Career Profile: General Internal Medicine Physicians

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 63,700 people employed as general internal medicine physicians in the United States. The median annual salary is $208,000. Entry level employees earn approximately $62,850 per year and senior employees earn approximately $208,000 (or more) per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
• Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
• Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
• Provide consulting services to other doctors caring for patients with special or difficult problems.
• Advise surgeon of a patient's risk status and recommend appropriate intervention to minimize risk.
• Immunize patients to protect them from preventable diseases.
• Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
• Prepare government or organizational reports on birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or the medical status of individuals.
• Conduct research to develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures to prevent or control disease or injury.
• 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.
• Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
• Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
• Operate on patients to remove, repair, or improve functioning of diseased or injured body parts and systems.
• Plan, implement, or administer health programs in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention and treatment of injuries or illnesses.

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