Other medical specialties

Anaesthesiologist

The job of an anaesthesiologist is to administer general anaesthesia, in which a person is placed in a medically induced coma. This is done in order to allow surgery to be performed without having the patient responding to pain during the procedure or even remembering the surgery.

In cases where general anaesthesia is not indicated, the specialist will administer regional anaesthesia that can be performed to induce analgesia (pain relief) in a specific area of the body. An example of regional anaesthesia includes epidural administration of a local anaesthetic that is commonly performed on the mother during childbirth. This aids in reducing experiencing pain while allowing the mother to be awake and active in labour and delivery of the baby. General anaesthesia would not permit this to happen.

Anaesthesiologists can also super-specialise in non-surgical pain relief and critical care management that includes working in an intensive care unit.

Anatomical Pathologist

Anatomical pathologists are trained to diagnose diseases based on the microscopic, macroscopic, immunologic, biochemical and molecular examination of tissues and organs. Anatomical pathology is one of two branches of pathology. The other is clinical pathology where the diagnosis of a disease is done via the laboratory analysis of tissues and/or bodily fluids. 

Over the last hundred years, surgical pathology has evolved tremendously to a more modernised practice that focuses on the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer in order to guide the decision made on the treatment to be initiated in oncology.

 

Dermatologist

Dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and managing diseases that involve the skin, hair and nails.

Management of diseases involving these areas can include medical or surgical interventions. Surgical means of treatment include performing minor procedures where abnormal or suspect growths on the skin are removed and sent for analysis. Other procedures that can be performed by dermatologists include photo and laser therapy, injection of filler products, hair transplantation and even tattoo removals.

Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists study and analyse the causes, patterns and effects of health and disease conditions in specific populations. This discipline is involved in shaping evidence-based practices and policy decisions by identifying risk factors for diseases and targets for preventive healthcare. These specialists help with study designs, as well as with the collection and analysis of data. Epidemiology has helped develop the methodology used in public health studies and clinical research.

The major areas of epidemiology include the aetiology of disease, its transmission, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, bio-monitoring, forensic epidemiology and screening and comparisons of treatment effects which is dove via clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on other scientific disciplines, like biology, to better understand disease processes. They also incorporate biostatistics, social sciences and engineering to make efficient use of the data that is gathered in order to draw appropriate conclusions, to better understand distal and proximate causes and for exposure assessment, respectively.

Forensic Pathologist

A forensic pathologist is a medical doctor who has completed training in anatomical pathology and who has further specialised in forensic pathology. These specialists have different duties to perform and they include the following:

• Performing post-mortem examinations or autopsies in order to find out the cause of the person's death. The autopsy report should contain an opinion about the injury, pathologic process or disease that directly resulted in or started a series of events that lead to a person's death. This information can include issues such as severe blood loss caused by a stab wound, damage caused by a bullet wound to the head, manual or ligature strangulation, etc., and the manner of death which in most jurisdictions includes homicide, accidental or natural death, suicide or an undetermined cause.
• Examining and documenting wounds and injuries, both at autopsy and occasionally in a clinical setting.
• The autopsy also provides an opportunity to address other issues raised by the death, such as finding out the identity of the deceased.
• Collecting and interpreting toxicological analysis on body tissues and fluids to determine the chemical cause of an accidental overdose or deliberate poisoning.
• Collecting and examining tissue specimens under the microscope in order to identify the presence or absence of natural diseases, and other microscopic findings such as gunpowder residue around a gunshot wound or foreign particles in the lungs.
• Forensic pathologists also work together with the state regarding the investigation of sudden or unexpected deaths.
• Serves as an expert witness in courts of law testifying in criminal or civil law cases.

Medical Geneticist

A medical geneticist focuses on the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. The specialty of medical genetics differs from human genetics in that medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care.

These doctors train in diagnosing, managing and counseling patients with genetic disorders as well as counseling family members of these patients. Medical geneticists will focus on genetic disorders such as Down and Turner’s syndrome, haemophilia, Marfan’s syndrome, cystic fibrosis, etc.

Medical Microbiologist

Medical microbiologists study microscopic organisms that include single cell (unicellular), cell colonies (multi-cellular) or organisms that lack cells (acellular). Microbiology includes several sub-disciplines that include bacteriology, virology, parasitology and mycology.

These specialists examine organisms in a laboratory setup, and analyze their sensitivity against specific medications which are used to manage conditions caused by these organisms. Microbiologists will then give feedback to the affected patient’s physician regarding the appropriate medication which is needed to treat a specific disease.

Occupational Health Practitioner

Occupational medicine is a specialty that involves the prevention and management of diseases and injuries in the workplace and also promotes social adjustment and productivity. It is a sub-specialty of clinical medicine most involved in the field of occupational health and safety.

Occupational health practitioners (OHPs) work to ensure that the highest standards of occupational health and safety is achieved and maintained. The main focus of OHPs is on preventive medicine and the management of injuries, illnesses and disabilities related to the workplace. 

OHPs must have a wide knowledge of clinical medicine and be competent in a number of important areas that includes advising governmental and state agencies, international bodies as well as organizations and trade unions. There are links associated with OHPs and physical rehabilitation and medicine, as well as insurance medicine.

Oncologist

Oncology is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are three important components which have improved survival rates in cancer and they are:

• Prevention - this is done by reducing modifiable risk factors known to lead to cancer growths such as alcohol and tobacco use as well as sun exposure.
• Early diagnosis – individuals of specific ages and genders are screened for common cancers, and a comprehensive diagnosis and staging is then done.
• Treatment – specific cancers are managed by discussing patients with the relevant sub-specialties, and treatment is provided by a comprehensive cancer centre.

Oncologists, different specialists such as medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and organ specific oncologists gather, depending on what cancer is being dealt with, to find the best possible management for an individual patient.

Paediatrician

Paediatrics is the study of the different conditions which can affect the various systems in infants, children and adolescents, and where medical intervention is necessary in order to manage these diseases. Like physicians, paediatricians can sub-specialise further in specific systems of the body as have been mentioned already. An important sub-specialty of paediatrics, which needs to be noted, is neonatology which involves the management of infants, up to 28 days of age, who are born prematurely or who are critically ill. 

Paediatricians are not just simply physicians of “little adults”, as they need to diagnose and manage issues such as congenital defects and developmental issues in children. A paediatrician needs to take into account the immature physiology of the infant or child when considering symptoms, prescribing medications and diagnosing illnesses.

Psychiatrist

These specialists deal with mental health illnesses such as mood disorders, generalized anxiety conditions, psychotic disorders and addictive behaviours. Depending on the severity of the mental health condition, patients can be managed on an inpatient or outpatient basis. In severe cases, where the patient is considered to be a danger to themselves or others, they are admitted involuntarily for the state in order to be managed appropriately.

The main management protocol of psychiatrists includes medical intervention of the mentioned illnesses, although a treatment such as electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) for resistant mental conditions has been indicated. Together with medication, psychotherapy is offered in conjunction with the help of a psychologist. Numerous clinical studies have shown that the combination of these therapies has been shown to offer the best prognosis for the affected individual.

Radiologist

Radiology is a medical specialty where imaging of the body is done in order to diagnose and manage diseases. There a numerous imaging techniques that can be used to aid doctors such as X-rays, ultrasound (sonar), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine, including positron emission tomography (PET). These may then be used to diagnose and/or treat certain conditions. 

A radiologist’s job therefore is to interpret or "read" these images and then produce a report of their findings and impressions, or diagnosis, which is then discussed with the referring physician. A sub-specialty of radiology is interventional radiology which is the performance of minimally invasive medical procedures with the guidance of the mentioned imaging technologies.