Primary care physicians fall into one of three categories: family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics.
Family Medicine
A family medicine doctor, also known as a family practitioner, is both a pediatrician and an internal medicine doctor combined into one specialty. They care for children and adults of all ages. Family medicine doctors are trained and certified with the intent to be able to treat the entire spectrum of medical issues that might be experienced by the members of a family unit throughout their lifetime.
Internal Medicine
An internal medicine doctor cares for adults; patients 18 years and older. Internal medicine is a versatile brand of medicine focused on the prevention and treatment of diseases. “Internists” educate patients on general health, wellness and disease prevention, and also handle complex medical conditions. BayCare internists are specially trained and certified to treat a variety of adult conditions, throughout every stage of life.
Subspecialties of internal medicine include adolescent medicine, allergy and immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, hematology, infectious disease, nephrology, oncology, pulmonology, rheumatology and sports medicine.
Pediatrics
A pediatrician cares for children from the first days of life through young adulthood. They are specially trained to offer your child quality care from routine checkups to immunizations and treatment for childhood illnesses.