National Internal Medicine Day Date in the current year: October 28, 2024

Internal medicine is a medical specialty that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of internal diseases in adults. Medical doctors who specialize in internal medicine are commonly referred to as internists or internal medicine physicians; they should not be confused with interns—physicians in training who have a medical degree but have not yet obtained a license to practice medicine without supervision.

Internal medicine professionals are particularly well qualified to care for patients with multi-system diseases and complex chronic conditions. They are sometimes referred to as the “doctor’s doctors” because their expertise allows them to act as consultants to other medical doctors to help them solve complex diagnostic problems.

Internists can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices, providing both inpatient and outpatient care. However, they primary work in hospitals because they often treat patients who require extensive medical tests or are seriously ill. Internists can also teach in medical schools and residency programs, conduct medical research, and hold administrative positions in various settings.

There are many subspecialties of internal medicine that focus on particular organs or organ systems. Different countries with their respective certification bodies may have different lists of subspecialties, but some of the most commonly recognized subspecialties of internal medicine include cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious diseases, medical oncology, nephrology, neurology, respiratory medicine, rheumatology, and many others.

National Internal Medicine Day was established in 2019 by the American College of Physicians and the National Day Calendar. The American College of Physicians (ACP) is a national organization uniting 161,000 internal medicine physicians specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of adults. Its main goal is to boost the quality and effectiveness of healthcare by promoting excellence and professionalism in medical practice.

The main goal of National Internal Medicine Day is to celebrate the professionalism of internal medicine specialists and subspecialists and recognize their contribution to healthcare. Internists are widely recognized as pioneers in the medical field and have played an important role in advancements in diagnosis, treatment, patient care, and research.

Notable internists, including several Nobel Prize winners, have contributed to groundbreaking research and innovations such as development of the cardiac risk index, invention of dialysis, research on HIV/AIDS and peptic ulcer disease, chronic illness treatment, infectious disease prevention, and more. However, it should be noted that each and every internist deserves recognition because they are vital to the healthcare system.