Medicine, in the 21st century, has progressed a lot more than anyone could ever imagine. Doctors have come up with cures for terminal illnesses like cancer. However, individuals are still unaware of the basics in the healthcare department, which can be helpful while seeking medical help.
General Medicine
This field of medicine deals with the non-surgical treatment of diseases by diagnosis through study and management with medication. However, severe and terminal illnesses are also treated by general physicians who merely guide the patient as to what steps to follow as a precaution and how to reduce the condition.
Internal Medicine
Internal medicine is a little different from General Medicine as it deals with diagnosing severe diseases that occur in the various organs of the body, which are then treated by doctors specialized in that field. Internists often work with critical patients suffering from more than one health problem. Their treatment generally includes the surgery process.
Differences between these two fields:
The first point of difference is that General physicians are trained to treat patients of all ages. They help them to overcome different kinds of health problems by providing medication. Internists, however, deal with adult patients only. They are specialized to treat the various issues that the adult body faces at every stage.
General physicians get training in a broad scope of health issues and medications. However, the Internists get the overall health training, but they also acquire training in specific fields like psychiatry, oncology, etc.
In most cases, General physicians work independently of hospitals. They have clinics where they can treat their patients, but Internists work in the hospitals according to their specializations.
General Physicians do not operate on their patients. They tend to treat them with diagnosis and medication. Internists, on the other hand, have a license to conduct operations.
A general physician can be called a primary physician as you can visit them for regular checkups. They provide the immediate care that patients require; for example, if you are suffering from a cold and cough, they will provide you with medicines. But even after treatment, if you are not recovering, then you call on the Internist who is specialized in that field.