Overview Show Adults can choose a family medicine doctor or an internal medicine doctor as their primary care physician. Read this Q&A to help you decide what’s best for you. Content Your primary care doctor is a key member of your health care team. He or she offers guidance to help you stay well, provides treatment and monitoring when you’re ill, and coordinates your care if you need specialized treatment. At Duke Primary Care, adults have a choice between doctors specializing in family medicine or internal medicine. In many ways, these types of doctors are similar: Their common goal is to help you protect and improve your health. But there are differences in their training and the types of patients they see. Dr. Madhavi G. Reddy, MBBS, a family medicine doctor at Duke Primary Care Arringdon in Morrisville, and Dr. Karl Bernat Jr., MD, an internal medicine doctor at Duke Primary Care Heritage Internal Medicine in Wake Forest, each provided perspectives on their type of medical practice. What Kinds of Patients Do You See?Content Dr. Reddy: As a family physician, I see newborn babies to patients in their 90s. Having long-term relationships with my patients means I can see someone grow older and be involved in every step of their health care. This helps me know each patient and the entirety of their health in ways that can make care more personalized. Dr. Bernat: As an internal medicine doctor, or internist, I see adults -- patients from 18 years and older. What Types of Care Do You Provide?Content Dr. Reddy: Family doctors are involved in all kinds of care, from doing physicals to chronic disease management like diabetes or high blood pressure. If someone has a fever, stomach pain, or skin rash, I can help with that, too. Dr. Bernat: In internal medicine, we provide a wide scope of primary care, including preventive care as well as the treatment of complex adult diseases -- like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. What Are Some of the Benefits to Your Patients?Content Dr. Reddy: Because I get to know patients over a long time, I can focus on preventative care in a unique way. Our relationship means I know their history. We can spend less time catching up on what’s happened in the past and more time talking about care and treatment options for the future. Family medicine is about knowing the whole person, understanding who they are, what’s going on in their life. In some cases, having years of care together can ease anxiety because a patient knows me. Dr. Bernat: Internists serve as primary care doctors for people who need routine care, but we have the added advantage that we’ve been specially trained to help patients who have multiple medical problems or uncontrolled medical problems. We also try to help people who have diagnostic dilemmas -- for example, they may have multiple symptoms but are having trouble getting a diagnosis. What Kinds of Training Do Family Medicine/Internal Medicine Doctors Receive?Content Dr. Reddy: When I trained to become a family medicine doctor, I got a complete look at all the different kinds of patient needs I would have to treat. We deal a lot with general wellness and prevention of disease, but also received training to better understand the needs of children and women. That includes pregnancy, labor, and delivery because after a child is born, they can become our patients. Dr. Bernat: Internal medicine doctors complete a three-year residency after medical school. That entails serving in the hospital as staff physicians and in a clinic where we see outpatients. During that time, we train in critical care, so we have extensive training in caring for the sickest of the population. We also do rotations in specialties like cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology. People sometimes use “general practitioner,” “primary care physician,” and “internist” interchangeably. It’s important to know the differences between doctors when you’re looking for a new primary care physician, however. Both general practitioners and internists are primary care physicians. Both offer medical care for adults. GPs and internists are not the same, however. So what’s the difference between a general practitioner and an internist? What’s an Internal Medicine doctor or internist?An internist is a doctor who specializes in internal medicine. Internal medicine focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries and diseases. Internal Medicine doctors provide comprehensive care for adults with a broad knowledge of diseases, are experts in diagnosis, and promote wellness and preventive care. After medical school, Internal medicine doctors complete a three-year residency; this is a focused approach to adult care without further training in pediatric or obstetric care. They are specially trained to diagnose complex diseases and manage chronic illnesses that may have several different illnesses appear at the same time. Some phrases you may hear to describe an Internist are “Doctors for Adults” or “The doctors’ doctor.” Internists are equipped to provide health care for adults starting at age 18 and into the golden years. They provide health promotion and preventive care including recommended screenings and coordinating care with medical specialists. They treat simple and complex illnesses. Internists may choose a subspecialty of internal medicine such as cardiology, pulmonology, rheumatology, or gastroenterology. An internist that specializes in cardiology, for example, is a cardiologist. General internists are trained to provide primary care for adults and are considered primary care physicians. This is where people may get confused about internists. People sometimes use “primary care physician” and “general practitioner” interchangeably. These two terms are not synonymous, however. A primary care physician is the doctor you see for regular check-ups. Your primary care physician may be an internist, a family practitioner, or another type of doctor. Your child’s primary care physician may be a pediatrician. Like internists, general practitioners are considered primary care physicians. One of the biggest distinctions between an internist and a general practitioner is that while internists typically only treat adults, general practitioners are trained to provide care for patients of all ages. A general practitioner may treat adults, adolescents, and also children. General practice physicians may choose to practice family medicine, but family medicine is a medical specialty. Choosing the right doctorIf you’re looking for a new primary care physician, internists and general practitioners may both be good options. Of course, your own specific needs may determine which type of doctor is right for you. Fayetteville Diagnostic Clinic, A MANA Clinic, is an internal medicine based clinic with some of the best board certified, internal medicine doctors in Northwest Arkansas! At this multispecialty clinic, patients can access general internal medicine doctors and specialty medicine doctors under one roof. Find the right internal medicine doctor for you! |
Difference between family practice and internal medicine
Related Posts
Copyright © 2024 en.ketajaman Inc.
