General Internists and Subspecialists
Authors: Gerald E. Thomson
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1993)

Editorials15 July 1993General Internists and SubspecialistsGerald E. Thomson, MDGerald E. Thomson, MDCollege of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-119-2-199307150-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Internal medicine is profoundly challenged by urgent needs for changes in the nation's physician work force. The problems and solutions have implications for the identity and role of internal medicine and its survival as a united discipline.Virtually every analysis and review, including those by government agencies, foundations, and professional organizations, have concluded that there are not enough practicing generalist physicians and too many highly specialized physicians for a rational health care system. Internal medicine is a crucial part of physician manpower, with more than one fifth of the country's practicing physicians and one quarter of the residents in training.... References1. Council on Graduate Medical Education. Improving access to health care through physician work force reform: directions for the 21st century. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; October 1992. Google Scholar2. Federated Council for Internal Medicine. General internal medicine and general internists: recognizing a national need. Ann Intern Med. 1992; 117:778-9. Google Scholar3. Rivo ML. Internal medicine and the journey to medical generalism. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 119:146-52. Google Scholar4. Aiken LH, Lewis CE, Craig J, Mendenhall RC, Blendon RJ, Rogers DE. The contribution of specialists to the delivery of primary care. A new perspective. N Engl J Med. 1979; 300:1363-70. Google Scholar5. Greenfield S, Nelson EC, Zubkoff M, Manning W, Rogers W, Kravitz RL, et al. Variations in resource utilization among medical specialties and systems of care. JAMA. 1992; 267:1624-30. Google Scholar6. Barondess JA. The future of general internal medicine. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 119:153-60. Google Scholar7. Wigton RS, Nicolas JA, Blank LL. Procedural skills of the general internist. A survey of 2500 physicians. Ann Intern Med. 1989; 111: 1023-34. Google Scholar8. The Association of Professors of Medicine. United we stand. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 118:903-4. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032.Corresponding Author: Gerald E. Thomson, MD, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, Room 3-413, New York, NY 10032. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoInternal Medicine and the Journey to Medical Generalism Marc L. Rivo The Future of Generalism Jeremiah A. Barondess Metrics Cited ByEpidemic End-Stage Renal Disease and Nephrology Manpower Trends: Crisis or Opportunity? 15 July 1993Volume 119, Issue 2Page: 165-166KeywordsFellowshipsGraduate medical educationHealth careHospital medicineInpatientsPatientsPrimary care physiciansPublic policyResidencySub-specialty care Issue Published: 15 July 1993 CopyrightCopyright © 1993 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...