Internal Medicine - A Field of Many Options

Internal medicine is the practice of diagnosing and treating diseases most commonly found in adults. While it is a particular field within the medical realm, it has several sub-fields within itself. Doctors who practice most likely specialize in a particular field of the practice for one reason or another. In this article we will discuss a few of the most popular fields and what doctors in that field specialize in.

Cardiology and Diagnosing the Heart

Cardiology is a specific type of doctor that specializes in diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases within the heart and blood vessels. The heart is the second most important part of someone’s body, so naturally it makes sense to have a doctor that specializes in the care of it. The practice of cardiology can be one of the most lucrative careers for a doctor to pursue, so needless to say, lots of medical students go for the field. Unfortunately, only the students with the best test scores are able to achieve their dream of becoming a cardiologist.

Endocrinology and a Definition

Another form of internal medicine is the practice of endocrinology, which deals with the endocrine system. The endocrine system is the system within the body that produces hormones. Hormones are chemicals secreted by the endocrine system which are essentially messengers to the body that tell it what to do. For instance, the male hormone testosterone is what creates a deep voice, hairy body and penis development in a male. Although all organs produce hormones, endocrinology mainly focuses on the organs of the endocrine system. Most notably the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands as well as the pancreas and reproductive organs like the testes in men and ovaries in women. The practice of endocrinology is also highly sough after by medical students because of its earning potential, but it as not as highly demanded as cardiology.

Gastroenterology and Your Digestion

The last branch of internal medicine we will talk about is gastroenterology, which is the study of the digestive system and the treatment of its diseases. They basically cover the organs within the body that start with the mouth and end with the anus. This includes the small and large intestines, the stomach and the esophagus to name a few. This field has been around for awhile, but has been expanded upon greatly in the last 50 years due several groundbreaking discoveries within the field. Although gastroenterologists are close to the top of the highest paid doctors, they typically do not make as much as cardiologists. But needless to say, it is also a difficult field to enter due to the high competition in the medical field for the highest paying jobs.

There are dozens of fields that come under the realm of internal medicine. But the three referenced in this article are among the highest paying compared to the others.