In today's job market, it is important to seek out high-demand professions in order to secure one's future. Even within a mostly stable profession such as the medical one, it is important to have a good idea about which specialty is most likely to remain in high demand. Specialties that are likely to provide more work are ones in which the demand is not only steady, but also on a steady incline. Job growth in internal medicine over the last fifteen years suggests that within the medical practice realm, this is one specialty that is increasing in demand and likely to be stable for many years to come.
What is Internal Medicine?
Internal medicine is the medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis, management and non-surgical care and treatment of atypical or serious diseases. According to some sources, a focus on internal structures is implicit. Doctors that practice internal medicine are commonly referred to as "internists." Internists tend to work within a hospital setting, because their patients often have serious illnesses that require diagnosis and/or treatment through complex means that require specialized medical equipment and/or therapies. In the past, internal medicine was more broad, and specialists would see and/or treat a wider variety of nonsurgical problems. In this day and age, most internists are subspecialists that limit their practice to the treatment one particular organ or system or area of medical knowledge.
Why is Demand Growing?
Reports from physician recruitment firms indicate that demand for internal medicine care providers and family medicine care provider outpaces the demand for radiologists, orthopedic surgeons and cardiologists. Based on a one year study of recruitment requests within these medical specialties, demand for internists as primary care physicians appears to be growing at a rate of 40 to 50 percent (based on searches). Most of the demand growth in internal medicine careers exists within the confines of hospitals, as more and more susbspecialists practice within said context.
Demand for primary care physicians is at an all-time high. With exploding population growth in urban, suburban and rural areas there are more and more people requiring medical care. Internists have commonly been used as primary care physicians for decades. With higher and higher demand for primary care, family physicians and other primary care physicians have started to rely more on internists for overflow care. The aging baby-boomer population is another great factor contributing to the growing need for internal medicine professionals. Aging Americans require greater levels of care, including diagnosis and treatment of ailments that internists specialize in. Additionally, with baby-boomers living much longer lives than any preceding generation, the impact of the population boom is sure to have an even greater impact on these careers than what we're seeing now.
Job Prospects
If considering a career in the medical field, one must carefully map out and predict potential job opportunities. This is particularly important when selecting a medical specialty. If having a job that is in high demand is important, then a career in internal medicine should be considered.