Internal medicine vs surgery: what is the difference? Which should I see first?
Internal medicine vs surgery: Internal Medicine (S12) is the adult internal medicine specialty for general medical diseases that involve several organs or are hard to assign to one organ; General Surgery (S28) treats diseases anywhere in the body that need surgery, and also does minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). Primary healthcare is the first point of contact in a continuing care process, and family doctors are its main providers (Health Bureau Primary Healthcare Blueprint, December 2022).
What is the difference between internal medicine and surgery?
Internal Medicine is a specialty of adult internal medicine dealing with general medical diseases, including those that are hard to define, complex, involve several organs, or might need the combined expertise of several specialties; General Surgery deals with diseases in any part of the body that need surgery, and also performs minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment (Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, Specialty Descriptions, April 2025). On the Medical Council's register, the two are different specialties; the Hong Kong College of Physicians also covers specialties such as Cardiology, Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Respiratory Medicine, and The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong also covers specialties such as Urology and Neurosurgery.
Which specialty a patient needs to be referred to is decided by the treating doctor according to the condition.
| Specialty (Medical Council specialty code) | College | Scope | Chinese name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Medicine (S12) | Hong Kong College of Physicians | A specialty of adult internal medicine; general medical diseases that involve several organs or are hard to assign to a single organ | 內科 |
| General Surgery (S28) | The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong | Diseases in any part of the body that need surgery; also minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment | 外科 |
Should I see a physician, a surgeon or a family doctor first?
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact for individuals and families in a continuing healthcare process, and family doctors are the main providers of primary healthcare (Health Bureau Primary Healthcare Blueprint, December 2022); the Primary Healthcare Commission is promoting, through District Health Centres, a community-based primary healthcare model with family doctors at its core (Government paper submitted to the Legislative Council, March 2026). On choosing a family doctor, see how to choose a family doctor.
Booking a new-case appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic requires a referral letter issued within the past three months by a locally registered doctor; one from a private doctor is also accepted; in an emergency, go to Accident & Emergency.
How do I check which specialty a doctor is listed under?
On the Medical Council of Hong Kong website, the Specialist Register can be opened by specialty to show its list of doctors; a search by name shows the specialty and specialist registration number in the specialist registration field of the doctor's record. For the steps, see how to check a doctor's registration and specialty.
Doctors can present themselves as specialists only if they are on the Specialist Register, and can use only the title of the specialty in which they are registered (Medical Council Code of Professional Conduct, section 7, October 2022).
On choosing a general surgeon, see how to choose a general surgeon; for other specialty names, see the Chinese–English list of medical specialty names.
To find doctors by specialty and district, see the internal medicine specialist list and the general surgery specialist list.
How do I get a referral to public medicine or surgery? Can I book a private physician or surgeon directly?
The eight specialties for which the Hospital Authority regularly publishes new-case waiting times include Medicine and Surgery. To book a new-case appointment at a Hospital Authority specialist outpatient clinic, you need a referral letter issued within the past three months by a locally registered doctor; one from a private doctor is also accepted. Compiled by this site: for a private specialist, you can ask the hospital or clinic directly how to book; if you use medical insurance, whether a referral letter or pre-approval is needed depends on the policy terms, and you can ask the insurer first.
For the steps to book a public specialist outpatient clinic, see how to book a public specialist outpatient clinic; for what to prepare before seeing a specialist, see what to prepare before seeing a specialist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a physician and a surgeon?
Doctors listed under Internal Medicine (S12) on the Medical Council's Specialist Register are internal medicine specialists, and those listed under General Surgery (S28) are general surgery specialists; doctors can present themselves as specialists only if they are on the Specialist Register (Medical Council Code of Professional Conduct, section 7, October 2022). For the scope of the two specialties, see the table above.
What does general surgery treat?
General Surgery (S28) deals with diseases in any part of the body that need surgery, and also performs minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic examination and treatment; for its scope, see the table above.
Not sure whether to see a physician or a surgeon. What can I do first?
Primary healthcare is the first point of contact for individuals and families in a continuing healthcare process, and family doctors are the main providers of primary healthcare; the Primary Healthcare Blueprint's directions include improving the arrangements for family doctors to refer patients to specialists and hospitals (Health Bureau, December 2022).
How long is the wait for public medicine and surgery?
From October 2025 to September 2026, the median waiting time for stable new cases in Hospital Authority medicine was 28 to 61 weeks across the seven hospital clusters (under the former boundaries), and in surgery 28 to 43 weeks; the data are next due to be updated on 29 January 2027. See public waiting times for medicine and public waiting times for surgery.
What does internal medicine treat?
Internal Medicine (S12) deals with general medical diseases involving several organs; for its scope, see the table above.