medical specialty medical specialty a medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), laboratory medicine (pathology), or primary care (family medicine). after completing medical school or other basic training, physicians or surgeons and other clinicians usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple-year residency to become a specialist. history of medical specialization to a certain extent, medical practitioners have long been specialized. according to galen, specialization was common among roman physicians. the particular system of modern medical specialties evolved gradually during the 19th century. informal social recognition of medical specialization evolved before the formal legal system. the particular subdivision of the practice of medicine into various specialties varies from country to country, and is somewhat arbitrary. classification of medical specialization medical specialties can be classified along several axes. these are: surgical or internal medicine age range of patients diagnostic or therapeutic organ-based or technique-based throughout history, the most important has been the division into surgical and internal medicine specialties. the surgical specialties are those in which an important part of diagnosis and treatment is achieved through major surgical techniques. the internal medicine specialties are the specialties in which the main diagnosis and treatment is never major surgery. in some countries, anesthesiology is classified as a surgical discipline, since it is vital in the surgical process, though anesthesiologists never perform major surgery themselves. many specialties are organ-based. many symptoms and diseases come from a particular organ. others are based mainly around a set of techniques, such as radiology, which was originally based around x-rays. the age range of patients seen by any given specialist can be quite variable. paediatricians handle most complaints and diseases in children that do not require surgery, and there are several subspecialties (formally or informally) in paediatrics that mimic the organ-based specialties in adults. paediatric surgery may or may not be a separate specialty that handles some kinds of surgical complaints in children. a further subdivision is the diagnostic versus therapeutic specialties. while the diagnostic process is of great importance in all specialties, some specialists perform mainly or only diagnostic examinations, such as pathology, clinical neurophysiology, and radiology. this line is becoming somewhat blurred with interventional radiology, an evolving field that uses image expertise to perform minimally invasive procedures. specialties that are common worldwide specialtymay be subspecialty of age rangeof patients diagnostic (d) ortherapeutic (t)specialty surgical (s) orinternal medicine (i)specialty organ-based (o)or technique-based (t) allergy and immunologyinternal medicinepediatrics allbothio adolescent medicinepediatricsfamily medicine pediatricbothit anesthesiologynone alltbothboth aerospace medicinefamily medicine allbothneitherboth bariatricsseveral allbothbothboth cardiologyinternal medicine adultstio cardiothoracic surgerygeneral surgery adultstso child and adolescent psychiatrypsychiatry pediatrictit clinical neurophysiologyneurology alldiboth colorectal surgerygeneral surgery allbothso dermatologynone alltio developmental pediatricspediatrics pediatrictineither emergency medicinefamily medicine allbothbothboth endocrinologyinternal medicine adultstio family medicinenone allbothbothmultidisciplinary forensic pathologypathology alldneithert forensic psychiatrypsychiatry alldit gastroenterologyinternal medicine adultstio general surgerynone adultstst general surgical oncologygeneral surgery adultstst geriatricsfamily medicineinternal medicine geriatrictimultidisciplinary geriatric psychiatrygeriatricspsychiatry geriatrictineither gynecologic oncologyobstetrics and gynecology alltso hematologyinternal medicinepathology adultsdineither hematologic pathologyhematologypathology alldneithert infectious diseaseinternal medicinepediatrics allbothineither internal medicinenone adultsbothineither interventional radiologyradiology allboth-multidisciplinary intensive care medicineanesthesiologyemergency medicineinternal medicine alltbothboth maternal-fetal medicineobstetrics and gynecology adultstsboth medical biochemistryinternal medicine alldineither medical geneticsnone alldineither medical oncologyinternal medicine adultsdineither neonatologypediatrics neonataltineither nephrologyinternal medicine alltio neurologyinternal medicine allbothio neuropathologypathology alldneithert neurosurgerynone alltso nuclear medicine (nucleology)none allbothit obstetrics and gynecologyfamily medicine alltso occupational medicinefamily medicineinternal medicine adultstimultidisciplinary ophthalmologynone alltso orthopedic surgerynone alltso oral and maxillofacial surgerynone alltso otorhinolaryngologynone alltso palliative carefamily medicineinternal medicinepediatrics allbothneitherneither pathologynone alldneithert pediatricsnone pediatricbothineither pediatric allergy and immunologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric cardiologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric emergency medicinepediatrics pediatricbothbothboth pediatric endocrinologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric gastroenterologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric hematology and oncologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric infectious diseasepediatrics pediatrictio pediatric nephrologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric respiratory medicinepediatrics pediatrictio pediatric rheumatologypediatrics pediatrictio pediatric surgerygeneral surgery pediatrictso physical medicine and rehabilitationnone alltimultidisciplinary plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgerygeneral surgery alltso psychiatryfamily medicine allbothit public healthfamily medicine allneitherneithert radiation oncologynone alltneithert radiologynone allbothit reproductive endocrinology and infertilityobstetrics and gynecology adultstst pulmunology or respiratory medicineinternal medicine adultstio rheumatologyinternal medicine adultstineither sports medicinefamily medicine allbothneithermultidisciplinary thoracic surgerygeneral surgery adultstst toxicology emergency medicine all both neither o transfusion medicinenone allbothneitherboth neuroradiologyradiology allbothiboth urologynone alltso vascular surgerygeneral surgery alltso list of specialties recognized in the european union and european economic area the european union publishes a list of specialties recognized in the european union, and by extension, the european economic area. there is substantial overlap between some of the specialties and it is likely that for example "clinical radiology" and "radiology" refer to a large degree to the same pattern of practice across europe. accident and emergency medicine allergist anaesthetics cardiology child psychiatry clinical biology clinical chemistry clinical microbiology clinical neurophysiology craniofacial surgery dermatology endocrinology family and general medicine gastroenterologic surgery gastroenterology general practice general surgery geriatrics hematology immunology infectious diseases internal medicine laboratory medicine nephrology neuropsychiatry neurology neurosurgery nuclear medicine obstetrics and gynaecology occupational medicine oncology ophthalmology oral and maxillofacial surgery orthopaedics otorhinolaryngology paediatric surgery paediatrics pathology pharmacology physical medicine and rehabilitation plastic surgery podiatric surgery preventive medicine psychiatry public health radiation oncology radiology respiratory medicine rheumatology stomatology thoracic surgery tropical medicine urology vascular surgery venereology list of north american medical specialties and others in this table, as in many healthcare arenas, medical specialties are organized into the following groups: surgical specialties focus on manually operative and instrumental techniques to treat disease. medical specialties that focus on the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of disease. diagnostic specialties focus more purely on diagnosis of disorders. specialty code group sub-specialties focus allergy and immunology allergic reactions, asthma, and the immune system anesthesiology an, pan surgery pediatric anesthesia pain management intensive care critical care obstetrics and gynaecology cardiothoracic anesthesiology trauma care pre- and post-operative assessment and care generalist (covers all the sub-specialties) anesthesia bariatrics deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. cardiology medicine interventional cardiology echocardiography electrocardiography sports cardiology cardiogeriatrics preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation pediatric cardiology disease of the cardiovascular system cardiovascular surgery surgery the operation of heart and major blood vessels of the chest. clinical laboratory sciences diagnostic transfusion medicine is concerned with the transfusion of blood and blood component, including the maintenance of a "blood bank". cellular pathology is concerned with diagnosis using samples from patients taken as tissues and cells using histology and cytology. clinical chemistry is concerned with diagnosis by making biochemical analysis of blood, body fluids, and tissues. hematology is concerned with diagnosis by looking at changes in the cellular composition of the blood and bone marrow as well as the coagulation system in the blood. clinical microbiology is concerned with the in vitro diagnosis of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. clinical immunology is concerned with disorders of the immune system and related body defenses. it also deals with diagnosis of allergy. application of diagnostic techniques in medical laboratories such as assays, microscope analysis. dermatology d, ds medicine dermatology, mohs surgery skin and its appendages (hair, nails, sweat glands etc.). dietetics rd food and nutrition emergency medicine em medicine disaster medicine emergency medical services hospice and palliative medicine international emergency medicine and global health medical toxicology pediatric emergency medicine research simulation sports medicine toxicology ultrasound undersea and hyperbaric medicine wilderness medicine the initial management of emergent medical conditions, often in hospital emergency departments or the field. endocrinology medicine the endocrine system (i.e., endocrine glands and hormones) and its diseases, including diabetes and thyroid diseases. family medicine fm medicine addiction medicine adolescent medicine anesthesia emergency medicine care of the elderly (geriatric medicine) clinical environmental health global health hiv care hospital medicine indigenous health low-risk obstetrics medical education medical oncology medical simulation pain medicine palliative care point of care ultrasound (pocus) research sleep medicine sports and exercise medicine women's health continuing, comprehensive healthcare for the individual and family, integrating the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences to treat patients of all ages, sexes, organ systems, and diseases. forensic medicine medicine gastroenterology gi medicine the alimentary tract general surgery gs surgery colorectal surgery gastrointestinal surgery transplant surgery trauma surgery geriatrics img medicine elderly patients gynecology female reproductive health hepatology medicine the liver and biliary tract, usually a part of gastroenterology. hospital medicine medicine infectious disease id medicine diseases caused by biological agents intensive care medicine medicine life support and management of critically ill patients, often in an icu. internal medicine medicine medical research anatomy, biochemistry, embryology, genetics, pharmacology, toxicology care of hospitalized patients nephrology medicine kidney diseases neurology n medicine behavioral neurology clinical neurophysiology geriatric neurology headache medicine neuromuscular medicine neurodevelopmental disabilities neuro-oncology neuroradiology vascular neurology hospice and palliative medicine pain medicine sleep medicine diseases involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems neurosurgery ns surgery cerebrovascular neurosurgical oncology stereotactic and functional spine neurotrauma skull base peripheral nerve pediatric neurosurgery disease of the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and spinal column. obstetrics and gynecology ob/gyn surgery maternal-fetal medicine reproductive medicine fertility medicine gynecologic oncology oncology on medicine radiation oncology – pertains to the use of radiation therapy (the medical use of ionizing radiation) as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology). cancer and other malignant diseases, often grouped with hematology. ophthalmology oph surgery anterior segment surgery cornea glaucoma neuro-ophthalmology ocular oncology oculoplastics and orbital surgery ophthalmic pathology pediatric ophthalmology/strabismus refractive surgery medical retina uveitis vitreo-retinal surgery diseases of the visual pathways, including the eyes, brain, etc. oral and maxillofacial surgery maxfacs, oms surgery oral and craniofacial surgery (head and neck) facial cosmetic surgery craniomaxillofacial trauma disease of the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. orthopedic surgery ors surgery hand surgery, surgical sports medicine, adult reconstruction, spine surgery, foot and ankle, musculoskeletal oncology, orthopedic trauma surgery, pediatric orthopedic surgery injury and disease of the musculoskeletal system. otorhinolaryngology, or ent orl, ent surgery head and neck, facial cosmetic surgery, neurotology, laryngology treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders. the term head and neck surgery defines a closely related specialty that is concerned mainly with the surgical management of cancer of the same anatomical structures. palliative care plm medicine a relatively modern branch of clinical medicine that deals with pain and symptom relief and emotional support in patients with terminal illnesses including cancer and heart failure. pathology pth diagnostic understanding disease through examination of molecules, cells, tissues and organs. the term encompasses both the medical specialty that uses tissues and body fluids to obtain clinically useful information and the related scientific study of disease processes. pediatrics pd medicine children. like internal medicine, pediatrics has many sub-specialties for specific age ranges, organ systems, disease classes, and sites of care delivery. most sub-specialties of adult medicine have a pediatric equivalent such as pediatric cardiology, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric endocrinology, pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric hematology, pediatric oncology, pediatric ophthalmology, and neonatology. deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents (from newborn to age 16–21, depending on the country). pediatric surgery surgery treats a wide variety of thoracic and abdominal (and sometimes urologic) diseases of childhood. physical medicine and rehabilitation or physiatry pm&r medicine cancer rehabilitation pain management traumatic brain injury spinal cord injury sports medicine pediatrics hospice & palliative medicine concerned with functional improvement after injury, illness, or congenital disorders. plastic surgery ps surgery cosmetic surgery burn microsurgery hand surgery craniofacial surgery elective cosmetic surgery as well as reconstructive surgery after traumatic or operative mutilation. podiatry pod surgery forefoot surgery midfoot surgery rearfoot surgery ankle surgery soft tissue leg surgery elective podiatric surgery of the foot and ankle, lower limb diabetic wound and salvation, peripheral vascular disease limb preservation, lower limb mononeuropathy conditions. reconstructive foot & ankle surgery. proctology pro medicine (or colorectal surgery) treats disease in the rectum, anus, and colon. psychiatry p medicine addiction psychiatry focuses on substance abuse and its treatment. child and adolescent psychiatry focuses on the care of children and adolescents with mental, emotional, and learning problems including adhd, autism, and family conflicts. consultation-liaison psychiatry focuses on the interface between general medicine and psychiatry. forensic psychiatry focuses on the interface of psychiatry and law. geriatric psychiatry focuses on the care of elderly people with mental illnesses including dementias, post-stroke cognitive changes, and depression. neuropsychiatry focuses on affective, cognitive and behavioral disorders attributable to diseases of the nervous system sleep medicine focuses on