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Internist vs general practice

The differences between internists and general practices can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an internist and a general practice. Additionally, an internist has an average salary of $223,415, which is higher than the $117,178 average annual salary of a general practice.

The top three skills for an internist include patients, primary care and EMR. The most important skills for a general practice are patients, private practice, and internal medicine.

Internist vs general practice overview

InternistGeneral Practice
Yearly salary$223,415$117,178
Hourly rate$107.41$56.34
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs31,65955,666
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Doctoral Degree, 48%
Average age4848
Years of experience66

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.

What does a general practice do?

A general practitioner handles common medical health conditions of patients and refers them to hospitals and specialists for urgent treatment. They are commonly referred to as a family doctor or physician. They are often the first point of contact for anyone with a physical or mental health challenge. They may be expected to carry out clinical examinations of patients to access and diagnose disease, perform the necessary tests, interpret findings, and recommend a treatment plan.

Internist vs general practice salary

Internists and general practices have different pay scales, as shown below.

InternistGeneral Practice
Average salary$223,415$117,178
Salary rangeBetween $120,000 And $415,000Between $58,000 And $234,000
Highest paying CitySpringfield, OH-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyCentral Ohio Primary Care-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between internist and general practice education

There are a few differences between an internist and a general practice in terms of educational background:

InternistGeneral Practice
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Doctoral Degree, 48%
Most common majorMedicineAdvanced Dentistry And Oral Sciences
Most common collegeUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of Southern California

Internist vs general practice demographics

Here are the differences between internists' and general practices' demographics:

InternistGeneral Practice
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 37.3% Female, 62.7%Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 25.0% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between internist and general practice duties and responsibilities

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.
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General practice example responsibilities.

  • Set up OSHA plan for the office, and lead OSHA training.
  • Provide comprehensive quality health care by utilizing skills in pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology.
  • Provide technical guidance to promote educational programs on HIV prevention and diabetes and hypertension prevention and management.
  • Fix prosthetics focusing on crown and bridge.
  • Fix and removable dentures, both complete and partial dentures.
  • General floor care including 12 lead EKG's, medication delivery, ABG sampling.
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Internist vs general practice skills

Common internist skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Primary Care, 13%
  • EMR, 7%
  • Critical Care, 6%
  • Private Practice, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
Common general practice skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Private Practice, 13%
  • Internal Medicine, 10%
  • Emergency Room, 6%
  • IV, 5%
  • Restorative Dentistry, 5%

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