A medical specialty is any one of the non-surgical branches of medical science, other than general practice. A physician engaging in a medical speciality is a medical specialist.
In the United States, there are currently 25 certified specialties with the numerous sub-specialties. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS); the American Osteopathic Association Board of Specialists (AOABS) and the American Board of Physician Specialists (ABPS) are the three entities that oversee certification.
Certifying Entity
Physician Type
ABMS
Allopathic Only
AOABS
Osteopathic Only
ABPS
Allopathic and Osteopathic
Overseeing
There are three agencies or organizations in the United States which collectively oversee physician board certification of allopathic and osteopathic physicians in the 26 approved medical specialties recognized in the United States. These organizations are the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and the American Medical Association; the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABS) and the American Osteopathic Association; the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) and the American Association of Physician Specialists. Each of these agencies and their associated national medical organization functions as an umbrella for its various specialty academies, colleges and societies:
Certifying Board
National Organization
Physician Type
ABMS
AMA
Allopathic Only
AOABS
AOA
Osteopathic Only
ABPS
AAPS
Allopathic and Osteopathic
All boards of certification now require that physicians demonstrate, by examination, continuing mastery of the core knowledge and skills for their chosen specialty. Recertification varies by specialty between every 7 and every 10 years.
Medical specialties
In this table, medical specialities are organized into the following groups:
Surgical specialities - the use of manually operative and instrumental techniques to treat disorders.
Internal medicine - concerns the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases in adults, especially of internal organs.
Diagnostic specialties, rather examines disorders etc. than directly attempts to cure.
Neurology - focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with neurological disorders.
(or otorhinolaryngology or ENT/ear-nose-throat) is concerned with treatment of ear, nose, and throat disorders. The term head and neck surgery defines a closely related specialty which is concerned mainly with the surgical management of cancer of the same anatomical structures.
includes aesthetic surgery (operations that are done for other than medical purposes) as well as reconstructive surgery (operations to restore function and/or appearance after traumatic or operative mutilation).
Focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the male reproductive system. It is often practiced together with andrology ("men's health").
traditionally defined as the specialty of surgery of the skin, endocrine glands, and abdomen (and, sometimes, the mammary glands). In some countries, it is still deemed a prerequisite training prior to progression to training in certain subspecialties, but lately has evolved into its own subspecialty
concerned with the operative treatment of diseases, deformities, and other conditions of lower and middle one-third of face, including oral cavity and teeth (technically a subspeciality of dentistry).
branch of medicine that is practiced in a hospital emergency department, in the field (in a modified form — see EMS), and other locations where initial medical treatment of illness takes place.
specializes in disorders of the cardiovascular system and its diseases. The field is commonly divided into subdisciplines dealing with congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology.
or intensive care medicine - concerned with the therapy of patients with serious and life-threatening disease or injury. Intensive care medicine employs invasive diagnostic techniques and (temporary) replacement of organ functions by technical means. This field is often associated with Pulmonology.
Clinical immunology is concerned with disorders of the immune system and related body defenses. It also deals with diagnosis of allergy.
the clinical diagnostic services which apply laboratory techniques to diagnosis and management of patients. In the United States these services are supervised by a pathologist. The personnel that work in these medical laboratory departments are technically trained staff, each of whom usually hold a medical technology degree, who actually perform the tests, assays, and procedures needed for providing the specific services.
or haematology (BE) - concerned with the blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases. Hematology is part of oncology in the US, though the disciplines are separate in the UK.
chest medicine, respiratory medicine, or lung medicine is concerned with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory system. In some countries and areas. Pulmonology is generally considered a branch of internal medicine, although it is closely related to intensive care medicine when dealing with patients requiring mechanical ventilation.
Interventional radiology is concerned with using imaging of the human body, usually from CT, ultrasound, or fluoroscopy, to do biopsies, place certain tubes, and perform intravascular procedures.
Nuclear Medicine uses radioactive substances for in vivo and in vitro diagnosis using either imaging of the location of radioactive substances placed into a patient, or using in vitro diagnostic tests utilizing radioactive substances.
branch of medical practice dealing with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eyes, brain etc.
222,600
Pathology
PTH
Diagnostic specialties
the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of molecules, cells, tissues and organs. The term encompasses both the medical specialty which uses tissues and body fluids to obtain clinically useful information, as well as the related scientific study of disease processes.
Like internal medicine, there are many pediatric subspecialities for specific age ranges, organ systems, disease classes, and sites of care delivery. Most subspecialities of adult medicine have a pediatric equivalent such as pediatric cardiology, 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).
concerned with testing the physiology or function of the central and peripheral aspects of the nervous system. These kinds of tests can be divided into recordings of: (1) spontaneous or continuously running electrical activity, or (2) stimulus evoked responses.
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.
Child and adolescent psychiatry focuses on the care of children and adolescents with mental, emotional, and learning problems including ADHD, autism, and family conflicts.
Geriatric psychiatry focuses on the care of elderly people with mental illnesses including dementias, post-stroke cognitive changes, and depression.
Addiction psychiatry focuses on substance abuse and its treatment.
Forensic psychiatry focuses on the interface of psychiatry and law.
the branch of medicine concerned with the bio-psycho-social study of the etiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cognitive, perceptual, emotional and behavioral disorders. Related non-medical fields include psychotherapy and clinical psychology.
139,600
Other uses
In the U.S. Army, the term "medical specialist" refers to occupational therapists, physical therapists, dietitians and physician assistants, also known as allied health professionals.
See also
Interdisciplinary sub-specialties of medicine, including e.g.
General practice - family practice, family medicine or primary care is, in many countries, the first port-of-call for patients with non-emergency medical problems. By definition not a medical speciality, but a mix of all of them.
Occupational medicine - branch of clinical medicine which provides health advice to organizations and individuals concerning work-related health and safety issues and standards. See occupational safety and health.
Disaster medicine - branch of medicine that provides healthcare services to disaster survivors; guides medically related disaster preparation, disaster planning, disaster response and disaster recovery throughout the disaster life cycle andserves as a liaison between and partner to the medical contingency planner, the emergency management professional, the incident command system, government and policy makers.
Preventive medicine- part of medicine engaged with preventing disease rather than curing it. It can be contrasted not only with curative medicine, but also with public health methods (which work at the level of population health rather than individual health).
^ Annual. Unless else specified in table, then ref is:'Integrated Care' Practices Adjust Pay, Seek New Markets as Budgets Shrink Physician Compensation Report, June, 2002]
^ abcd Regeringen.se - new grouping of the medical specialities
^ mdsalaries.blogspot.com taking the mean values between: Houston, TX: 300.000, Los Angeles, CA: 326.000, Miami, FL: 300.000, New York, NY: 341.000, Seattle, WA: 317.000.
^ New York Times - 2 Lose Pay in Inquiry Into Fertility Clinic. Published: January 22, 1996, calculated as a mean value of the values provided, multiplicated with estimated 9 months per year yields 700.800
