Will AI replace General Internal Medicine Physicians?
AI can do 39% of the work General Internal Medicine Physicians do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 3 of their 19 tasks, while 6 more are ready but barely used so far. 10 still need a person.
AI is already doing this3 · 26% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.Mostly automated11% of time
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.Mostly automated8% of time
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.Mostly assisted7% of time
AI could do this next6 · 13% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.5% of time
- Provide consulting services to other doctors caring for patients with special or difficult problems.2% of time
- Prepare government or organizational reports on birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or the medical status of individuals.2% of time
- Advise surgeon of a patient's risk status and recommend appropriate intervention to minimize risk.1% of time
- Plan, implement, or administer health programs in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention and treatment of injuries or illnesses.1% of time
- Conduct research to develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures to prevent or control disease or injury.1% of time
Still needs a person10 · 61% of time
No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.
- Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.11% of time
- Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.11% of time
- Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.9% of time
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.8% of time
- Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.7% of time
- Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.5% of time
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.5% of time
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.3% of time
- Immunize patients to protect them from preventable diseases.1% of time
- Operate on patients to remove, repair, or improve functioning of diseased or injured body parts and systems.under 1% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
What this means
AI can speed up parts of this job, mostly the paperwork and information work around it. The core still depends on hands, presence or relationships.
What to do next
- Do the 3 tasks AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
- Get ahead on the 6 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Build on the 10 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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