An internist is a "Doctor of Adult Medicine" who specializes in treating patients with various medical conditions. As the name implies an internist specializes in "internal" medical problems, both acute and chronic. Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to neurological conditions, heart and lung disorders, hormone imbalance, infectious diseases, joint complaints, pain management health maintenance and weight control, blood pressure control, drug theraphy, skin disorders and emergency medicine.
An internist is trained to manage multiple medical disorders simultaneously and, when appropriate, request subspecialty referrals as clinically indicated. An internist's major ability is that of diagnosis.
An internist's training requires completing a premedical bachelor's degrees, four years of medical school and four or more years of residency training in internal medicine. After completing a comprehensive written exam, physicians are fully certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
