Internists
Job description
These individuals master various specialties in medicine (cardiology, pneumology, nephrology, etc.). This expertise enables them to diagnose and treat most adult medical problems. They are thus second-line specialists for other physicians. They work in:
- Clinical research centres
- Private medical clinics
- Hospitals
- Government control laboratories
- Private medical laboratories
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Biological agents
- Radiation
Main tasks
- Diagnose and treat complex medical problems in adults.
- Serve as a reference to fellow specialists or general practitioners to clarify diagnoses.
- Identify pathologies and the treatments involved.
- Identify multi-systemic pathologies (which simultaneously affect different organs).
- Treat diseases that pregnant women may suffer from during high-risk pregnancies.
- Order examinations (laboratory tests, X-rays, etc.).
- Prescribe drugs, treatments, and surgery.
- Get involved in the training of future doctors.
- Conduct research, as required.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to management positions.
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Medicine
This discipline is taught in the following institutions:
Also required
- Permit to practise issued by the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ [Quebec College of Physicians]).
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Science
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Oral expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Critical thought
- Solving complex problems
- Reading comprehension
- Active listening
- Written expression
- Active learning
- Social perception
- Result evaluation
- Service oriented
- System analysis
- Coordination
- Teaching
- Persuasion
- Learning strategies
- Time management
Abilities
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Verbal skills
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Near vision
- Speech clarity
- Classification
- Written expression
- Information organization
- Speech recognition
- Processing flexibility
- Selective attention
- Idea generation
- Perception speed
- Originality
- Time sharing
Knowledge and attributes
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Professional ambition
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Attention to detail
- Tolerance to stress
- Respect standards and regulations
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of biology
- Knowledge of medicine or dentistry
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Carry out research
- Assist and advise
- Assist or care for people
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (CNP 31100)
Skill type
Health
Last update: January 29, 2026
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