I was struggling to explain to Tobie what an "internal medicine" doctor does. I just have a sense of their crazy jobs from dealing with them in the hospital but found it hard to convey it to someone who doesn't really know different specialties or how the hospital rhythm works. All I know is they have a hard job that requires the ability to understand pretty much
everything about
every system, what
all lab values mean, and how to fix them.
When I was done my vague and pathetic explanation Tobie replied:
"Oh, so they are sort of like specialized GP's that work in the hospital, but with the really really sick people, who are pretty much never going home."
Oh dear. Don't ever say that to my friends who are doing internal med!!
In fairness, the ACP doesn't do
much better of a job of explaining...
2 comments:
Haha. Well actually, they care for the whole patient -- EXCEPT the brain, the nerves, the skin, the bones, the eyes, the ears, the nose, the throat, the male and female reproductive organs...
And only in adults (usually old people).
But don't tell them that. I've never met an internist who didn't think he/she was an expert in all that other stuff too!
Hahahha, yeah.
I got a good chuckle out of it.
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