Internal Medicine Residency Options

Written By: Rachael Kaine

The Completion of an Internal Medicine Residency

This field of medicine focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and care of adult patients that are experiencing a variety of conditions that start with basic health issues to complex and serious illnesses. Often, those who complete an internal medicine residency are referred to as a “doctor’s doctor”, because they are able to help other types of doctors figure out what is wrong based on signs, symptoms and test results. Everything from simple allergies and reactions to chronic illnesses and diseases can be seen and assessed by an internist. From common to rare, the most puzzling problems and situations can be taken to someone that has completed a Georgetown internal medicine residency and solved.

Careers After Completing an Internal Medicine Residency

Though there are many different career specialty paths that internists can follow, three of the most common and most necessary include hematology, allergy and immunology and pulmonary disease careers. Many of the internists that practice a specialty area divide their practices, focusing sometimes on the specialty area and other times on general internal medicine practice to serve the largest number of people possible.

Hematology: This specialty field focuses on patients that have blood, bone marrow and lymphatic system disorders. Conditions like anemias, congenital disorders and acquired disorders like coagulation and thrombosis as well as hematological malignancies are also the focus of this area of medicine.

Allergy and Immunology: For disorders related to the immune system, this is the type of specialist that should be consulted. While most internists see only adult patients, allergists can treat patients of all ages for conditions that are common as well as rare. Things like conjunctivitis, respiratory tract conditions like asthma, occupational lung diseases and even sinusitis are all capable of being diagnosed and treated. Adverse reactions to foods, drugs, stinging insects, abnormalities of the immune system and even skin related allergic conditions and reactions are all the focus of this type of doctor.

Pulmonary Disease: When it comes to focusing on, diagnosing and treating conditions that impact the respiratory system, specialists of this nature can be called upon to provide assistance. Pulmonologists are often used to treat and manage the more difficult and complicated conditions that general internal medicine residency graduates cannot figure out. The expertise that pulmonologists have can be an asset to the medical community because it means the difference between recognizing a common ailment and knowing how to treat one less common or prevalent.