An emergency physician is a doctor who is an expert in handling conditions of an urgent and extremely dangerous nature. These specialists work in the emergency room (ER) departments of hospitals where they oversee cases involving cardiac distress, trauma, fractures, lacerations and other acute conditions.Emergency physicians are specially trained to make urgent life-saving decisions to treat patients during an emergency medical crisis. These doctors diagnose and stabilize patients before they are either well enough to be discharged, or transferred to the appropriate department for long-term care.

An internist is a physician who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the adult population—both acute and chronic.These doctors are often who adults see as their primary physicians because they treat a broad range of illnesses that do not require surgical or specialist interventions. They also work to help a patient maintain optimal health in order to prevent the onset of disease.In addition to treating the common cold and flu, internists also treat chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.