Do You Need A Referral To See An Internal Medicine Doctor. Some private health insurance policies, however, allow you to make appointments directly with a specialist. An internist is a doctor of internal medicine.

When patients notice something unusual, whether it be an issue with bladder control or an enlarged prostate, their first thought should be to see their primary care doctor. According to the archives of internal medicine, about one in 10 visits to a primary care doctor resulted in a referral to a specialist in 2009. Usually, you will need a referral from a gp before you can see a specialist (facharzt).