Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Physician Specialties
Physician Specialties
SPECIALTIES
UNIT 1: MEDICAL AND PARAMEDICAL
PERSONNEL AND PLACES
Why is it important to know about
physician specialties?
Being familiar with the different types of
physician specialties helps you know who
to call when you need medical care. It also
helps those planning a career in medicine,
as they think through what they'd like to
do on a day-by-day basis.
What is a Residency?
Residency is a post-graduate period
in which a doctor practices
medicine under the supervision of
more senior physicians for three to
seven years, depending on the
specialty.
What is a Fellow?
A fellow is a physician who attends
fellowship training. A fellowship is
somewhat like a paid internship
during which fellows shadow
experts and leaders in their field.
The training may involve clinical
and surgical practice as well as
research.
Residents have earned their medical
degrees, but they are not fully
independent physicians. They are not
board-certified or fully credentialed. The
medical community considers residents
to be in training during their residency.
Fellows are fully credentialed physicians
who are able to practice medicine
independently
Family Physician
Family practice physicians are primary care providers who see patients of all ages and provide basic
care for a variety of common ailments. They are usually the first to recognize major health problems,
order diagnostic tests, and refer patients to specialists when needed.2
After attending medical school, family medicine physicians attend a family medicine residency
program for three to five years. During this time, they will receive hands-on training in pediatric care,
emergency medicine, and other areas of general medicine.3
Internal Medicine Physician
General internists provide primary care to adult patients.
Internists usually have more hospital-based training than family practitioners. They may have an office-based
practice or work as a hospitalist primarily seeing patients in the hospital.
Internists may then choose to pursue a fellowship to subspecialize in a variety of other areas, like
endocrinology (hormone-related conditions) or cardiology (heart-related issues).4
What Is a Fellow?
A fellow is a physician who attends fellowship training. A fellowship is somewhat like a paid internship
during which fellows shadow experts and leaders in their field. The training may involve clinical and surgical
practice as well as research.
Pediatrician
Pediatricians take care of patients from infancy through age 18 or, in
some cases, age 21.5
If a patient has a more serious illness, their pediatrician may refer them to
a pediatric subspecialist (e.g., a pediatric orthopedist is a doctor who
specializes in treating young patients with bone and muscle concerns).
•Situation:
•Breathlessness
•Rapid breathing
•Cough