General Internal Medicine

Overview

The physicians in General Internal Medicine manage all aspects of an adult patient's general health care and provide seamless referrals to Mayo specialists, according to each patient's needs. Mayo's internal medicine practices includes:

• Care for patients with undefined symptoms and complaints (shortness of breath, chest pain, abdominal pain, back pain, etc.) who need help in diagnosing their illness
• Coordination of care from surgeons and other specialized care providers at Mayo Clinic
• Preventive medicine screening care (mammograms, Pap smears, routine colon cancer screening evaluations, cholesterol screening, blood pressure screening, etc.)
• Collaborative care of patients with chronic medical illnesses (high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, emphysema, etc.) throughout the various stages of their illness
• Comprehensive management of medical needs for hospitalized patients

The general internist acts not only as a diagnostician but also a consultant in disease prevention and health promotion. Internists are trained to care for patients with multi-system diseases.