General medicine vs Internist

[orthodoc]

In the US, internists are primary care physicians who only see adults. Family practitioners see all ages, from infants to geriatrics. Both are primary care physicians.

For what you want, Lola, I would look for someone who sees women in your age range, someone who will address your concerns and who you feel comfortable with. It could be an internist or a FP.

DOs are Doctors of Osteopathy; they learn techniques of musculoskeletal manipulation in addition to medical information. They are a sort of hybrid between chiropractors and doctors and are unique to the US; there are none in Canada. MDs come from the allopathic, or traditional, medical school model.

In the US there's a great deal of variation in quality between schools of osteopathy (and to a lesser extent, between schools of medicine). Schools of osteopathy can be started on an independent, for-profit basis, and that has led to some very inadequate educational situations. There are also some respectable DO schools. In terms of traditional MD schools, there's also a variation in the US, but less than for DO schools. There's more variation in residencies (graduate training). The US spans a huge spectrum in terms of quality, from literally the best on the planet to minimally-adequate single-hospital programs.