29-1063.00 - Internists, General

Updated 2010

Summary Report for:
29-1063.00 - Internists, General

Physicians who diagnose and provide non-surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of internal organ systems. Provide care mainly for adults who have a wide range of problems associated with the internal organs.

Sample of reported job titles: Physician, Internist, Internal Medicine Physician, Medical Doctor (MD), General Internist, Attending Physician, Gastroenterologist, Clinic MD Associate (Clinic Medical Doctor Associate), Internal Medicine Doctor, Pulmonary Physician

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and problems of the lung, brain, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract.
Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza and pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, and examination results.
Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles — Automated external defibrillators AED

Eye charts or vision cards — Snellen eye charts

Floor grade forceps or hemostats — Splinter forceps

Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets — Ophthalmoscopes; Otoscopes

Surgical clamps or clips or forceps or accessories — Dressing forceps; Ear forceps; Mosquito clamps; Suture forceps

Technology used in this occupation:

Accounting software — Billing software

Electronic mail software — Email software

Internet browser software — Web browser software

Medical software — eClinicalWorks software; GE Healthcare Centricity EMR; MedMath *; Misys Healthcare Systems Mysis Tiger

Office suite software — Microsoft Office software

* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.

Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Therapy and Counseling — Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Work Context

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Exposed to Disease or Infections — How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?

Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos?

Duration of Typical Work Week — Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Education	Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related Experience	Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job Training	Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, wildlife biologists, school psychologists, surgeons, treasurers, and controllers.
SVP Range	(8.0 and above)

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
91	Doctoral or professional degree
9	Some college, no degree

Interests

Interest code: ISR

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Styles

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Work Values

Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

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Wages & Employment Trends

National

Employment data collected from Physicians and Surgeons.
Industry data collected from Physicians and Surgeons.

Median wages (2011)	$88.06 hourly, $183,170 annual
Employment (2010)	691,000 employees
Projected growth (2010-2020)	Faster than average (20% to 28%)
Projected job openings (2010-2020)	305,100
Top industries (2010)	Health Care and Social Assistance Self-Employed

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 wage data and 2010-2020 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Physicians and Surgeons . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.

Summary Report for: 29-1063.00 - Internists, General