Internal medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with treating the whole patient. An internal medicine physician, also called an internist, can treat many illnesses and conditions, and is skilled in treating a patient who has several illnesses or disorders at the same time. This internist, who can be a primary care physician, emphasizes disease prevention and wellness, but can treat problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs, along with mental health or substance abuse issues.

The internal medicine physician can also treat cancer or diseases of the heart, blood, kidneys, joints, and digestive, respiratory and vascular systems, while concentrating on the wellness of the patient as a whole.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Emphysema, Broncho-Esophagology, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Osteoarthritis , Hyper / Hypoglycemia, cystic fibrosis, Diabetes, Asthma, pectus excavatum, osteoporosis, Macular Degeneration, cancer, infection, Autism, Congestive heart failure, Herpes, Hypertension, Heart Attack, and Anemia.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Lithotripsy, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP, dialysis, angioplasty, mechanical ventilation, endoscopy, cardioversion, Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), cardiac ablation, and intra-aortic balloon pump.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including FAA-Flight Physicial, physicial / check up, Bone density test, dialysis, physicial examination, Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasound, x-ray, biopsy, Blood Test, Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Upper GI (Barium Swallow), electrolyte test, Lower GI (Barium Enema), stool test, pH probe test, and microbiological culture.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. California has 13,386 practicing internal medicine doctors. Broken out by city, internal medicine doctor density in Anaheim is 230, in Arcadia is 81, in Bakersfield is 158, in Berkeley is 128, in Beverly Hills is 147, in Burbank is 73, in Burlingame is 22, in Camarillo is 31, in Chula Vista is 64, in Concord is 40, in Corona is 52, in Culver City is 26, in Daly City is 51, in Duarte is 15, in Encinitas is 41, in Escondido is 52, in Fairfield is 53, in Folsom is 45, in Fountain Valley is 86, in Fremont is 117, in Fresno is 252, in Fullerton is 46, in Glendale is 114, in Glendora is 23, in Hayward is 142, in Hemet is 27, in Huntington Beach is 69, in Inglewood is 70, in Irvine is 132, in Jackson is 8, in La Mesa is 70, in Laguna Beach is 16, in Laguna Hills is 61, in Lancaster is 78, in Larkspur is 10, in Lodi is 26, in Loma Linda is 159, in Long Beach is 231, in Los Alamitos is 32, in Los Angeles is 1,319, in Los Gatos is 45, in Manhattan Beach is 18, in Menlo Park is 44, in Mission Viejo is 81, in Modesto is 122, in Monterey is 35, in Monterey Park is 50, in Mountain View is 101, in Murrieta is 19, in Napa is 50, in Newport Beach is 109, in Oakland is 348, in Oceanside is 18, in Orange is 152, in Orinda is 20, in Oxnard is 50, in Palm Desert is 24, in Palm Springs is 51, in Palo Alto is 220, in Pasadena is 178, in Placerville is 17, in Pleasanton is 76, in Pomona is 52, in Poway is 26, in Rancho Mirage is 48, in Redding is 35, in Redondo Beach is 31, in Redwood City is 110, in Riverside is 116, in Roseville is 132, in Sacramento is 563, in Salinas is 57, in San Bernardino is 53, in San Clemente is 23, in San Diego is 738, in San Francisco is 1,049, in San Gabriel is 28, in San Jose is 437, in San Luis Obispo is 49, in San Mateo is 61, in San Rafael is 62, in San Ramon is 30, in Santa Ana is 95, in Santa Barbara is 102, in Santa Cruz is 52, in Santa Maria is 24, in Santa Monica is 101, in Santa Rosa is 80, in Simi Valley is 22, in Stockton is 83, in Sunnyvale is 52, in Thousand Oaks is 51, in Torrance is 191, in Upland is 28, in Visalia is 37, in Vista is 46, in Walnut Creek is 192, in West Hollywood is 123, in Westlake Village is 18, and in Whittier is 28.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.