What is the difference between general practice and internal medicine?

General practice and internal medicine are two different types of ways a doctor can practice. One difference between the two practices and the doctors who work them are how often the doctor sees this type of patient. General practice doctors see patients more often than internal medicine doctors. These doctors can include pediatricians and obstetrics.

Internal medicine doctors do not see patients as often and when they do, it is for serious medical issues like cancer. Another difference between them is what they treat. General practice doctors deal with non life-threatening medical conditions, while internal medicine doctors deal with conditions that are a threat to life.

If you have ever been to the doctor, you may realize that there are different types of doctors and different levels of doctors based on how specific a diagnosis a doctor can make. Internal medicine doctors can diagnose and treat diseases that are more life-threatening than those doctors in general practice. The general practice doctors treat smaller less life-threatening diseases or even no threat to life.

Usually, the doctors who practice in general practice are your doctors that you go see on a regular basis. Those doctors do not need more training than those who practice internal medicine. However, those who practice general practice can help identify the diseases that are more severe and then refer the patients to a doctor in internal medicine.