General medicine vs Internist

[Lola Bunny]

I'm looking for a doctor and was going to choose a regular family doctor. A friend told me it's better to internist. I said internist is for older people, to which she replied that I'm not exactly young and am just going to get older. I'm hoping to find a doctor for now and to keep for the long run. So, I'm asking for Dwellars' opinion to whether I should find an internist or just go with a doc in general medicine?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Demand warm hands.

[Lola Bunny]

Ugh...Bruce, that's no help.

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[Clodfobble]

As far as I've always known, an internist and a general practitioner are the same thing. An internist doesn't specialize in old people, that's geriatrics. But regardless, I think the far more important question is whether the doctor is a good one. I'd ask for name recommendations from people in your area and go with that, nevermind the specialty.

[Big Sarge]

sounds like a question for orthodoc

[Pamela]

an internist is a specialist, like a otolaryngologist (ENT doc). They specialise in internal medicine. They are not the same as a GP. I would prefer an internist over a GP, but it would not me the overriding factor in my decision.

[Clodfobble]

I ain't buying it. There are plenty of places online that try to differentiate between the two, but they all give different (and conflicting) reasons. The only thing they all agree on is that Internists don't see children.

A short list of additional experiences [for the internist] includes psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology, office gynecology, palliative medicine and rehabilitation medicine. Like family medicine physicians, the internist may provide care to adults as broadly or narrowly as he likes. Currently, the majority of internal medicine trained physicians go on to complete subspecialty training, though recent years have seen a small increase in residency graduates electing to stay in general internal medicine.

Psychiatry and dermatology are the opposite of internal diseases. And anyone who can follow up with a subspecialty is "general" enough for me. Your ENT does not have a subspecialty in dermatology, because being an ENT is already a specialty. I maintain that whatever the technical definition is or used to be, being an internist is a specialization without a practical meaning.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

... I maintain that whatever the technical definition is or used to be, being an internist is a specialization without a practical meaning.

For the patients, it means not having to sit in a waiting room with a bunch of whiny kids.

[Sundae]

Wow. We see the GP our postcode determines.
I'd never even heard of an internist.

No help to you, Lola.
All I will say is when other people are offering their advice be aware of the why.
I've known some parents who consider a good Doctor to be one who gives their child medicine every time they go with a complaint. Hello? Way to make antibiotics disease resistant. Ditto anti-depressants used as a placebo. And yes, I take anti-depressants, so I am not questioning their value where necessary. But hearing someone say, "I knew today would be a hard day so I took extra Prozac [or whatever]" does make me cross.

Of course there is the flip side where a bad Doctor dismisses important symptoms. Again and again. Sadly seems more prevalent for women as they get older, so many cases of late-diagnosed cancer et al.

So just good luck and keep asking questions.
WHY is an important one.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Sundae

Wow. We see the GP our postcode determines.

See, I feel like I know a fair amount about the UK, but then every once in awhile a statement about your country just floors me. I cannot even fathom being assigned to a doctor based on neighborhood, and having no recourse for a second opinion. Please tell me there are at least private GPs you can go see if you choose to pay out-of-pocket, right?

[limey]

Most GPs in the UK work in a practice with a number of other GPs. Although you are nominally assigned to one GP at the practice you can see any one of them you like (or who is available when you need an appointment). It can be quite hard to be seen by the same doctor all the time.
If you want a second opinion you can ask for one from the same practice.
A GP will refer you to a specialist for treatment/diagnosis that is more specialist. Some stuff at a practice is dealt with by the practice nurse (routine blood taking, things like asthma clinics/monitoring etc).
Oh, and you can always pay for private treatment, if you have the money.


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[wolf]

Just to throw some extra confusion into the mix ... Look for a board certified family practitioner.

[Lola Bunny]

Yeah, the ones I looked at are board certified. I made sure I read their bio. Talk about adding confusion to the mix, there's this one doctor with good reviews, but she's a D.O., not an M.D. What's the difference? They basically have the same training except...except....I have to do more googling. I didn't quite get it.

[Lola Bunny]

Oh yeah, I want a woman doctor. Few people I've asked go to a prescription happy doctor. Hmmm....I don't really like that.

[monster]

Originally Posted by Lola Bunny

Oh yeah, I want a woman doctor. Few people I've asked go to a prescription happy doctor. Hmmm....I don't really like that.

In my experience, some prescription-happy doctors are only so because that's what the majority of their patients expect. They quite enjoy the challenge of a patient who wants to fix things without drugs if at all possible.

If you can't get a decent recommendation from a friend with similar feelings about doctors, pick a group practice relatively nearby that has several female doctors. then choose whichever one can see you soonest. If you don't like her, it's usually fairly easy to switch to another one in the same group -far less hassle than starting the hunt all over again.

Remember, if you hate them you don't have to go back, but you really should get your current issue checked out asap, and maybe get a pap smear and boob exam done too just to get it out of the way, seeing as it sound like you haven't had a physical in a while. It's going to be unpleasant whoever the doc is, so it might as well be one you may not want to see again