

Running in place: The uncertain future of primary care internal medicine

The future of primary care internal medicine physicians is uncertain. According to a 2018 survey of internal medicine residents conducted by the American College of Physicians, only 11% were considering primary care as a career path.1 In 1998, that number was 54%.2 “My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”—Lewis CarrollAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The future of general internal medicine is bright

A 2020 President’s Message by Dr. Douglas DeLong struck a reassuring, optimistic note regarding the future of general internal medicine, a primary care specialty that has struggled in the last decade with decreasing numbers of residents choosing to join its ranks. Data shows that since 2011, the percentage of U.S.-trained physicians who have matched into primary care positions has been on the decline.

What is Internal Medicine? - Insights into the Medical training and Services provided by the Doctor of Medicine commonly called an Internist

Internal medicine is a broad Medical specialty that focuses on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disease processes and health issues affecting the internal organs of adult patients. The Physicians that specialize in Internal medicine are commonly called Internists and are trained in Allopathic Medicine (MD degree) or Osteopathy (DO degree).

What it's like in internal medicine: Shadowing Dr. Graham

One of the most challenging—and the most rewarding—aspects of internal medicine is the complexity of our patients. This can at times be daunting, but it is also incredibly intellectually stimulating.

What Makes Internal Medicine Unique

Internal medicine physicians are critical thinkers who excel in the most challenging and dynamic environments. Because of their in-depth knowledge of connections inside and outside of the adult human body, internal medicine physicians can effectively piece together multiple data sets (lifestyle, symptoms, existing conditions, medications, etc.) in clinical and non-clinical settings, make sense of the health care landscape, interpret information from their colleagues, and identify patient outcomes to deliver the best care.

‘Internist’ is a confusing, outdated term. It’s time for a new name

Defining the role of internal medicine within the health care system has been a challenge since the field began in the late 1800s in Germany. That’s when a group of “inner medizine” physicians started applying medically related scientific knowledge of the care of their patients, which differed significantly from the way medicine was practiced at the time. Sir William Osler introduced this approach to patient care in America, and with it came the name “internal medicine.” It’s a confusing name that contributes to a lack of popular understanding about the range of clinical activities, types of practice settings, and professional responsibilities that the specialty of internal medicine encompasses.

Resources

American Board of Internal Medicine

ABIM is a physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world.