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Definition of Internist
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Internist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and medical treatment of adults. This specialty, called internal medicine, is dedicated to adult medicine. A minimum of seven years of medical school and postgraduate training are focused on learning the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of adults. Subspecialties of internal medicine include allergy and immunology, cardiology (heart), endocrinology (hormone disorders), hematology (blood disorders), infectious diseases, gastroenterology (diseases of the gut), nephrology (kidney diseases), oncology (cancer), pulmonology (lung disorders), and rheumatology (arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders).