A specialist is a doctor who has advanced medical training in a specific area. Some specialists, like pediatricians, are well known as doctors who specialize in children’s health. While other specialists, like a nephrologist, can be more difficult to pinpoint as a doctor who specializes in kidney diseases.
| Specialty | Focus |
|---|---|
| Allergy and Immunology | Focusing on allergic and immunologic diseases and their respiratory complications. For example; asthma, food allergies, AIDS, pollen and chemical allergies. |
| Anesthesiology | Used to control pain or provide relief of pain during surgery, childbirth or other causes. |
| Cardiology | Focusing on diseases of the heart and blood vessels. |
| Colon and Rectal Surgery | Focusing on diseases of the large intestine (bowel), rectum and anus that require surgical operation for diagnosis or treatment. |
| Dermatology | Focusing on diseases of the skin. |
| Endocrinology | Referring to diseases of the body's internal glands. This includes diabetes mellitus. |
| Family Practice | Includes the total health care of an individual and family. |
| Gastroenterology | Focusing on diseases of the digestive tract. For example; stomach, bowel, liver and pancreas. |
| General Practice | Includes the total health care of an individual and family. |
| General Surgery | Referring to diseases that require surgical operation for diagnosis or treatment. |
| Geriatrics | Focusing on diseases of the elderly. |
| Gynecologic Oncology | Cancer diseases of the female reproductive system. |
| Hand Surgery | Focusing on diseases and injuries of the nerves, tendons, muscles, bones or skin of the hand that require surgery. |
| Hematology | Referring to disorders of the blood and blood-forming organs. For example, cancerous disorders of the blood, anemia, leukemia and lymphoma. (Also see Oncology.) |
| Infectious Diseases | All types of infections. |
| Internal Medicine | Focusing on the total health care of adults. (18 years of age and older.) |
| Neonatology | Focusing on diseases of newborn children. |
| Nephrology | Focusing on diseases of the kidney, including dialysis. |
| Neurology | Referring to diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nervous system and related structures. |
| Neurosurgery | When surgery is required for diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nervous system and related structures. |
| Obstetrics and Gynecology | Focusing on fertility disorders, diseases of the female reproductive system, and normal and abnormal pregnancies. |
| Oncology | Referring to disorders of the blood and blood-forming organs. This includes cancerous disorders of the blood. (Also see Hematology.) |
| Ophthalmology | Referring to eye diseases. |
| Orthopedic Surgery | Focusing on diseases of the bones, joints, muscles and tendons. |
| Otolaryngology (ENT) |
Focusing on diseases of the ears, nose, sinuses, throat and upper airway passages. |
| Pediatric | Referring to the total health care of newborns, infants, children and adolescents. |
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Focusing on disabilities that require retraining, reconditioning and relearning how to use muscles, tendons and extremities in order to restore normal activities of daily living. |
| Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery | Focusing on diseases and conditions that require surgical reconstruction for a deformity or loss of a body part. Or, for cosmetic purposes to improve appearance. |
| Primary Podiatric Medicine |
Referring to diseases of the foot and ankle. |
| Psychiatry | Focusing on mental health. For example; diseases of the brain, nervous system and substance abuse of drugs or chemicals. |
| Public Health and General Preventive Medicine | Health care that attempts to avoid, delay or prevent disease or illness from occurring. |
| Pulmonology | Referring to lung diseases. |
| Radiation Oncology | Cancer and other diseases requiring radiation. May require x-ray therapy, radioactive isotopes and linear accelerator particle radiation as treatments. |
| Rheumatology | Referring to joint diseases. For example; arthritis and autoimmune diseases. |
| Sports Medicine | Focusing on sports injuries. |
| Thoracic Surgery |
Focusing on diseases of the chest that require surgical operation for diagnosis or treatment. For example; lungs, heart, blood vessels and chest wall. |
| Urology | Focusing on diseases of the kidneys, bladder and male reproductive tract that require surgical operation. |
| Vascular Surgery | Focusing on diseases of the blood vessels that require surgical operation for diagnosis or treatment. |