What is the exact difference between family medicine and internal medicine?

Do you care what kind of doctor you go to? All of them may prescribe you some medicines, but as you go to the type of doctor that suits your condition the best, you can make sure you are diagnosed in the most precise way.

You may be curious about the similarities as well as the differences between these two. Here is where you will get your answers.

On this blog, we plan to walk you through the differences between family medicine and internal medicine, as well as their similarities.

Who is an Internal Medicine doctor?

A doctor who specialises in internal medicine is called an internal medicine doctor or, in other terms, an internist. The focus of internal medicine is on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and injuries.

Internal Medicine doctors provide health care for adults, considering their conditions to enhance wellness and provide preventive care. The internal medicine doctors complete a three-year residency to further train in pediatric and obstetric care.

The special training helps them diagnose complicated diseases and chronic illnesses. Another name for these doctors is adults’ doctors. Internists are divided into two groups:

• They may choose a subspecialty of internal medicine like cardiology, rheumatology, etc.
• They may provide primary care for adults.

However, some people may confuse them and use them interchangeably, although they are not the same.

Who is a family medicine doctor?

Family medicine doctors can take care of all ages, from infants to the elderly. The care they provide includes four branches of medicine:

• Paediatrics
• Adolescent medicine
• Adult medicine
• Geriatrics

To practice family medicine, doctors must pass a three-year residency program after medical school. The residency program in family medicine includes the following branches:

• Pediatric medicine
• Internal medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Emergency medicine
• Surgery
• Psychiatry
• Radiology
• Obstetrics and gynaecology
• Urology

In addition, as they must treat a variety of ages and conditions, they should be trained to be capable of this regard. Many family medicine physicians also specialise in sports medicine, obstetrics, and palliative care through additional fellowship training.

Similarities and differences of Family medicine and Internal medicine

In addition to duties differences, family medicine physicians concentrate on preventive medicine in an outpatient setting. However, internal medicine doctors work with inpatients and work in clinics.

Although internal medicine doctors diagnose and treat more complex diseases, family medicine doctors typically provide better patient services in office and hospital settings.

Preventive medicine is an enormous part of family medicine.

Another difference is that family medicine doctors concentrate on avoiding health issues before they happen. Then, in case the patient needs special care, they refer them to internal medicine doctors.

Internist or intern? That’s the question.

Another area of confusion can be when internists and interns are used interchangeably. The term “intern” refers to a medical student who is passing the training program. At the same time, internists or internal medicine doctors are full-fledged doctors who have passed the necessary training programs and can provide you with comprehensive adult health care.

However, you can receive professional medical care from an internal medicine doctor or a family medicine physician.

Patients of family medicine doctors

Family medicine doctors can treat people with a wide variety of ages, conditions and diseases throughout all stages of the life cycle. Those may include infants, adolescents and adults up to the end of their lives. That’s why they can see and treat all the members of a family.

Family medicine doctors’ care types

The primary focus of family medicine doctors is on preventive care. However, they can treat other conditions and provide different kinds of health care for their patients. They also offer chronic care management and can perform minor procedures in addition to addressing acute needs.

The broad scope of internal medicine includes a wide spectrum of primary care, preventive care and treatment only for adults. For instance:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol

Benefits of family medicine for patients

One of the highlighted benefits of family medicine doctors is the relationship between the family members that helps them get well sooner. For example, couples that intend to lose weight can affect each other interchangeably.

Family medicine doctors can also connect with different life stages, feeling what their patients are going through. This fact creates a bond between the physician and the patient.

When the patient feels the doctor’s sympathy, it influences their health condition as the mind and body have a reciprocal relationship. Another branch family doctors have activity is to provide new moms with:

• Breastfeeding assistance
• Newborn well-child care
• Pediatric vaccinations
• Preventive services

Internal medicine doctors serve as primary care doctors for non-complicated conditions. However, they have also been specially trained to deal with patients who have multiple medical problems. They also try to help patients with diagnostic dilemmas.

Family medicine services in Las Vegas

On this blog, we reviewed the similarities and differences between family medicine and internal medicine in a nutshell. Internal medicine and family medicine are both required in a society. However, you should know the difference before you make an appointment to receive the service you are looking for.

As you have figured out, family medicine provides healthcare for different ages. Southern Nevada Family Medicine’s experienced physicians try to get to your medical needs ASAP. They try to take care of you and your beloved family as their own.

If you think you or your family need medical care, SN family medicine physicians specialise in family medicine. To make an appointment, you can visit our website or give us a call at (702) 843-6629.