What is an internist?
Internists are internal medicine doctors specializing in diagnosing and treating illnesses affecting the internal organs. They can also act as your primary care provider; however, they do not treat children. Internists train to handle patients with multiple or complicated illnesses, like someone with diabetes and high blood pressure or an individual with hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). They can also advise you on preventing diseases and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Internal medicine doctors can tell you when you require screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
Internists combine knowledge from bacteriology, physiology, and pathology to treat patients. While bacteriology is the study of bacteria, physiology studies bodily functions, and pathology focuses on the analysis of diseases. Because of this knowledge, internists can treat conditions that manifest in complex ways. It is beneficial in treating older patients whose bodies may be affected by multiple long-term illnesses. They must stay updated with new diseases and their treatment. All in all, internists are a mix of doctors, caregivers, investigators, and researchers who work in private clinics, hospitals, intensive care units, or other settings.
What kind of education and training do internists receive?
Internists initially receive the same training as other doctors. For example, after finishing their bachelor's (science), they study for four years in a medical school. They receive medical training and education and do rotations in hospitals and medical practices.
After this, they must do a 3-year residency, focusing on hands-on training in general internal medicine. Aspiring internists can specialize in various subspecialties for which they must do an additional 1-2 years of residency, especially if the subspecialty involves surgery. A fellowship can take up to 3 years of further study and training. Moreover, they can get board-certified during residency by clearing an American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) examination.
Internists can take up any 14 subspecialties officially recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). These are rheumatology, endocrinology, cardiovascular care, pulmonary/respiratory medicine, critical care, nephrology, oncology, geriatric medicine, gastroenterology, hematology, occupational medicine, allergy and immunology, and infectious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria.
Subspecialties of internal medicine
As mentioned, aspiring internal medicine doctors can take up a subspecialty after medical school, which requires additional training. A few subspecialties in internal medicine are:
- Adolescent medicine: Specialists in this field focus on the psychological, physical, social, and sexual development of young adults and adolescents.
- Cardiovascular disease: As the name suggests, these specialists treat those with acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions like congestive heart failure, chronic coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and other congenital heart disease.
- Endocrinology: This internal medicine specialty deals with the hormonal regulation of the pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, adrenal, ovaries/testes, and their target tissues.
- Gastroenterology: This field requires specialists to have advanced training and undergo research to detect and treat gastrointestinal tract and liver disorders.
- Hematology: Specialists in this branch can diagnose, treat, and prevent disorders affecting the blood, bone marrow, and vascular systems.
- Infectious Disease: Experts in this field diagnose and treat contagious diseases. Disease specialists also practice general internal medicine.
- Medical oncology: As it indicates, medical oncology specialists deal with cancer diagnosis and management.
- Nephrology: This field deals with kidney disorders, such as those affecting kidney function, the formation of kidney stones fluid and electrolyte homeostasis, and the regulation of blood pressure.
- Pulmonary disease: Specialists treat lung disease patients in outpatient and inpatient settings.
- Rheumatology: Experts in this field detect and treat arthritis and other muscles, joints, and bones-related diseases.
- Geriatrics: This specialty of internal medicine focuses on the health and well-being of older adults. Physicians study aging-specific conditions, including geriatric assessment and rehabilitation, management of patients in long-term care settings, psychosocial and preventive medicine, and other issues pertinent to geriatric patients.
- Allergy and immunology: This internal medicine specialty is concerned with preventing, diagnosing, and treating problems with the human immune system.
Are internists and family care physicians the same?
There are many similarities between internists and family care physicians because they treat the same illnesses. However, there are key differences. Family physicians treat the entire family, from infants to teens to adults. However, internists only treat patients aged 18 and above and cannot help with labor, delivery, or pediatric care. While family physicians can treat various diseases, internists have more in-depth knowledge about illnesses. So, if the condition is complicated, an internist would be a better doctor to consult than a family physician. Internists work in various job titles, from being involved in policy creation to treating individual patients. They can conduct academic research, run clinical trials, or analyze healthcare records.
What can you expect at your internist appointment?
If you are going to visit an internist near you for the first time, you may be thinking about what will happen during the appointment and how you can prepare for it. To give you a gist, it is similar to a general practitioner consultation. You can expect your doctor to conduct some or all of the following steps to diagnose, treat, and manage your condition:
- Medical history: The internist will review your medical records, including your present and past health issues, family medical history, medications and supplements, surgeries, and alternate treatments.
- Discussion: They will discuss your health condition and its symptoms when they begin, what triggers or worsens them, and how they affect your daily life. Make sure to tell them everything.
- Physical examination: They conduct a detailed physical exam to check your vital signs, including pulse, temperature, respiration rate, and blood pressure. They may also examine your skin, nails, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat.
- Diagnostic tests: Your doctor may order lab tests such as blood and urinalysis or imaging tests like CT scans or X-rays to screen or diagnose specific conditions.
- Treatment plan: Based on your diagnosis, your doctor will recommend a tailored remedy plan including medications, supplements, and lifestyle and diet changes.
- Q&A: They will address any queries or concerns you may have regarding your condition and treatment. You can ask them what caused your disease, the possible complications and ways to prevent them, or how frequently you should go for health screenings.
- Follow-up visits: Your doctor may schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress and make any necessary changes in the treatment plan.
- Referrals: If specialist intervention becomes necessary for your treatment, they may refer you to the required doctors.
To summarize, gather your medical records and medications list before your appointment and note your symptoms and queries. Take along a close family member who can provide information about family medical history and take notes during the consultation.
Common chronic conditions that affect older adults
Different chronic ailments affect adults as they age. Most of these conditions don't show any initial symptoms. Regular preventive health checkups are the best way to detect and treat these ailments early and prevent them from becoming significant health complications.
The most common chronic disorders affecting adults in the 65+ age group that internists manage and treat include the following:
- High cholesterol levels cause fat deposits in the blood vessels, obstructing normal blood flow. The condition does not produce any apparent symptoms but increases the chances of heart attack, heart disease, or stroke.
- Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when the heart pumps more blood into narrowed arteries, which resist the flow. Untreated hypertension can lead to many complications, such as heart attack and stroke. Generally, there are no symptoms, but some may experience headaches, shortness of breath, and nosebleeds.
- Coronary heart disease occurs when your blood vessels fail to supply nutrient-rich and oxygenated blood to the heart. It is usually a result of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Complications include blood clots, angina, or a heart attack.
- Heart failure happens when the heart cannot supply enough blood throughout the body. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, leg swelling, irregular heartbeat, rapid weight gain, and nausea.
- Arthritis is a painful disorder of the joints. There are two types: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Arthritis causes swelling, inflammation, pain, and joint stiffness that can worsen with time and age.
- Diabetes occurs due to the body's insulin resistance or the failure to produce enough insulin. If left ignored, it can cause severe complications such as kidney disease, blindness, or heart disease.
- Depression is a treatable mood disorder. It causes symptoms such as perpetual sadness, loss of interest in daily activities, hopelessness, angry or emotional outbursts, fatigue, difficulty making decisions, changes in appetite, and sleep disturbances.
- Chronic kidney disease occurs due to the gradual decline in the normal functioning of the kidney, resulting in severe kidney damage. High blood pressure and diabetes increase the risk of chronic kidney disease.
How to find a good internist near you in Plano, Texas?
You may require the services of an internist to treat complex or multiple illnesses. Although your family physician can provide treatment and care, visiting an internist in such circumstances can be more helpful and rewarding because of their extensive knowledge.
Improving the patient experience in healthcare has always been Zocdoc's primary objective. If you're looking for an internist in Plano, Texas, visit the Zocdoc website and enter your medical conditions, ideal location and time, and insurance plan in the search bar to find one quickly. You can also focus your search on which languages they speak, gender, or hospital affiliation.
If you want to know your insurance plan, upload an image of the insurance card to your Zocdoc account, and we will find and display information regarding your insurance plan (this facility is not available for vision or dental plans). You can also check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
Each internist on Zocdoc has a profile with information on their education and training, experience, certifications, affiliations, awards, and licensing, among other things. You can also read verified patient reviews and ratings to find the best internist near you in Plano, Texas. Both online and in-person appointments are available. Depending on the internist's availability, you can book appointments during office hours, after 5 pm, or on weekends.
On Zocdoc, every appointment is cost-free, simple, and secure.
Statistics on diabetes, CVD, arthritis, and kidney disease in Texas
According to America's Health Rankings, in 2022, 13.9% of the adult population in Texas was diagnosed with diabetes. The incidence was higher in the state than in the country. In the U.S., about 11.5% of adults were diagnosed with diabetes (excluding prediabetes and gestational diabetes). Diabetes in Texas increased with age, with 28.4% of those 65 and above diagnosed with the condition. The incidence was lower in those aged 45 to 64 (19.2%) and 18 to 44 (5.1%). Additionally, men were more prone to diabetes (14.4%) than women (13.4%).
According to a report published by the American Diabetes Association in 2021, an estimated 201,104 people in Texas are diagnosed with diabetes yearly. About 34% of the adult population in the state, or approximately 7,142,000 people, have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are moderate and not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Further, according to estimates, an additional 621,000 people have diabetes but are unaware of it.
Approximately 9.0% of the adult population of Texas was diagnosed with CVD in 2022, reports America's Health Rankings. It included angina or coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or myocardial infarction. The incidence of CVD in the U.S. was almost the same at 9.1%. More men (9.9%) than women (8.1%) were diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases in the state in the same year.
Additionally, the incidence of CVD was higher in older people. Approximately 24.2% of those 65 and older suffered from CVD compared to 10.7% of those aged 45 to 64 and 2.2% of those aged 18 to 44.
Internists can treat various diseases, including arthritis and kidney diseases. In Texas, in 2022, about 22.2% of adults were diagnosed with some form of arthritis, according to America's Health Rankings. The incidence of arthritis was higher in women (26.4%) than in men (18.0%). It was also higher in those 65 and above (51.7%) as compared to those aged 45 to 64 (27.4%) and those aged 18 to 44 (7.9%).
In 2022, as per America's Health Rankings, about 3.5% of the adult population in Texas was diagnosed with kidney disease (not including kidney stones, incontinence, or bladder infection), the same as in the U.S. Women (4.0%) had a higher incidence of kidney disease than men (2.9%). Similarly, 9.7% of those 65 and older had kidney disease compared to 3.3% of those aged 45 to 64 and 1.2% of those aged 18 to 44.
Sources
The Mercy Touch
Cleveland Clinic
American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Medical News Today
America's Health Rankings [1]
America's Health Rankings [2]
America's Health Rankings [3]
America's Health Rankings [4]
WebMD
University of Iowa Health Care
National Council on Aging
