Specialties

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Allergy/Immunology

Specialists in Allergy and Immunology provide expertise in the evaluation and treatment of patients with physical allergies, asthma, sinusitis, rhinitis, and dermatitis.  Allergy specialists have expert knowledge in hypersensitivity reactions to drugs and environmental agents, immune deficiency disorders, and inflammatory diseases.  They are also experienced in skin testing.

Cardiology

Cardiology is the branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The field is commonly divided in the branches of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology. Physicians specializing in this field of medicine are called cardiologists. Cardiologists should not be confused with cardiac surgeons who are surgeons who perform cardiac surgery - operative procedures on the heart and great vessels.

Chiropractic

Chiropractors, known as Doctors of Chiropractic or chiropractic doctors/physicians, in some jurisdictions, use a combination of treatments which are predicated on the specific needs of the individual patient. A chiropractor can develop and carry out a comprehensive treatment/management plan which can include spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapy, prescription of exercises, and health and lifestyle counseling.

Dentisry

A dentist is a healthcare professional qualified to practice dentistry after graduating with a degree of either Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent), Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc), or Bachelor of Dental Surgery/Chirurgiae (BDS) or (BChD) or equivalent. In most western countries, to become a qualified dentist one must usually complete at least 4 years of postgraduate study. Generally, 2 years of clinical experience working with patients in an educational setting are required.

Dermatology

Dermatologists are physicians (Medical Doctors) specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and tumors of the skin and its appendages. There are medical and surgical sides to the specialty. Dermatologic surgeons practice skin cancer surgery (including Mohs' micrographic surgery), laser surgery, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and cosmetic procedures using botulinum toxin ('Botox'), soft tissue fillers, sclerotherapy and liposuction. Dermatopathologists interpret tissue under the microscope (histopathology). Pediatric dermatologists specialize in the diagnoses and treatment of skin disease in children. Immunodermatologists specialize in the diagnosis and management of skin diseases driven by an altered immune system including blistering (bullous) diseases like pemphigus. In addition, there is a wide range of congenital syndromes managed by dermatologists. Physician Assistants that have specialized in, or have extensive experience in dermatology, work in this specialty as well.

Ear, Nose & Throat

Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head & neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Practitioners are called otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons, or sometimes otorhinolaryngologists (ORL). A commonly used term for this specialty is ENT (ear, nose and throat).

General Surgery

Board Certified General Surgeons provide services that include hernias management, colon and rectal surgery, the management and surgical treatment of burns, and the surgical treatment of cancer, gastrointestinal, head, neck and endocrine problems.  Many are also skilled in surgery of the breast.

Hand Surgery

Specialists in Hand (and Upper Extremity Surgery) have expertise in the evaluation and management of diseases and injuries of the hand, wrist, elbow, arm and shoulder.  They care for traumatic injuries, including reattachment of amputated parts.  They have skill in reconstructive surgery and the management of congenital deformities, and provide surgical care for rheumatoid deformities.  Many are expert in arthroscopic surgery.

 

Internal Medicine

Specialists in General Internal Medicine are experts in the primary and secondary care of medical illness in adult patients.  They provide diagnostic services for complex patient diagnosis and management issues. They provide estimate for life expectancy based on evidence based medicine.

Neurology

Board Certified Neurologists provide for the evaluation, diagnosis and management of pediatric and adult patients with neurological disorders.  They are experts in the management of stroke, including the use of thrombolytics.  They evaluate and treat headache, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ALS, myasthenia gravis, tremor, and muscular dystrophy.  They provide and interpret neurodiagnostic tests including EEG and EMG. 

Neuroradiology

Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of radiology focusing on the diagnosis and characterization of abnormities of the central and peripheral nervous system, spine, and head and neck. Primary imaging modalities include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Plain radiography is utilized on a limited basis and ultrasound is used in limited circumstances, particularly in the pediatric population. Angiography is traditionally used for diagnosis of vascular abnormalities or diagnosis and characterization of masses or other lesions but is being replaced in many instances by CT or MRI angiography and imaging.

In the United States, Radiology residents are required to spend at least four months learning neuroradiology to be eligible for radiology board certification. Neuroradiology fellowship is a one or two year program which follows diagnostic radiology residency.

Neurosurgery

Neurosurgeons work in a variety of practice settings. Some neurosurgeons practice general neurosurgery, while others choose to limit their practice to specific subspecialties. Some areas of specialty include pediatric, spine, vascular/endovascular, tumor, peripheral nerve, functional, and skull base. Practices range from solo practices to large group practices with multidisciplinary components. Increasingly, neurosurgeons are working together with physiatrists, neurologists and therapists to provide comprehensive care for patients with neurologic disorders.

Neuropsychology

the applied scientific discipline that studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and overt behaviors. It is scientific in its approach and shares an information processing view of the mind with cognitive psychology and cognitive science. In practice neuropsychologists are involved in treating patients with neuropsychological problems clinical neuropsychology and forensic settings (often assessing people for legal reasons or court cases or working with offenders or claimants, or appearing in court as expert witness)

OBGYN

Obstetrics and Gynecology (often abbreviated to OB/GYN or O&G) are the two surgical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs, and as such are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training program. This combined training prepares the practicing OB/GYN to be adept at the surgical management of the entire scope of clinical pathology involving female reproductive organs, and to provide care for both pregnant and non-pregnant patients.

In rural areas of the United States, particularly in areas west of the Mississippi River, it is not uncommon for general practitioners to offer obstetrical services to their patients. However, these generalists are most often not trained in the surgical aspects of obstetrics, nor have they been trained in gynecology, and as such, they should not be confused with residency trained and board-certified OB/GYNs. All gynecologists, therefore, are trained obstetricians, although the reverse is not necessarily true. However, some OB/GYNs may choose to drop the obstetric component of their practice and focus solely on gynecology, especially as they get older. This decision is often based on the double burden of very late hours and, depending on the country, high rates of litigation.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eye, brain, and areas surrounding the eye, such as the lacrimal system and eyelids. The word ophthalmology comes from the Greek roots ophthalmos meaning eye and logos meaning word, thought or discourse; ophthalmology literally means "The science of eyes." As a discipline it applies to animal eyes also, since the differences from human practice are surprisingly minor and are related mainly to differences in anatomy or prevalence, not differences in disease processes. However, veterinary medicine is regulated separately in many countries and states/provinces resulting in few ophthalmologists treating both humans and animals. By convention the term ophthalmologist is more restricted and implies a medically trained specialist. Since ophthalmologists perform operations on eyes, they are generally categorized as physicians and surgeons.

Orthopedics

Orthopedic surgeons manage patients with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including fractures, deformity and tumors.  They are experts in trauma, sports injuries, and joint replacement.  They manage spine diseases, including deformity, degeneration, fractures and tumors.  Many have additional expertise in congenital abnormalities, spine lengthening procedures, and arthritis.

Pain Management

The specialty of Pain Medicine, is a discipline within the field of medicine that is concerned with the prevention of pain, and the evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of persons in pain. Some conditions may have pain and associated symptoms arising from a discrete cause, such as postoperative pain or pain associated with a malignancy, or may be conditions in which pain constitutes the primary problem, such as neuropathic pains or headaches.

Pain Medicine Specialists, use a broad-based approach to treat all pain disorders, ranging from pain as a symptom of disease to pain as the primary disease.  The pain physician serves as a consultant to other physicians but is often the principal treating physician (as distinguished from the primary care physician) and may provide care at various levels, such as treating the patient directly, prescribing medication, prescribing rehabilitative services, performing pain relieving procedures, counseling patients and families, directing a multidisciplinary team, coordinating care with other health care providers and providing consultative services to public and private agencies pursuant to optimal health care delivery to the patient suffering from pain. The objective of the pain physician is to provide quality care to the patient suffering from pain. The pain physician may work in a variety of settings and is competent to treat the entire range of pain encountered in delivery of quality health care.

Pain Medicine specialists typically formulate comprehensive treatment plans, which consider the patients' cultural contexts, as well as the special needs of the pediatric and geriatric populations. Evaluation techniques include interpretation of historical data; review of previous laboratory, imaging, and electrodiagnostic studies; assessment of behavioral, social, occupational, and vocational issues; and interview and examination of the patient by the pain specialist.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (Physiatry)

Doctors of function. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), or physiatry, is a branch of medicine dealing with functional restoration of a person affected by physical disability A physician who has completed training in this field is referred to as a physiatrist (fizz eye' a trist). Rehabilitation physicians treat a wide range of problems from sore shoulders to spinal cord injuries. Their goal is to decrease pain and enhance performance without surgery. Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. They then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This medical team might include other physicians and health professionals, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians help patients stay as active as possible at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.

Physiatrists are trained in non surgical management of muskeloskeletal and neurological systems including: spine and joints disorders, amputations, stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury, pain management, and functional restoration. Physiatrists are use variety of approaches for managements of their patients such as electrodiagnosis (EMGs/NCS), injections, therapies, and medications.

Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgeons are experts in the evaluation and repair of congenital and traumatic deformities, as well as cosmetic surgical care.  Many provide definitive and reconstructive care for burns and cancer, as well as microvascular surgery in cases of amputation, soft tissue loss, and nerve repair.  They are experts in liposuction, breast augmentation and other cosmetic surgical procedures.

Pulmonology

In medicine, pulmonology (aka pneumology) is the specialty that deals with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract. It is called chest medicine and respiratory medicine in some countries and areas. Pulmonology is generally considered a branch of internal medicine, although it is closely related to intensive care medicine when dealing with patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Surgery of the respiratory tract is generally performed by specialists in cardiothoracic surgery (or thoracic surgery). Chest medicine is not a specialty in itself but is an inclusive term which pertains to the treatment of diseases of the chest and contains the fields of pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and intensive care medicine. Pulmonology is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases, as well as secondary prevention (tuberculosis). Physicians specializing in this area are called pulmonologists

Radiology

Radiology specialists are known as Radiologists. As a medical specialty, radiology can be classified broadly into Diagnostic radiology and Therapeutic radiology. Diagnostic radiology is the interpretation of images of the human body to aid in the diagnosis or prognosis of disease. It is divided into subfields by anatomic location and in some cases method. A Radiologist is a subspecialty physician trained in all areas of diagnostic radiology. Board certification is earned through the American Board of Radiology (ABR). Subspecialties includes: Neuroradiology ,Body Imaging, Interventional radiology, Musculoskeletal radiology, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine

Spine Surgery

The orthopedics Surgical Spine Specialty provides care of adult cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures for the treatment of degenerative, inflammatory, and neoplastic conditions of the spine, including; radiculopathy, sciatica, and scoliosis, as well as spinal trauma and deformity.  The traditional decompression, fusion, and instrumentation techniques, which include discectomy and laminectomy

Urology

Experts in Urology provide for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract, both male and female.  They are experts in pelvic pain, urinary incontinence and urinary tract stones.  They specialize in prostate disease, urologic cancers, male sexual dysfunction and infertility, as well as surgical reconstruction of the urinary tract.  They provide surgical management of diseases of the urinary tract, including prostate biopsy and resection.  They manage cryosurgery and radioactive seed implantation therapy for urological tumors.