When a person deals specifically with the human body of an adult, they're considered an internal medicine doctor.
He or she will be able to diagnose medical issues as well as help treat them.
The internal medicine doctor field of study is extremely expansive.
It can deal with everything from the circulatory and respiratory systems to the heart, lungs and skin.
These physicians are also known as internists, yet it is not to be confused with an "intern" fresh out of school.
Instead, they are extremely skilled physicians; the term is just commonly used.
In fact, other doctors tend to go to internists when needing assistance with diagnosing patients.
Explore what this field of medicine is about and what you should expect if you try to make it a career choice.
Going to School Making the decision to become an internal medicine doctor means you will be responsible for seeing, treating and preventing medical issues adults may have.
School can take eight years or more to complete and this is if you don't start and stop.
This field of study requires a lot of dedication and concentration, so it's suggested that you enter into it only if you can fully commit yourself.
Also, residency training will be required, and you will need to be prepared to take a board exam to make sure you're authorized to practice in your state.
Even if you've completed all your classes with flying colors, you will still need to be able to get through this exam in order to truly become an internist.
Choosing a Specialization While in school, it will also be suggested that you choose a specific area of study to focus on.
The field for an internal medicine doctor is very broad, so it is essential that you try to narrow down a certain area.
For example, if you are really interested in the reproductive system and how it functions and works, then you may want to consider specializing in the reproductive system.
This doesn't mean you won't have plenty of experience and knowledge in an array of areas, it just means that you will mainly see patients that are having problems in the reproductive area.
They may have pain associated with a reproductive organ, or they could be trying to get pregnant and may seek out reproductive specialist.
On the other hand, another example could deal with matters of the heart.
If you're interested in dealing with all the things associated with a person's heart, then cardiology may be more of an interest to you.
When deciding to be a cardiologist, not only will you focus on the heart, but also, blood circulation, blood vessels and more.
Common Aspects of The Job It doesn't matter what type of internal medicine doctor you become, all positions call for you to be really thorough with patients.
This means taking a detail medical history, administering tests, physicals, lab work and more to help you find out as much as possible about the patient.
In addition, you will need to know how to assess everything and decide what would be the best course of action in treating him or her.
It could be as simple as suggesting the patient changes their lifestyle by exercising or eating a healthier diet.
Or, it could require medication, or even surgery.
And as an internal medicine doctor, all of this is your job to determine.