Nick Murch

Despite still being seen as a relatively ‘new’ specialty, Acute Internal Medicine (AIM) has reached full adulthood, with its 23rd birthday being celebrated in 2023, and as a new specialty it is somewhat apt that it’s the same age as the new millennium. Arguably, the coming of age of the specialty has been its role in helping deal with the increased pressures on the urgent and emergency care system, not least with Covid pandemic. However, AIM still faces challenges in its implementation in certain areas. The specialty continues to innovate with regards to service development including Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), a new Higher Specialty Training curriculum1 including innovations such as mandatory Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) as well as the guidance for Enhanced Care Units (ECUs)2 allowing centralised care for those patients needing closer monitoring and specialized care.