What is internal medicine?
Internal medicine, or general medicine, is the medical specialty that involves dealing with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of adult diseases and medical conditionals. Doctors who specialize in this field of healthcare are often referred to as internists. At least three of their years of training during medical school are dedicated to learning how to provide medical care for adults.
Many internists begin providing care following the completion of their basic internal medical training. These general internists are trained to treat the broad spectrum of illnesses and medical problems that affect adults, and are not limited to one type of medical problem or organ system. They receive specific training on how to resolve diagnostic problems and also how to handle severe chronic illnesses and situations where several illnesses occur at once. Internists concentrate on providing care for adults, and do not generally treat children or adolescents.
What types of care does internal medicine involve?
Internal medicine may involve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a number of conditions, including:
- General medicine and common medical conditions
- Endocrinology
- Rheumatology
- Infectious diseases
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Dermatology
- Ophthalmology
- Office gynecology
- Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat)
- Non-operative orthopedics
- Palliative medicine
- Sleep medicine
- Geriatrics
- Rehabilitation medicine
Internal medicine also includes training in both outpatient and inpatient settings. Most training programs for internal medicine also require several months of training in a hospital setting.
To schedule an appointment with our internist, Dr. Lila Chagani, and learn more about internal medicine in Opa Locka, Miami, Miami Gardens and Coconut Grove, Florida, and the surrounding areas of Miami-Dade County, Florida, please contact our office today. We look forward to meeting you soon!
