Family Medicine vs. Internal Medicine

[CTR]

This is my first post on SDN, so I hope this is a good place to post this thread. I'm trying to decide if I want to become an FM doc or an IM doc. I'm currently a 2nd year student, so I still have a little time to decide, and right now I want to learn more about both of these specialties.

How exactly are the two different, other than FM being able to see children and IM being able to subspecialize? What can FM physicians do that IM physicians can't (and vice versa)? How different are the residencies?

Thank you.

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[deleted87716]

Read the forum FAQ.

Do a search. This has been discussed many times before.

 

[smq123]

What can FM physicians do that IM physicians can't

Among other things, deliver babies and take care of children.

(and vice versa)?

Subspecialize. If you want to become a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, pulmonologist, nephrologist, etc., you pretty much have to be in IM.

 

[thethom]

This is my first post on SDN, so I hope this is a good place to post this thread. I'm trying to decide if I want to become an FM doc or an IM doc. I'm currently a 2nd year student, so I still have a little time to decide, and right now I want to learn more about both of these specialties.

How exactly are the two different, other than FM being able to see children and IM being able to subspecialize? What can FM physicians do that IM physicians can't (and vice versa)? How different are the residencies?

Thank you.

You can subspecialize in FM, the fellowships available are different though (sports medicine, geriatrics, OB, faculty development, palliative care, medical genetics are the more common ones). FM also tends to have more of an outpatient focus, in private practice however general internists and FM docs do just about the same thing...with the exception of pediatrics...

 

[drwatson]

This is my first post on SDN, so I hope this is a good place to post this thread. I'm trying to decide if I want to become an FM doc or an IM doc. I'm currently a 2nd year student, so I still have a little time to decide, and right now I want to learn more about both of these specialties.

How exactly are the two different, other than FM being able to see children and IM being able to subspecialize? What can FM physicians do that IM physicians can't (and vice versa)? How different are the residencies?

Thank you.

In short, FM sees everyone (kids, pregnant women, adults), IM sees adult non-pregnant patients.

IM training is mainly inpatient and FM is more outpatient. In FM you will get training in Derm, office procedures, OB, pediatrics, and behavioral medicine/psychiatry. You will get very minimal exposure, if any, to these fields in IM. However, in IM you will see Heme/Onc, GI, Cards, and more ICU experience. Both are 3 year residencies. If you want to specialize in any IM field you have another 3 years (at least) of fellowship. For me, I wanted to do outpatient general medicine and I figured why spend 3 months of residency on HemeOnc wards when I could be learning derm, procedures and psychiatry which would be much more relevant to a Primary Care doc.

What kind of doc do you want to be? Do you want to be outpatient based? If so FM, IMHO, is the best speciality to train for this. Do you want to specialize and focus on one system/disease, if so IM is for you. Do you want to do general hospital medicine?

See the FAQ for more info.

 

[lowbudget]

Agree with all above & in addition, one of the most ignored component in the difference in the 2 training programs is the continuity clinics... i.e. your own clinics with your own patients.

In FM, you start with 1 half-day intern year with 4 patients per half-day & steadily ramp up to 3-4 half days with 10-15 patients per half day as a 3rd year. In IM, continuity clinics tend to be 1-2 half-days all 3 years.

I learned a lot of medicine during my block rotations, but I learned so much more during my continuity clinics.

 

[CTR]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have read the FAQs and found some good information there. Some of you have also posted information that is not found in the FAQs. That is all very helpful.