It is nearly impossible to be a practicing internist in the United States and have a day of clinical work pass without encountering at least 1 patient with type 2 diabetes. Currently, over 20 million Americans and over 150 million worldwide have type 2 diabetes. Models estimate that this number will nearly double by the year 2050 so that about one third of adult Americans will have the disease. This In the Clinic feature includes answers to these and other practical, clinical questions... What are the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes in nonpregnant adults? Should we screen for type 2 diabetes? Can we prevent type 2 diabetes? What should the initial evaluation of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes include? What measures do U.S. stakeholders use to evaluate the quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes? Only ACP members and individual subscribers can access the electronic features of In the Clinic. Non-subscribers who wish to access this issue of In the Clinic can elect "Pay for View." Subscribers can receive 1.5 category 1 CME credits by completing the CME quiz that accompanies this issue of In the Clinic. The content of In the Clinic is drawn from the clinical information and education resources of the American College of Physicians (ACP), including PIER (Physicians' Information and Education Resource) and MKSAP (Medical Knowledge and Self Assessment Program). Annals of Internal Medicine editors develop In the Clinic from these primary sources in collaboration with the ACP's Medical Education and Publishing division and with assistance of science writers and physician writers. Editorial consultants from PIER and MKSAP provide expert review of the content. Readers who are interested in these primary resources for more detail can consult www.acponline.org, http://pier.acponline.org, and other resources referenced within each issue of In the Clinic.