Medical Terminology Simplified

Medical Specialties • APPENDIX F 623

Medical Specialty Medical Specialist Description of Medical Specialty

Optometry Optometrist Primary eye care, including testing the eyes for visual acuity, diagnosing

and managing eye health, prescribing corrective lenses, and recommending

eye exercises

An optometrist, licensed by the state, is not a medical doctor but is known

as a Doctor of Optometry (OD).

Orthopedics Orthopedist Prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders include injury to or disease of bones, joints,

ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

Otolaryngology Otolaryngologist Medical and surgical management of disorders of the ear, nose, and

throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck

Pathology Pathologist Study and cause of disease

A pathologist usually specializes in autopsy or clinical or surgical pathology.

Pediatrics Pediatrician Diagnosis and treatment of disease in infants, children, and adolescents

Plastic surgery Plastic surgeon Surgery to alter, replace, or restore a body structure due to a defect or

for cosmetic reasons

Physiatry Physiatrist Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury and the

rehabilitation from resultant impairment and disability; also called

physical medicine

Physiatrists are physicians who use physical agents, such as light, heat,

cold water, therapeutic exercise, mechanical apparatus, and, sometimes,

pharmaceutical agents.

Pulmonology Pulmonologist Diagnosis and treatment of diseases involving the lungs, their airways

and blood vessels, and the chest wall (thoracic cage); also called

pulmonary medicine

Psychiatry Psychiatrist Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the mind

Psychiatry is different from others discussed in this book because it deals

with pathological conditions of the mind, an entity that is not considered

a body system.

Radiology Radiologist Diagnosis using x-ray and other diagnostic procedures, such as

ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI)

Radiology also employs various radiation techniques to treat disease

through other subspecialties of radiology, such as interventional radiology

and nuclear medicine.

Rheumatology Rheumatologist Diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of

the joints

Surgery Surgeon Use of operative procedures to treat deformity, injury, and disease

Thoracic surgery Thoracic surgeon Use of operative procedures to treat disease or injury of the thoracic area

Urology Urologist Diagnosis and treatment of the male urinary and reproductive systems

and the female urinary system

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