THE CRISIS OF INTERNAL-MEDICINE

The rapid technological progress in medicine has lead to a better phys iopathologic and etiological knowledge of adult diseases, producing a fragmentation of internal medicine and a great development of its subs pecialties. Furthermore, specialization grants a professional, scienti fic and academic status. Contrarywise technological enrichment has imp overished the human relationship of clinical practice. The training at the Medical School has a great responsibility towards General Interna l Medicine, and the technical capacity of teachers should be revised. The practical tutorial teaching at the hospital should be accomplished by internists with a general clinical orientation. Outpatient clinics should be incorporated as places where a more clinical and less techn ological medicine could be taught. Internship should be a period in wh ich General Internal Medicine should be valorized, continuing in post- graduate training and continuous teaching. General Internal Medicine i s going through a crisis; Medical Schools and the Medical society have the responsibility to overcome it.