American Board of Internal Medicine 510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700 Philadelphia, PA 19106-3699 Tel: (215) 446-3500 Toll-free: (800) 441-2246 www.abim.org

An Internist is a personal physician who provides long-term, comprehensive care in the office and in the hospital, managing both common and complex illnesses of adolescents, adults and the elderly. Internists are trained in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, infections and diseases affecting the heart, blood, kidneys, joints and the digestive, respiratory and vascular systems. They are also trained in the essentials of primary care internal medicine, which incorporates an understanding of disease prevention, wellness, substance abuse, mental health and effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs.

Training Required: Three years

Subspecialties for Internal Medicine

Certification in one of the following subspecialties requires additional training and examination.

• Adolescent Medicine
  An Internist who specializes in adolescent medicine is a multi-disciplinary healthcare specialist trained in the unique physical, psychological and social characteristics of adolescents and their healthcare problems and needs.

• Cardiovascular Disease
  An Internist who specializes in diseases of the heart and blood vessels and manages complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and life-threatening, abnormal heartbeat rhythms.
  
  
• Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  A field of special interest within the subspecialty of cardiovascular disease, which involves intricate technical procedures to evaluate heart rhythms and determine appropriate treatment.
  
  
• Critical Care Medicine
  An Internist who diagnoses, treats and supports patients with multiple organ dysfunction. This specialist may have administrative responsibilities for intensive care units and may also facilitate and coordinate patient care among the primary physician, the critical care staff and other specialists.
  
  
• Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  An Internist who concentrates on disorders of the internal (endocrine) glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. This specialist also deals with disorders such as diabetes, metabolic and nutritional disorders, obesity, pituitary diseases, and menstrual and sexual problems.
  
  
• Gastroenterology
  An Internist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive organs including the stomach, bowels, liver and gallbladder. This specialist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer and jaundice and performs complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using endoscopes to visualize internal organs.
  
  
• Geriatric Medicine
  An Internist who has special knowledge of the aging process and special skills in the diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and rehabilitative aspects of illness in the elderly. This specialist cares for geriatric patients in the patient’s home, the office, long-term care settings such as nursing homes and the hospital.
  
  
• Hematology
  An Internist with additional training who specializes in diseases of the blood, spleen and lymph. This specialist treats conditions such as anemia, clotting disorders, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, leukemia and lymphoma.
  
  
• Hospice and Palliative Medicine
  These physicians have special knowledge and skills to prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses. This specialist works with an interdisciplinary hospice or palliative care team to maximize quality of life while addressing the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of both patient and family throughout the course of the disease, including through the dying process and subsequent family grieving. This care can occur within or outside of a formal hospice or palliative care team. This specialist has expertise in the assessment of patients with advanced disease and catastrophic injury; the relief of distressing symptoms; the coordination of interdisciplinary patient and family-centered care in diverse settings; the use of specialized care systems including hospice; the management of the imminently dying patient; and legal and ethical decision making in end-of-life care.
  
  
• Infectious Disease
  An Internist who deals with infectious diseases of all types and in all organ systems. Conditions requiring selective use of antibiotics call for this special skill. This physician often diagnoses and treats AIDS patients and patients with fevers which have not been explained. Infectious disease specialists may also have expertise in preventive medicine and travel medicine.
  
  
• Interventional Cardiology
  An area of medicine within the subspecialty of Cardiology, which uses specialized imaging and other diagnostic techniques to evaluate blood flow and pressure in the coronary arteries and chambers of the heart, and uses technical procedures and medications to treat abnormalities that impair the function of the cardiovascular system.
  
  
• Medical Oncology
  An Internist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer and other benign and malignant tumors. This specialist decides on and administers therapy for these malignancies, as well as consults with surgeons and radiotherapists on other treatments for cancer.
  
  
• Nephrology
  An Internist who treats disorders of the kidney, high blood pressure, fluid and mineral balance, and dialysis of body wastes when the kidneys do not function. This specialist consults with surgeons about kidney transplantation.
  
  
• Pulmonary Disease
  An Internist who treats diseases of the lungs and airways. The pulmonologist diagnoses and treats cancer, pneumonia, pleurisy, asthma, occupational and environmental diseases, bronchitis, sleep disorders, emphysema and other complex disorders of the lungs.
  
  
• Rheumatology
  An Internist who treats diseases of joints, muscle, bones and tendons. This specialist diagnoses and treats arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries and “collagen“diseases.
  
  
• Sleep Medicine
  An Internist with demonstrated expertise in the diagnosis and management of clinical conditions that occur during sleep, that disturb sleep, or that are affected by disturbances in the wake-sleep cycle. This specialist is skilled in the analysis and interpretation of comprehensive polysomnography, and well-versed in emerging research and management of a sleep laboratory.
  
  
• Sports Medicine
  An Internist trained in providing continuous care related to the enhancement of health and fitness as well as the prevention and management of injury and illness. This specialist possesses knowledge and experience in the promotion of wellness and the prevention of injury from many areas of medicine such as exercise physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, physical rehabilitation, epidemiology, physical evaluation and injuries. It is the goal of a Sports Medicine specialist to improve the healthcare of the individual engaged in physical exercise.
  
  
• Transplant Hepatology
  An Internist with special knowledge and the skill required of a Gastroenterologist to care for patients prior to and following hepatic transplantation that spans all phases of liver transplantation. Selection of appropriate recipients requires assessment by a team having experience in evaluating the severity and prognosis of patients with liver disease.
  

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