Midwifery

Midwifery is a profession that provides health care for women, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives (practitioners of midwifery) have assisted women in giving birth.

Midwives base their practice on the understanding that pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes and health care should be personalized to meet the needs of a woman and her family. While the practice of midwifery differs worldwide, most midwives provide prenatal care, assist the birth process, and offer emotional and psychological support to a woman and her family during the birth experience. In the United States a midwife may also perform gynecological checkups, including breast examinations and pap smears, provide birth-control advice, manage the specific needs of menopause, and, in some cases, serve as a primary care provider.

Nursing

Nursing, in general, is the process of caring for, or nurturing, another individual. More specifically, nursing refers to the functions and duties carried out by persons who have had formal education and training in the art and science of nursing. Professional nurses combine many different disciplines, including aspects of biology and psychology, to promote the restoration and maintenance of health in their clients. There are two major categories of nurses: licensed practical nurses and registered nurses. In recent years, efforts have been made by several professional nursing organizations to designate two categories of registered nurses, technical and professional, that would reflect the educational preparation of the individual.

Other Health Professionals

Medicine is not restricted to physicians. A wide variety of health care practitioners work in this exciting field. By far the largest professional group is nurses. Registered nurses help physicians during examinations, treatment, and surgery. They observe, evaluate, and record patients’ symptoms, administer medications, and provide other care (see Nursing). Nurse practitioners perform basic duties once reserved for physicians, such as diagnosing and treating common illnesses and prescribing medication. Certified nurse-midwives care for mothers during pregnancy and deliver babies (see Midwifery). Nurse-anesthetists administer anesthesia to patients during surgery. Licensed practical nurses provide basic bedside care for sick patients under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.

Allied Health Professionals

Audiologists-> Perform hearing tests, determine the extent and cause of hearing loss, and help select treatment. It may include a hearing aid or instruction in lip reading. Audiologists also test workplaces for unsafe noise levels and conduct other hearing-protection programs.

Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians-> Help physicians diagnose and treat heart and blood vessel disorders. Their jobs include obtaining electrocardiograms, graphical images of the heart's electrical activity.

Chiropractors-> Diagnose and treat diseases involving the joints, muscles, and nerves, resulting from misalignments, or subluxations, of bones in the spinal column. By manually adjusting the bones, chiropractors can restore proper alignment and relieve pain and other symptoms. Chiropractors also use techniques such as massage, ultrasound, and diet.

Dietitians-> Help prevent and treat diseases caused by poor eating habits. They may advise individual patients or serve large populations in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other settings.

Electroneurodiagnostic Technologists-> Use an electroencephalograph machine to obtain graphical images of electrical activity in the brain. They help physicians diagnose nervous system disorders.

Emergency Medical Technicians-> Assist victims of accidents and acute illnesses at the scene of accident or injury, and care for patients during transport to a hospital.

Medical Record Technicians-> Medical record technicians organize and check charts and other patient information compiled by other health care practitioners.

Medical Technologists-> Perform laboratory tests on body fluids and tissues. They analyze the results for abnormalities, and send the findings to physicians.

Nuclear Medicine Technologists-> Operate cameras that detect and map radioactive drugs administered to patients to help in diagnosing certain diseases.

Occupational Therapists-> Help patients with disabilities develop, recover, or maintain basic skills needed to work or perform activities of everyday life. They treat individuals with physical disabilities, memory problems, mental retardation, and emotional disorders.

Optometrists and Opticians-> Diagnose and treat certain vision problems and eye diseases. They prescribe eyeglasses and contact lenses to correct vision problems.
Optometrists treat other eye diseases that do not require the advanced training of an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in the eye. Opticians fit patients with contact lenses and eyeglasses, based on prescriptions written by optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Pharmacists-> Dispense medicines prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners. They advise physicians on selection of the safest and most effective drugs. Pharmacists also educate patients on proper use of prescription and non-prescription drugs.

Physician Assistants-> Acting under the direction of a licensed physician, provide diagnoses and prescribe drugs and other therapies to patients with routine illnesses so that the physician can attend to more difficult medical cases. Physician assistants often are the only source of medical help in rural regions where there are few physicians available to service the community.

Physical Therapists-> Prescribe exercises and other treatments to improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent permanent physical disability in patients with injuries or diseases. These include people with low back pain, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, head injuries, amputations, and arthritis.

Podiatrists-> Specialize in diseases and injuries of the foot. They order X rays and laboratory tests, prescribe drugs, perform surgery, set fractures, fit corrective inserts called orthotics, and design corrective shoes.

Radiologic Technologists-> Operate X ray machines and other diagnostic imaging instruments critical for the diagnosis of diseases.

Recreational Therapists-> Use games, sports, dance, arts and crafts, music and other approaches to improve the physical and emotional well-being of patients. The activities help individuals with physical or emotional disabilities build confidence and interact with other people.

Respiratory Therapists-> Evaluate lung capacity in patients with breathing disorders, including premature infants and people with emphysema. They administer medications and other therapy to improve lung function.

Speech-Language Pathologists-> Help people who have speech problems due to hearing loss, brain damage, stroke, cerebral palsy, and other conditions.

Surgical Technologists-> Assist surgeons, registered nurses, and other operating room personnel in ensuring operating room and instruments are sterilized and functioning properly.

Medical Education

 Medical Education is a branch of education devoted to training doctors in the practice of medicine.

Major Medical Specialties:

Allergy and Immunology - Study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the immune system, including allergy, immune deficiency, and autoimmune disease.

Anesthesiology - Use of anesthetic agents to prevent pain during surgical or other painful procedures, and procedures necessary to sustain life and health in anesthetized patients.

Colon and Rectal Surgery - Surgical treatment of disorders of the anus, rectum, and intestines, including enlarged veins around the anus, called hemorrhoids, benign growths called polyps, and colon cancer.

Dermatology - Diagnosis and treatment of disorders and diseases of the skin.

Emergency Medicine - Treatment of patients suffering from sudden, life-threatening injury or illness.

Family Practice - Comprehensive care of individuals of all ages on a long-term basis.

Internal Medicine - Nonsurgical diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the internal organs. Subspecialties of internal medicine include endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, and rheumatology.

Medical Genetics - Study, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic disorders.

Neurological Surgery - Surgical treatment of the nervous system, including the nerves, brain, and spinal cord.

Nuclear Medicine - Use of radioactive substances to diagnose and treat disease.

Obstetrics and Gynecology - Diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the female reproductive system and management of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.

Ophthalmology - Diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the eyes. Includes correction of defective vision, drug therapy, and surgery of the eye.

Orthopedic Surgery - Diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the bones, muscles, and associated structures, such as ligaments and tendons. Includes correction of skeletal malformations and treatment of broken bones and other injuries.

Otolaryngology - Study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the head and neck, such as hearing problems, sinus infections, and cancer of the larynx.

Pathology - Study of the nature of disease and the changes it causes in the body, including structural and physiological changes that take place in cells, tissues, or organs. Pathologists do not usually treat patients.

Pediatrics - Study of the growth and development of children, as well as diagnosis and treatment of diseases in children.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Treatment of disorders by physical means, such as heat, cold, and radiation, to restore function to damaged parts of the body.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - Surgical treatment, usually of superficial parts of the body, to correct conditions that are disabling or disfiguring.

Preventive Medicine - Study and use of various measures to prevent disease, including immunization and public health controls.

Psychiatry and Neurology - Study of the mind and treatment of its disorders, as wells as diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the nervous system.

Radiology - Use of X rays and various other forms of radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Surgery - Use of manual and instrumental procedures called operations in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and injuries.

Thoracic Surgery - Surgery of the chest, including surgery of the heart, lungs, and chest wall.

Urology - Diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract in females and the urogenital tract in males.

Source: American Board of Medical Specialties

Health Care Professionals

Physicians

Physicians diagnose diseases and injuries, administer treatment, and advise patients on good diet and other ways to stay healthy. Some physicians are called Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Both use medicines, surgery, and other standard methods of treating disease. DOs place special emphasis on problems involving the musculoskeletal system, which includes muscles, ligaments, bones, and joints.

Patients receive medical care from primary care doctors and specialists. Primary care doctors include general practitioners, family physicians, general internists, and general pediatricians. Many women also use obstetricians-gynecologists as primary care doctors. Patients usually consult a primary care doctor when they first become ill or injured. Primary care physicians can treat most common disorders, and provide comprehensive, lifelong care for individuals and families.

See also: Medical Education; Other Health Professionals