What exactly is an "internist"?

Ever heard of Google?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_medicine

Gray's Anatomy

---

Ever heard of Google?

lol. let the bww rudeness continue!

i suspect, dolly, that you misheard (or rather, whoever talked to you misspoke), and that your regular physician was escorted by an intern (which is distinct from an internist). "intern" refers to someone who is in their first year of training after medical school, and seems to adequately describe the perception of cluelessness that you were getting from this person. even though, this late in the academic year (that year generally running from july-june), the intern should be more "up to snuff," so to speak (in other words, the intern, at this point, is about 3-4 months away from being a "resident," which is the term used for someone at a higher level of training).

the generic for "zetia" is ezetimibe. generally speaking, it is a good thing for young doctors (and patients, for that matter) to be learning the generic names of drugs over their brand names. the brand name is a sound byte meant to sell a drug, whereas the generic name tells you something about how a drug works. for instance, if someone says to me they're taking "capoten," i have no idea what that means. however, if someone tells me they are taking "captopril," i know instantly how that drug works, and that they must have something chronic going on, like heart failure and high blood pressure. i would also know to be somewhat leery, as it sounds as if their doctor likes to prescribe the most expensive drugs in that particular class of drugs.

lastly, it is alright to be confused between an internist and a family practioner, no matter what definition wiki gives you, as the distinction is somewhat arbitrary. as it happens, there are many hazy distinctions in medicine. both a general surgeon and a otolaryngologist is qualified to remove your thyroid. me personally, i would only allow an otolaryngologist, as that is their specialty. but i knew several endocrinologists at one institution who were very unhappy with the ENT docs there and preferred general surgery to perform thyroidectomies on their patients.

generally speaking, an internist is going to be more educated when it comes to the care of adults, whereas a family practioner is a "jack of all trades" (and frankly, by extension, master of none) and can also take care of kids and women (with regards to obstetrics and gynecological problems). a family practioner should be able to handle uncomplicated diabetes and high blood pressure, etc., etc. me, personally, when i develop high blood pressure/diabetes/whatever i would prefer to see an internist over a family practioner, but that is not necessary. however, if i had lots of other things going on (say, for instance, lupus or HIV), well, i think the more complex things get, the better off you are with an internist.

hope that helps.

Updated On: 2/24/10 at 05:37 PM

Yes, they would still be a doctor if they finished med school. They're just in the field training and working with real patients. Obviously they do need their work checked still.

---

Was she jewish?

As Calvin Trillin says, "You could go to a gentile internist, but why not play the odds?

Nope.

---

it's a relative to a barbour.

---

Indeed Calvin. Certain Native American Tribes in Massachusetts still celebrate the arrival of "the big Italian Fella" with a platter of Spaghetti Carbonara. And the Pilgrims condemned it as "Heretic-ally Tasty."

Clearly women shouldn't be allowed to be doctors.


You'll find agreement in this thread!

As others have said, interns can still be called Dr. At least, I assume they can be, because in the first season of Scrubs J.D. is sometimes called "Doctor Dorian" and he is just an intern. And we all know that everything you see on TV is always, always true. Always. lol

---

An intern is a phycian OR surgeon on a hospital staff usually a recent graduate receiving a year of post-graduate training prior to being eligible to be licensed to practice medicine independently. ( usually a G.P. - family medicine is now considered a specialty ) An Internist has taken advanced post graduate training(2- 4 years) in the diagnosis/treatment of diseases treated medically as opposed to surgical tx.

And a PA is NOT a doctor!!!! ( altho they may be a foreign trained one not eligible for licensing in the US/Canada)Yes they can write prescriptions ( altho NOT narcotics) and order tests ( so can a Nurse Practioner) they cannot treat independantly but only under the supervision of a licensed MD.

Your doc-ling sounds like she just changed to a new rotation and hasn't found her footing yet.
Be kind to your webfooted friends for a doc can be some bodys betrothed...

Updated On: 2/25/10 at 08:25 PM

If we say "male nurse" does that mean we should say "lady doctor"?