Pathologists diagnose, rule out, and monitor disease using information from microscopic examination of tissue specimens, cell samples, and body fluids, as well as from clinical laboratory tests on body fluids and secretions in a lab setting. After analyzing lab tests and interpreting the results...
Psychiatrists specialize in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and addiction disorders. Because modern psychiatry recognizes the relationship between mind and body, psychiatrists are uniquely qualified to consider the many causes of a patient’s feelings and...
Cardiovascular disease, or cardiology, is the subspecialty of internal medicine that focuses on finding, treating, and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels—also known as the cardiovascular system. Cardiologists manage complex cardiac conditions such as heart attacks and abnormal...
Rheumatology is the subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones. Rheumatic diseases—which typically cause pain, swelling, disability, deformity, and/or loss of function in the affected area—incldue...
Critical care specialists—also called intensivists—are qualified to diagnose and manage the care of critical care or intensive care unit patients who have acute, life-threatening illnesses or injuries (e.g., heart attack, poisoning, pneumonia, surgical complications, premature birth, or stroke...
Undersea and hyperbaric medicine is a unique subspecialty of emergency medicine that involves the therapeutic use of oxygen under pressure to treat disease. The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society defines hyperbaric oxygen treatment as an intervention in which an individual breathes near-100...
The subspecialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery encompasses the diagnosis and surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and defects affecting the function and esthetics of the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons care for...
Podiatry is the medical practice area concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. Within the field of podiatry, practitioners can focus on many different specialty areas, including surgery, sports medicine, biomechanics,...
Occupational and environmental medicine is a clinical and population-based medical specialty devoted to the prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness, and disability, as well as the promotion of the health and productivity of workers, their families, and their...
Plastic surgery encompasses the repair, reconstruction, or replacement of physical defects of form or function involving the skin, cranio-maxillofacial structures, musculoskeletal system, breast and trunk, extremities, hands, and external genitalia. Plastic surgery also entails the use of...
