Internist

Print

Work Tasks

• Doctors who specialize in treating organs inside the body and making sure the body systems work correctly
• Record the medical history of patients and details about their symptoms
• Do exams and tests to find out what the problem is
• See patients referred to them by other doctors
• Work for private and group practices, hospitals and medical schools, research labs, public health agencies, nursing homes, and military hospitals
• Use highly developed scientific tools like lab tests, x-rays, electrocardiograms, metabolism tests, fluoroscopy, and radioactive isotopes

Salary, Size & Growth

• $193,500 average per year ($93.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (50,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: Graduation from an accredited professional medical school, with Board certification after four years of undergraduate school, four years of medical school, and three to eight years of internship and residency.
• Skills/Courses: Premedical college courses include undergraduate work in physics, biology, math, English, and inorganic and organic chemistry; also, courses in the humanities and the social sciences.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require physicians to be licensed.