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General Internal Medicine Physicians
Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.
Other titles employers use
Doctor · Gastroenterologist · General Internal Medicine Physician · General Internist · Internal Medicine Doctor · Internal Medicine Physician (IM Physician) · Internist · Medical Doctor (MD)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
- Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
- Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
- Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to analytical, helping and practical work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Biology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Education and Training
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.7 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.1 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.6 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.0 | Some of the day |
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Calendar and scheduling software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 14,160
- Job openings each year
- 300
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 27.0%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 14,160 | 300 | 27.0% |
| California | 6,800 | 230 | 11.5% |
| Texas | 4,160 | 150 | 13.4% |
| Illinois | 3,600 | 90 | — |
| Tennessee | 3,540 | 140 | 15.7% |
| Maryland | 3,410 | 100 | 3.6% |
| Florida | 2,830 | 100 | 9.7% |
| Michigan | 2,530 | 70 | 1.2% |
| Indiana | 2,390 | 70 | 2.1% |
| Minnesota | 2,030 | 60 | 2.5% |
| Arizona | 1,890 | 70 | 11.8% |
| District of Columbia | 1,880 | 60 | 7.4% |
| Georgia | 1,840 | 70 | 11.5% |
| New Jersey | 1,650 | 50 | 6.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,380 | 40 | 2.2% |
| Ohio | 1,280 | 30 | −1.5% |
| Wisconsin | 1,230 | 40 | 7.9% |
| Colorado | 1,220 | 40 | 11.9% |
| Connecticut | 1,100 | 30 | 2.8% |
| Oklahoma | 950 | 30 | 1.1% |
| North Carolina | 930 | 30 | 10.7% |
| Virginia | 890 | 30 | 7.2% |
| South Carolina | 840 | 30 | 6.3% |
| Nebraska | 770 | 20 | 4.1% |
| Washington | 700 | 30 | 9.4% |
| Massachusetts | 650 | 20 | 4.8% |
| Nevada | 570 | 20 | 3.6% |
| Louisiana | 450 | 10 | −2.2% |
| Utah | 430 | 20 | 30.3% |
| Kentucky | 420 | 10 | 2.4% |
| Iowa | 360 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Oregon | 350 | 10 | 9.4% |
| West Virginia | 350 | 10 | — |
| Montana | 330 | 10 | 13.8% |
| Mississippi | 200 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 190 | 10 | 11.8% |
| New Hampshire | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Idaho | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 150 | 10 | 15.4% |
| Vermont | 150 | 0 | 7.1% |
| New Mexico | 130 | 10 | 18.2% |
| Maine | 120 | 0 | — |
| Alaska | 110 | 0 | 10.0% |
| Arkansas | 110 | 0 | 10.0% |
| Delaware | 80 | 0 | 33.3% |
| North Dakota | 40 | 0 | — |
| Wyoming | 30 | 0 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
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