• A doctor of internal medicine must be well-versed in a wide array of pathologies and diseases.physicians desk image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com
  
  Doctors of internal medicine specialize in treating adults. They may be referred to as internists, but should not be confused with interns, who are in their first year of residency right out of medical school. Internal medicine doctors have had special training in the prevention and treatment of adult diseases. Because of this, they must have wide and deep knowledge of diseases affecting adults. They have a minimum of three years of postgraduate training dedicated to this specialization.
  
  

Choosing Internal Medicine

• Medical school students study the fundamental sciences of anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology and related disciplines. The first two years are grueling, involving long study, many lab courses and demanding examinations. But in the third year, students gain experience in the many specialties available to physicians. Some students discover that they are most interested in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of adult diseases. For them, the fourth year consists of clinical rounds coupled with elective courses, usually focusing on their chosen specialty, internal medicine.
  
  

Internal Medicine Residency

• Each medical school has its own version of a residency program for those specializing in internal medicine. However, they all are similar in some key aspects. Residents work for three years under the supervision of an experienced faculty physician. They spend the first half of each day caring for their patients and assume responsibility--with supervision--for diagnosing and treating their patients' illnesses and complaints. In the second part of their day, they staff clinics and treat walk-in patients who are not part of the continuity program. Registered nurses, social workers and medical technicians provide support to residents on a daily basis.
  
  

Certification and Practice

• Once they have completed the internal medicine residency program, these doctors prepare to take the board certification exam of the American Board of Internal Medicine. This will require intense study. When they pass the exam, some internal medicine doctors join a private practice or set up their own. Others join the staff of a medical institution, become teachers or researchers, or do several of these things at the same time. The ABIM requires internal medicine physicians to complete continuing education courses to stay current and keep their board certification.