Internal Medicine or Family Medicine
Should I seek a internal medicine doctor or a family medicine doctor? This is a point of confusion for many patients, particularly when many internists practice general internal medicine. However, there are fundamental differences having to do with the focus, training, and activities involving patient care by these two specialties.
Internal medicine and family medicine developed from different backgrounds. Internal medicine grew out of the increasing application of medical knowledge starting in the late 1800s. This approach to medicine was unique and was applied to the wide spectrum of diseases that affect adults. With the development of pediatrics as a separate specialty dedicated to the care of children, internal medicine continued its key focus on adult patients.
Family medicine developed from the general practitioner movement in the 1960s in response to the growing level of specialization in medicine. This specialization was seen as threatening to the primacy of the doctor-patient relationship. Family medicine is built around the family as opposed to an age segment (such as adults, children, or women), organ system (such as urology), or type of an intervention (such as surgery). Consequently, family physicians are trained to be able to deal with the entire scope of medical issues that might be encountered by the members of a family unit.
Confusion arises because the majority of patients seen by family physicians are adults. This overlaps with the patient group focused on by internists. An estimate is that the typical family medicine doctor might see 85% to 90% adult patients and only 10% to 15% of their patients will be children. These days, an increasing number of family physicians do not include obstetrics, or significant surgery in their practices, which makes their services to adults appear similar to that provided by internists. It is easy to see why the differences between internal medicine and family medicine may not understood.
Family medicine is broader in nature than internal medicine since it involves training in the care of children and procedures and services often provided by other specialties. This breadth of training allows the family physician to deal with a wider range of medical issues. Although the depth of training in adult medical issues may be less than in internal medicine, the emphasis on outpatient medicine, continuity of care, health maintenance, and disease prevention allows family physicians to function as primary care providers for adults as part of a family unit.
Thus, it can be seen that there are important differences between internal medicine and family medicine. Both have unique skill sets and very important roles in the care of adult patients.
Village Physicians
Nasiya Ahmed, MD
9111 Katy Freeway, Suite 220
Houston, Texas 77024
Tele: (832) 930-7877
Board Certified Internal Medicine,
Geriatrics, Hospice and Palliative Medicine
For more information:
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