What does an internal medicine doctor do?
An internal medicine doctor, also known as a general internist, is an individual who applies scientific knowledge and expertise to assess or diagnose a patient. They are trained individuals who specialize in diagnosing and treating chronic illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes. They give specialist care to patients with comorbid conditions, and they may function as a long-term care provider.
Internal medicine doctor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real internal medicine doctor resumes:
- Detail patient assessment, management, and resuscitation of acutely ill medical patients.
- Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents
- Develop an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents
Internal medicine doctor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 34% of Internal Medicine Doctors are proficient in Patients, Internal Medicine, and EMR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Dexterity, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Internal Medicine Doctors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 34%
Prepared examining room for patients, ensuring sanitary, neatness and safety conditions of rooms in compliance with mandatory regulations.
- Internal Medicine, 28%
Labored as Doctor in first degree in Internal Medicine Specialist.
- EMR, 14%
Enter vitals in EMR or Chart We Sterilization any Medical Instruments, give Injections to pts.
- Pediatrics, 7%
Developed an ambulatory pediatrics curriculum for family medicine residents
- Patient Care, 6%
Assist the physician as well as Nurse Practitioners in ensuring optimal patient care and smooth daily functioning of office.
- Injections, 2%
Registered Medical Assistant Assisted Medical Doctors with exams Phlebotomy Injections Vital Signs EKG'S, Spirometry Testing, Dexa Scans Laboratory Technician
Most internal medicine doctors use their skills in "patients," "internal medicine," and "emr" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential internal medicine doctor responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. The most essential soft skill for an internal medicine doctor to carry out their responsibilities is detail oriented. This skill is important for the role because "patients must receive appropriate treatment and medications." Additionally, an internal medicine doctor resume shows how their duties depend on detail oriented: "conducted detailed research and analysis to patients' responses to drug therapies. "
Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform internal medicine doctor duties is dexterity. Internal medicine doctors responsibilities require that "physicians and surgeons may work with very precise and sometimes sharp tools, and mistakes can have serious consequences." Internal medicine doctors also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "gained extensive hands on experience in acute care of adult, pediatric/neonatal and pregnant patients. "
Leadership skills. internal medicine doctors are also known for leadership skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to internal medicine doctor responsibilities, because "physicians who work in their own practice must manage a staff of other professionals." An internal medicine doctor resume example shows how leadership skills is used in the workplace: "praised by the clinic leadership for investigative work/thesis. "
Organizational skills. internal medicine doctor responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "good recordkeeping and other organizational skills are critical in both medical and business settings." This resume example shows what internal medicine doctors do with organizational skills on a typical day: "develop and execute the annual internal review plan to address organizational weaknesses and concerns. "
Physical stamina. A commonly-found skill in internal medicine doctor job descriptions, "physical stamina" is essential to what internal medicine doctors do. Internal medicine doctor responsibilities rely on this skill because "physicians and surgeons should be comfortable lifting or turning disabled patients, or performing other physical tasks." You can also see how internal medicine doctor duties rely on physical stamina in this resume example: "performed physical exams, evaluated and treated inpatient and outpatient populations, hospital rounds, ordered and interpreted diagnostic tests. "
Communication skills. While "communication skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to internal medicine doctor responsibilities. Much of what an internal medicine doctor does relies on this skill, seeing as "physicians and surgeons need to be excellent communicators." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of internal medicine doctors: "doctor of veterinary medicine duties: primary care of patients including diagnosis and treatment and client communication. "
The three companies that hire the most internal medicine doctors are:
- The Medicus Firm
34 internal medicine doctors jobs
- Kaiser Permanente4 internal medicine doctors jobs
- InSync Healthcare Solutions3 internal medicine doctors jobs
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Compare different internal medicine doctors
Internal medicine doctor vs. Clinic md associate
Endocrinologists specialize in the glands and the hormones our body makes. These doctors deal with the biochemical process, like how your body changes food into energy and how it grows. An endocrinologist can diagnose and treat hormonal problems; diseases like diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal disorders, lipid disorders, growth disorders, and metabolic abnormalities. An endocrinologist must exhibit leadership skills, organizational and problem-solving skills, strong communication skills, empathy, and agility. An endocrinologist must have an issued license to practice medicine.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between internal medicine doctors and clinic md associate. For instance, internal medicine doctor responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "emr," "injections," and "icu." Whereas a clinic md associate is skilled in "surgery," "private practice," "clinical research," and "physical exams." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that clinic md associates earn slightly differ from internal medicine doctors. In particular, clinic md associates are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an internal medicine doctor. Additionally, they're 5.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Internal medicine doctor vs. Endocrinologist
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.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that internal medicine doctor responsibilities requires skills like "patients," "emr," "patient care," and "injections." But an endocrinologist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cme," "clinical care," "diabetes educators," and "direct patient care."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Endocrinologists tend to reach similar levels of education than internal medicine doctors. In fact, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 5.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for internal medicine doctors in the next 3-5 years?
Supriyo Bandyopadhyay
Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
Internal medicine doctor vs. Emergency room physician
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, internal medicine doctors are more likely to have skills like "emr," "pediatrics," "icu," and "scheduling appointments." But a emergency room physician is more likely to have skills like "emergency medicine," "surgery," "acls," and "medical care."
Emergency room physicians typically earn lower educational levels compared to internal medicine doctors. Specifically, they're 7.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 25.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Internal medicine doctor vs. General internist
Types of internal medicine doctor
Updated January 8, 2025
