Internal medicine , also known as general medicine in Commonwealth
nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in adults. Its namesake stems from
"treatment of diseases of the internal organs". Medical practitioners of
internal medicine are referred to as internists , or physicians in
Commonwealth nations. Internists possess specialized skills in managing
patients with undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes. They provide
care to both hospitalized (inpatient) and ambulatory (outpatient) patients and
often contribute significantly to teaching and research.