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Internist

An internist is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of adults. People might choose an internist as their primary doctor for regular checkups and for treating illness.

Internists can further specialize in:

  • Adolescent medicine (conditions and diseases common to teenagers).
  • Allergy, or immunology (immune system diseases).
  • Cardiac electrophysiology (problems with the heart's electrical system).
  • Cardiology (diseases and conditions of the heart and blood vessels).
  • Critical care medicine (the care of people who are in an intensive care unit, or ICU).
  • Endocrinology (diseases of the endocrine glands, which regulate hormones).
  • Gastroenterology (diseases of the digestive system).
  • Geriatric medicine (conditions and diseases in older adults).
  • Hematology (diseases of the blood and blood system).
  • Infectious disease (complex infections).
  • Interventional cardiology (procedures to diagnose and treat heart disease).
  • Nephrology (diseases of the kidney and urinary system).
  • Oncology (cancer).
  • Pulmonology (lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia).
  • Rheumatology (immune system diseases and diseases of the joints).
  • Sports medicine (the treatment of injuries to the bones, muscles, joints, tendons, or ligaments that result from physical activity).

Internists can be board-certified by the Board of Internal Medicine, which is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerE. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Last RevisedAugust 20, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: August 20, 2010
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.