Internal Medicine

Doctors in internal medicine are trained to manage patients presenting with a wide range of acute and long term medical conditions and symptoms.

The work involves:

Diagnosing and treating the wide spectrum of medical disorders that present acutely to hospital emergency departments and acute medical units, referring for specialist opinion and care as appropriate.
Providing advice and care for patients admitted to hospital under other specialties (e.g. surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology) who have or develop medical problems.
Diagnosing and treating the wide spectrum of medical conditions that are referred to medical outpatient clinics.
Managing inpatients and outpatients with co-morbidities, including elderly patients with frailty and dementia.
Common procedures/interventions

These include:

Advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Direct current (DC) cardioversion (a procedure to convert an abnormal heart rhythm to a normal heart rhythm)
Temporary cardiac pacing
Insertion of venous lines (peripheral and central)
Aspiration of fluid from chest and abdomen
Insertion of drainage catheters into chest and abdomen
Lumbar puncture
Prescribing of drugs for acute and long term conditions