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Medical Specialties
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Infectious Disease Specialists
An infectious disease (ID) specialist is
a doctor of internal medicine (or, in some
cases, pediatrics) who is qualified as an
expert in the diagnosis and treatment of
infectious diseases. After seven or more
years of medical school and postgraduate
training, ID specialists complete two to
three years of additional training in
infectious diseases.
ID specialists have expertise in
infections of the sinuses, heart, brain,
lungs, urinary tract, bowel, bones and
pelvic organs. Their extensive training
focuses on all kinds of infections,
including those caused by bacteria, viruses,
fungi and parasites. Many ID physicians
specialize in treating patients with
infections due to human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS.
Along with their specialized knowledge
comes a particular insight into the use of
antibiotics and their potential adverse
effects. ID specialists also have additional
training in immunology (how the body fights
infection), epidemiology (how infections
spread) and infection control.
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Pulmonologists
Pulmonology is the subspecialty of
internal medicine concerned with diseases of
the lungs and bronchial tubes, which often
involves evaluation of the upper respiratory
tract (nose, pharynx and throat) as well as
the heart.
Pulmonologists must first complete seven
or more years of medical school and
postgraduate training and become board
certified in Internal Medicine. Then, for an
additional two to three years, they study
conditions specific to the respiratory
system.
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Gastroenterologists
Gastroenterology is the subspecialty of
internal medicine concerned with disorders
and conditions of the gastrointestinal
("GI") tract, also called the digestive
tract. More specifically,
gastroenterologists are concerned with the
esophagus, stomach, small and large
intestines (colon), pancreas and liver.
Gastroenterologists must first complete
seven or more years of medical school and
postgraduate training and become board
certified in Internal Medicine. Then, for an
additional two to three years, they study
conditions specific to the GI tract.
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Critical Care Specialists or Intesivists
Critical care medicine encompasses the
diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of
clinical problems representing the extreme
of human disease. Critically ill patients
require intensive care by a coordinated
team. The critical care specialist (intensivist)
may be the primary provider of care or a
consultant. The intensivist needs to be
competent not only in a broad range of
conditions common among critically ill
patients but also with the technological
procedures and devices used in the intensive
care setting. The care of critically ill
patients raises many complicated ethical and
social issues, and the intensivist must be
competent in areas such as end-of-life
decisions, advance directives, estimating
prognosis, and counseling of patients and
their families.
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Interventional Radiologists
Interventional radiologists are
board-certified physicians who specialize in
minimally invasive, targeted treatments.
They offer the most in-depth knowledge of
the least invasive treatments available
coupled with diagnostic and clinical
experience across all specialties. They use
X-rays, MRI and other imaging to advance a
catheter in the body, usually in an artery,
to treat at the source of the disease
non-surgically. As the inventors of
angioplasty and the catheter-delivered
stent, which were first used in the legs to
treat peripheral arterial disease,
interventional radiologists pioneered
minimally invasive modern medicine.
Today many conditions that once required
surgery can be treated nonsurgically by
interventional radiologists. Interventional
radiology treatments offer less risk, less
pain and less recovery time compared to open
surgery.
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Trauma
Surgeons
Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty
involved in the invasive treatment of
physical injuries, typically in an emergency
setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete
residency training in general surgery and
often fellowship training in trauma or
surgical critical care. The trauma surgeon
is responsible for the initial resuscitation
and stabilization of the patient, as well as
ongoing evaluation. The attending trauma
surgeon also leads the trauma team, which
typically includes nurses, resident
physicians, and support staff.
Trauma surgeons must be familiar with a
large variety of general surgical, thoracic,
and vascular procedures and must be able to
make complex decisions, often with little
time and incomplete information. Proficiency
in all aspects of intensive care
medicine/critical care is required. Hours
are irregular and there is a considerable
amount of night, weekend, and holiday work.
Salaries for trauma surgeons are comparable
to that of general surgeons.
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