Occupation · SOC 29-1216
General Internal Medicine Physicians
Diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults and adolescents, and are based primarily in an outpatient care setting.
Median wage
$236,350
$70,100–$239,200
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
66,640
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
58 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingSocial PerceptivenessWritingSpeakingScienceComplex Problem Solving
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryBiologyTherapy and CounselingPsychologyEducation and Training
Technology & tools
Medical softwareBilling and invoicing softwareElectronic mail softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareSpreadsheet software
Representative tasks
Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.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.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.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.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient medical records, laboratory reports, and test results — review and organize under attending physician supervision to support initial diagnostic workup in an inpatient or outpatient setting.Common acute conditions such as infections, influenza, and pneumonia — recognize presenting signs and symptoms and formulate a preliminary differential diagnosis under direct clinical supervision.Prescribed medications and standard treatment protocols — administer and document under supervision, following established formulary guidelines in a hospital or clinic environment.Patient histories and physical examination findings — collect and record systematically using electronic health record software during supervised clinical encounters.Routine health problems in adult patients — assist in managing under attending oversight, applying evidence-based protocols for conditions such as hypertension and uncomplicated diabetes.Diagnostic procedures and test results — explain to patients in clear, accessible language under supervision, ensuring informed understanding prior to and following clinical investigations.Preventive health guidance on diet, physical activity, and hygiene — deliver to individual patients following established clinical guidelines during supervised office visits.Medical literature and clinical guidelines — read and synthesize to support differential diagnosis and treatment planning under the direction of a supervising internist.Electronic medical record and scheduling software — navigate and utilize to document patient encounters, order tests, and coordinate care within a structured clinical workflow.Interprofessional care team communications — participate in under supervision, conveying patient status and treatment updates accurately during rounds or case conferences.
developing
Laboratory findings, imaging reports, and clinical examination data — analyze independently to formulate and refine diagnoses for adult patients presenting with common internal medicine conditions in an ambulatory or hospital setting.Chronic diseases including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease — manage longitudinally with reduced oversight, adjusting treatment plans based on patient response and evolving clinical data.Medication regimens and non-pharmacologic therapies — prescribe and titrate for patients across the adult age spectrum, applying current evidence-based guidelines in an outpatient practice.Comorbid conditions occurring simultaneously in adult and elderly patients — evaluate and coordinate treatment for, recognizing interactions between diagnoses in a complex clinical panel.Diagnostic reasoning in cases with overlapping or atypical presentations — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to reach working diagnoses with moderate case complexity and routine follow-up.Patient education sessions on disease management, prevention, and lifestyle modification — conduct independently, tailoring communication style to individual health literacy levels.Serious and chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease — provide ongoing, comprehensive management including monitoring for disease progression in an office or inpatient context.Care plans for long-term patients — document and update in electronic health record systems, ensuring continuity and accuracy across multiple visits and care settings.Community health guidance on disease prevention and screening — deliver during patient encounters and health education events, applying public health principles to individual and population-level needs.Referral decisions and specialist coordination — initiate and manage for patients requiring subspecialty input, communicating clinical reasoning clearly in written referral documentation.
proficient
Complex, multi-system diagnostic workups involving ambiguous or overlapping presentations — conduct autonomously, integrating clinical history, physical findings, and advanced diagnostics to reach accurate diagnoses across the full scope of internal medicine.Rare and obscure internal disorders including atypical endocrine, autoimmune, and neurological conditions — identify and treat independently, applying deep biomedical knowledge and category flexibility in challenging inpatient or outpatient scenarios.Comprehensive long-term medical care for high-complexity adult patients with multiple chronic conditions — provide and oversee autonomously, coordinating pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment plans across organ systems.Critical clinical judgment in high-stakes, time-sensitive situations — exercise to prioritize differential diagnoses and initiate management for acutely decompensating patients in emergency or hospital settings.Patient-centered treatment plans integrating psychological, social, and physiological factors — design and implement, drawing on therapy, counseling, and behavioral science knowledge to optimize adherence and outcomes.Systems-level analysis of patient outcomes and care quality metrics — perform using clinical data and health informatics tools, identifying gaps in care delivery and recommending practice improvements.Interprofessional care coordination for patients with serious, chronic, and complex illnesses — lead across nursing, pharmacy, social work, and subspecialty teams, ensuring integrated and coherent care planning.Advanced pharmacotherapeutic decisions involving polypharmacy, drug interactions, and individualized dosing — make for elderly and medically complex patients, balancing efficacy and safety in a comprehensive practice setting.Clinical documentation and medical writing for complex cases — produce at a high standard, including detailed consultations, discharge summaries, and evidence-based treatment rationales in electronic health record platforms.Preventive medicine strategies for high-risk adult populations — design and implement at the individual patient level, integrating risk stratification, screening protocols, and targeted lifestyle interventions.
advanced
Clinical practice standards and internal medicine care pathways — develop and implement at an organizational level, translating evidence-based research into institutional protocols that improve patient outcomes across a health system.Residency and fellowship training programs — design, oversee, and continuously improve, mentoring emerging physicians in diagnostic reasoning, patient management, and professional competency development.Diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for the most complex and refractory internal medicine cases — set and guide, serving as the definitive clinical authority in multidisciplinary case conferences and institutional tumor or complex care boards.Quality improvement and patient safety initiatives — lead across department or system scale, using systems evaluation and outcomes data to drive measurable reductions in diagnostic error and preventable complications.Institutional policies on chronic disease management, medication stewardship, and care coordination — author and champion, aligning internal medicine practice with national guidelines and regulatory standards.Community and public health programs targeting disease prevention and health equity — design and lead, translating clinical expertise into population-level interventions addressing high-prevalence conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.Research agendas and clinical scholarship in general internal medicine — direct, fostering a culture of inquiry and evidence generation within academic medical centers or large health systems.Interprofessional and interdepartmental collaboration at executive level — facilitate, aligning internal medicine, subspecialties, and administrative leadership to achieve integrated, patient-centered organizational goals.Clinical performance and professional development of attending physicians — evaluate and guide through formal review processes, structured feedback, and individualized development planning in a hospital or academic practice setting.Strategic resource allocation and care delivery innovation — advise senior healthcare leadership on, leveraging expertise in systems analysis, health informatics, and complex problem solving to shape the organization's long-term clinical direction.
Also known as
672 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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