Through added fellowship training, many family medicine physicians also incorporate obstetrics, sports medicine and palliative care into their practice.Ĭhoosing an Internal Medicine Doctor or Family Medicine Doctorīecause internal medicine doctors and family medicine doctors are both primary care doctors, it may be difficult to choose between them. Because they tend treat the widest variety of ages and conditions, they must be trained to diagnose and treat a broad range of diseases and conditions.

A residency in family medicine includes training in pediatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry, radiology, ophthalmology, urology and more. To practice family medicine, doctors must also complete a three-year residency program after medical school. The care they offer encompasses four branches of medicine:įamily medicine doctors often care for the same patients throughout their lives, and in many cases, they care for multiple generations of family members at the same time. Family medicine doctorsįamily medicine doctors care for people of all ages – from infants through the elderly. Internists must complete a three-year residency before they begin practicing internal medicine, and some take additional training in a subspecialty, such as neurology, endocrinology, oncology, psychiatry, dermatology, cardiology, geriatrics or rheumatology. They are trained to offer care for a wide variety of health conditions and to counsel their patients on prevention and overall wellness. Internal medicine doctors specialize in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease in their adult patients. Some internists also see children, but to do this, they must have dual training in both internal medicine and pediatrics. Internal medicine doctors, also called internists, care primarily for adults. So what’s the difference? And more importantly, which type of doctor is right for you? Internal medicine doctors Both treat adults, and both can (in some cases) treat children. Both are considered primary care doctors and have training in several subspecialties. When choosing a primary care doctor, many people want to understand the difference between an internal medicine doctor and a family medicine doctor.

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