| General internists are physicians in medical | | | | salaried internists, but they must pay for their |
| uniforms whose specialty is in diagnosing and | | | | own retirement and health insurance. The earnings |
| treating the internal organs of the body. They | | | | can vary a great deal depending upon geographic |
| work mostly with adults who have problems with | | | | location, skill, experience, hours worked, |
| their stomachs, livers, kidneys, or their digestive | | | | personality, and professional reputation. Becoming |
| tract. An internist has available a wide range of | | | | a general internist requires considerable |
| diagnostic and treatment techniques, depending | | | | investment in education, including four years |
| upon their patients' conditions. They may use | | | | undergraduate study, followed by four years |
| medicines or they may hospitalize patients for | | | | medical school, and then a three to eight year |
| surgical or other procedures. Internists, like general | | | | residency. There are several medical schools |
| practitioners, are often primary care givers. Or, | | | | offering programs which can be completed in six |
| general practitioners and other specialists may | | | | years, which combine undergraduate and medical |
| refer patients to internists, who may in turn refer | | | | studies. Premed undergraduates are required to |
| the patients to other types of specialists. There | | | | take courses in biology, mathematics, physics, |
| are two different types of internists: M.D.'s | | | | inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and |
| (Medical Doctors) who are allopathic physicians, | | | | courses in the social sciences and humanities. |
| and O.D.'s (Osteopathic Doctors). Both types of | | | | Volunteer work at local clinics or hospitals is |
| internists use medicines, surgery, and similar | | | | required to gain experience. Most applicants to |
| treatment options, but O.D.'s tend to focus more | | | | medical school have earned bachelor's degrees, |
| upon the musculoskeletal system, holistic | | | | and a substantial number have advanced degrees. |
| treatments, and preventative medicine. O.D.'s tend | | | | The competition for admission to a medical school |
| to be primary health care givers more than M.D.'s | | | | is quite stiff. The first two years of medical |
| are, with over half of all O.D.'s practicing general | | | | school coursework cover the basics, such as |
| family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. | | | | anatomy and microbiology; the second two years |
| It is necessary for an internist to be stable in his | | | | include on-the-job training under physicians' |
| or her emotions and to be able to make | | | | supervision in hospitals or clinics. |
| important decisions quickly. Internists should be | | | | Upon graduation from medical school, the |
| self-motivated, have a pleasant bedside manner, | | | | physicians in new doctor coats begin two to six |
| and possess a powerful desire to be helpful to | | | | year paid hospital residency. Licenses are awarded |
| others. Because of the dedication required by | | | | to physicians who have graduated from an |
| medicine education and practice, and the high | | | | accredited medical school, who have passed the |
| pressure of the job, considerable physical and | | | | licensing examination, and who have completed |
| mental stamina are prerequisites to putting on an | | | | from one to seven years of graduate medical |
| internist's medical uniform. General internists in the | | | | training. Both M.D.'s and O.D.'s may spend up to |
| U.S. in 2002 earned an average annual salary of | | | | seven years in residency in order to qualify for |
| $155,000. General internists who are | | | | certification as general internists. |
| self-employed normally have higher wages than | | | | |