The Role of the Future General Internist Defined
Authors: American College of Physicians*
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1994)

Position Papers15 October 1994The Role of the Future General Internist DefinedAmerican College of Physicians*American College of Physicians*Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-121-8-199410150-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In this position paper, the American College of Physicians Task Force on Physician Supply examines the current and future roles of the ideal general internist. Discussed are the characteristics shared by all internists, whether engaged in general or subspecialty practice; current trends and the growing crisis in the supply of primary care physicians; and the practices and patient characteristics of both general internists and family physicians.The Task Force considered four options for the future general internist but rejected them because they either maintained the status quo or were retrogressive: 1) allowing the community-based general internist to disappear; 2) strengthening ...References1. Kravitz RL, Greenfield S, Rogers W, Manning WG Jr, Zubkoff M, Nelson EC, et al. Differences in the mix of patients among medical specialties and systems of care. Results from the medical outcomes study. JAMA. 1992; 267:1617-23. Google Scholar2. Greenfield S, Nelson EC, Zubkoff M, Manning WG, Rogers W, Kravitz RL, et al. Variations in resource utilization among medical specialties and systems of care. Results from the medical outcomes study. JAMA. 1992:267:1624-30. Google Scholar3. Directory of Graduate Medical Education Programs, 1992-1993: Essentials of Accredited Residencies. Chicago: American Medical Association; 1992. Google Scholar4. Kimball HR, Young PR. A statement on the generalist physician from the American Boards of Family Practice and Internal Medicine. JAMA. 1994; 271:315-6. Google Scholar5. Landefeld CS, Chren MM, Myers A, Geller R, Robbins S, Goldman L. Diagnostic yield of the autopsy in a university hospital and a community hospital. N Engl J Med. 1988; 318:1249-54. Google Scholar6. Stein JH. Grand cru versus generic: different approaches to altering the ratio of general internists to subspecialists. Ann Intern Med. 1991; 114:79-82. Google Scholar7. Levey GS. Changing the curriculum for internal medicine residency training. Ann Intern Med. 1992; 116:1046-50. Google Scholar8. Nuckolls JG. Internal medicine practice in transition. Implication for curriculum changes. Ann Intern Med. 1992; 116:1051-4. Google Scholar9. Barondess JA. The future of generalism. Ann Intern Med. 1993; 119:153-60. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: *This paper was authored by Harold C. Sox, Jr., MD; H. Denman Scott, MD, MPH; and Jack A. Ginsburg, MPE. It was developed for the ACP Task Force on Physician Supply: James P. Nolan, MD, Chair; William Cannon, MD; Clifton R. Cleaveland, MD; Robert Copeland, MD; Frank Davidoff, MD; Susan Deutsch, MD; F. Daniel Duffy, MD; Paul A. Ebert, MD; Robert I. Frye, MD; Paul F. Griner, MD; Rolf M. Gunnar, MD; Ruth Hanft, PhD; Howard Shapiro, PhD; Anthony So, MD, MPA; Joseph S. Solovy, MD;and Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD. Approved by the Board of Regents on 18 April 1994.Corresponding Author: Jack A. Ginsburg, MPE, American College of Physicians, 700 Thirteenth Street Northwest, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20005. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byLa Medicina Interna sigue su caminoHealth Care System Chaos Should Spur Innovation: Summary of a Report of the Society of General Internal Medicine Task Force on the Domain of General Internal MedicineEric B. Larson, MD, MPH, and the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Task Force on the Domain of General Internal Medicine*The future of general internal medicineInternal medicine in BelgiumSupply, demand, and the workforce of internal medicineTeaching Prevention in Internal Medicine ClerkshipsConfidence of academic general internists and family physicians to teach ambulatory proceduresConfidence of graduating internal medicine residents to perform ambulatory proceduresPhysicians’ reports of focused expertise in clinical practiceHospitalists and ‘officists’Med School Graduates Weak in Musculoskeletal KnowledgeThe hospitalist movement and the future of academic general internal medicineEuropean perspectives on general medicineSubspecialists and Primary CareWhy the Nephrologist is Suited to Provide Primary Care to Patients with Renal DiseaseNutrition Policies in Mediterranean EuropeDeveloping strategic plans for academic general internal medicineThe clinician-educator—Present and future rolesHow Academic Medicine and the VA Are Being Influenced by Changes in Health-Care DeliveryTraining internists in women's health: Recommendations for educatorsThe Human Becoming Theory: Challenges in Practice and Research 15 October 1994Volume 121, Issue 8Page: 616-622KeywordsForecastingHealth careHealth promotionInformation technologyPatientsPopulation statisticsPrimary care physiciansResidencySub-specialty careTraditional medicine ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 October 1994 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1994 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...