Internists, General

• Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
• Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
• Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza and pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
• Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, and examination results.
• Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
• Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
• Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
• Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
• Immunize patients to protect them from preventable diseases.
• Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
• Advise surgeon of a patient's risk status and recommend appropriate intervention to minimize risk.
• Provide consulting services to other doctors caring for patients with special or difficult problems.
• Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
• Prepare government or organizational reports on birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or the medical status of individuals.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Internists, General.

• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Internists, General.