Seeing an Internal Medicine Physician or Hospitalist

During your hospital stay, you may see an internal medicine physician or a hospitalist.

What to expect

Most patients are admitted to the General Internal Medicine unit from the Emergency Department. After you arrive, you will be seen by an internal medicine specialist or hospitalist. Your physician will talk to you about your symptoms and medical history and may recommend tests to help diagnose your condition.

Both internal medicine physicians and hospitalists have specialty training and knowledge about a wide range of medical conditions. This helps them provide comprehensive care for patients with multiple health conditions that affect different parts of the body.

Internal medicine physicians and hospitalists will work with other medical specialists and with you to develop a care plan that is specific to your needs.

Your hospital stay

When you are admitted, you will receive a wristband that you must wear at all times. The information on the wristband helps us confirm your identity before any assessments, treatments or tests take place. Please carefully review the information and if you notice any errors, or if your wristband falls off, notify a member of the care team immediately.

All patients admitted to our department are tested for respiratory illness and antibiotic resistant bugs (pathogens). You may be placed in a private room temporarily until we get your test results. If your test results are negative, you may be transferred to a semi-private room or four-bed ward based on the room type you selected during admission. 

Physicians will visit every patient during their daily rounds on the unit. They will check on your progress, review test results and adjust your treatment plan if needed. This is a good opportunity for you to speak with members of your care team about any concerns or questions you may have about your care.

You will also have a nurse assigned to your care during your hospital stay. Depending on your situation, you may also see other care team members, such as physiotherapists, social workers and dietitians. We are a teaching hospital, so you may see medical students, residents or other learners as part of your care. Learners work under the supervision of physicians and contribute to patient care.

If you experience any new symptoms while in the hospital, please let your nurse or another member of the care team know immediately, so that they can provide appropriate care.

Getting ready to leave the hospital

Planning your discharge begins shortly after you are admitted to the hospital. This is to ensure a smooth transition for your return home. Your care team will work with you to determine when you are ready to leave the hospital and whether you will need additional support after you leave the hospital. A coordinator may meet with you before you are discharged or contact you by phone once you are home.

On the day of your discharge, your physician or nurse will go over your discharge papers and prescriptions with you. The pharmacist may also review your medications with you and answer any questions you may have.

We encourage you to plan for the ride home. Please speak with your care team if you have questions or concerns about transportation.

General Internal Medicine Clinic

You may also see a general internal medicine physician in our General Internal Medicine Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital, where we provide care for patients with complex medical illnesses and diseases that do not require surgery. Our goal is to prevent unnecessary admissions to the hospital.  

We diagnose, prevent, and treat a wide range of medical diseases.

You may be referred to this clinic from the Emergency Department if you require urgent assessment by a general internal medicine physician, but do not need to be hospitalized. You may also be referred to the General Internal Medicine Clinic for follow up after leaving the hospital.  

How to access our services

In most cases, you will see a hospital medicine or general internal medicine physician when you are admitted to the hospital. You may also be referred to the General Internal Medicine Clinic by an emergency physician, a general internal medicine physician or another physician.