Emergency room physician vs internist

The differences between emergency room physicians and internists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an emergency room physician and an internist. Additionally, an internist has an average salary of $223,415, which is higher than the $160,275 average annual salary of an emergency room physician.

The top three skills for an emergency room physician include patients, emergency medicine and surgery. The most important skills for an internist are patients, primary care, and EMR.

Emergency room physician vs internist overview

	Emergency Room Physician	Internist
Yearly salary	$160,275	$223,415
Hourly rate	$77.06	$107.41
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	85,836	31,659
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does an emergency room physician do?

An Emergency Room Physician provides medical treatment to patients requiring acute and life-saving care. They keep them alive so they can receive the proper treatments.

What does an internist do?

An internist is a physician of internal medicine whose primary duty is to diagnose and treat different illnesses and injuries. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial assessment and examination, reviewing medical records and histories, providing consultations, prescribing medicines, and coordinating with different health care workers to ensure optimal care and service to patients. Moreover, it is essential to discuss and explain conditions to patients or their families, monitor their condition, provide health care advice, and refer them to any specialists or support services as needed.

Emergency room physician vs internist salary

Emergency room physicians and internists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Room Physician	Internist
Average salary	$160,275	$223,415
Salary range	Between $74,000 And $342,000	Between $120,000 And $415,000
Highest paying City	Hartford, CT	Springfield, OH
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Calhoun Liberty Hospital	Central Ohio Primary Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between emergency room physician and internist education

There are a few differences between an emergency room physician and an internist in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Room Physician	Internist
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Medicine	Medicine
Most common college	University of Virginia	University of Virginia

Emergency room physician vs internist demographics

Here are the differences between emergency room physicians' and internists' demographics:

	Emergency Room Physician	Internist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%	Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between emergency room physician and internist duties and responsibilities

Emergency room physician example responsibilities.

Lead surgeries on: hemorrhoid thrombectomy, abscess drainage, CPR, as well as complicated plastic surgeries due to injury.
Provide inpatient, outpatient and emergency care in a teaching hospital in different areas of internal medicine and surgery.
Assist attending physician in all aspects of medical care (diagnosis, delivery and minor surgery).
Schedule patients for surgeries, instruct them about post-operative care and answer questions regarding recovery and limitations after surgery.
Operate electrocardiogram (EKG) and other equipment to administer diagnostic test.
Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.

Internist example responsibilities.

Train and manage new interns/ volunteers assisting with the evidence-based hypertension management program.
Implement EMR solely in a huge practice.
Evaluate health education needs of patients and provide necessary training and instruction.
Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
Perform uncomplicated surgical extractions, bone grafting and suturing as needed independently.
Provide physiotherapy, rehabilitation and chiropractic treatment for various conditions and injuries.

Emergency room physician vs internist skills

Common emergency room physician skills

Patients, 29%
Emergency Medicine, 23%
Surgery, 5%
Acls, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Medical Care, 4%

Common internist skills

Patients, 30%
Primary Care, 13%
EMR, 7%
Critical Care, 6%
Private Practice, 6%
Rehabilitation, 5%

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Emergency Room Physician
Emergency Room Physician vs Internist

Updated January 8, 2025

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