General internists are physicians who care for adults, from routine checkups to several chronic conditions at once. Some see patients in an office. Others work as hospitalists who care for patients admitted to the hospital.
Physician groups, hospitals, and health systems employ most of them. Recruiting one can take many months, and an open panel means patients wait or go elsewhere.
The work
In the office, the day is a schedule of visits, results to review, refills, and messages. Each visit may cover several conditions and the medicines that go with them.
Hospitalists round on admitted patients, write orders, talk with families, and plan discharges. The shifts are long, and the census sets the pace.
License and training
Every state licenses physicians through its medical board. The usual path is an MD or DO, an internal medicine residency, and a state license. Employers usually want board certification too. Confirm your state board's rules before you hire or start.
Questions
Is a hospitalist an internist?
Most hospitalists trained in internal medicine. They care for patients during a hospital stay instead of in an office.
Do internists need board certification?
The state license is the legal requirement. Most employers and many insurers also expect board certification.
Metros
- Birmingham, AL
- Anchorage, AK
- Phoenix, AZ
- Prescott Valley, AZ
- Tucson, AZ
- Hot Springs, AR
- Jonesboro, AR
- Los Angeles, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Sacramento, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Santa Maria, CA
- Visalia, CA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Denver, CO
- Bridgeport, CT
- Hartford, CT
- New Haven, CT
- Norwich, CT
- Waterbury, CT
- Washington, DC
- Deltona, FL
- Homosassa Springs, FL
- Jacksonville, FL
- Miami, FL
- Naples, FL
- North Port, FL
- Orlando, FL
- Port St. Lucie, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Albany, GA
- Athens-Clarke County, GA
- Augusta-Richmond County, GA
- Macon-Bibb County, GA
- Boise City, ID
- Champaign, IL
- Chicago, IL
- Rockford, IL
- Springfield, IL
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
- Lafayette, IN
- Muncie, IN
- South Bend, IN
- Des Moines, IA
- Iowa City, IA
- Lexington-Fayette, KY
- Louisville, KY
- Lafayette, LA
- Portland, ME
- Baltimore, MD
- Hagerstown, MD
- Lexington Park, MD
- Salisbury, MD
- Boston, MA
- Pittsfield, MA
- Worcester, MA
- Detroit, MI
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Duluth, MN
- Minneapolis, MN
- Gulfport, MS
- Jackson, MS
- St. Louis, MO
- Billings, MT
- Missoula, MT
- Lincoln, NE
- Omaha, NE
- Las Vegas, NV
- Reno, NV
- Manchester, NH
- Albany, NY
- Binghamton, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Glens Falls, NY
- Ithaca, NY
- Kiryas Joel, NY
- New York, NY
- Rochester, NY
- Syracuse, NY
- Watertown, NY
- Asheville, NC
- Charlotte, NC
- Durham, NC
- Fayetteville, NC
- Greensboro, NC
- Raleigh, NC
- Winston-Salem, NC
- Bismarck, ND
- Fargo, ND
- Grand Forks, ND
- Cincinnati, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Dayton, OH
- Toledo, OH
- Youngstown, OH
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Tulsa, OK
- Portland, OR
- Allentown, PA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- York, PA
- Providence, RI
- Charleston, SC
- Florence, SC
- Hilton Head Island, SC
- Spartanburg, SC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Jackson, TN
- Johnson City, TN
- Knoxville, TN
- Memphis, TN
- Nashville, TN
- Austin, TX
- College Station, TX
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Dallas, TX
- El Paso, TX
- Houston, TX
- Odessa, TX
- San Antonio, TX
- Tyler, TX
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Burlington, VT
- Roanoke, VA
- Seattle, WA
- Charleston, WV
- Huntington, WV
- Madison, WI
- Oshkosh, WI