Classifications

Hospitalists

Hospitalists help primary care doctors and other specialists care for their patients while in the hospital. They follow patients from the time they are admitted until the time of discharge, in frequent contact and coordination of care with the primary doctor.

Hospitalists also serve on hospital committees and administrative positions, do research, and work in areas like medical education and quality improvement. They also coordinate communication between all physicians involved in a patient's care, handle process management, discharge planning ,and communicate with the patient's family.

Anesthesiologists

Anesthesiologists are physicians who administer anesthetics during surgery or other medical procedures. Their focus is on the care of patients and relieving their pain. Similar to other physicians, they evaluate and treat patients and direct efforts of their staff. They also communicate with other physicians and surgeons before, during and after an operation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics dubs them as "critical care specialists."

General Surgery

A general surgeon is a medical doctor who possesses the advanced training and experience, as well as the license, to perform operations on several areas of the body. General surgeons are qualified to operate on the following areas: abdomen, alimentary tract, soft tissue, endocrine system, head, and neck.

Family Practitioner

These are physicians who are trained to practice preventive medicine and diagnose and treat illness or diseases. These doctors are known as family practitioners, but are also called family doctors or primary physicians. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 50 percent of physicians practice primary care. According to familydoctor.org, primary care physicians lower health care costs and death rates among their patients who regularly see them for preventive care and illnesses.

Internal Medicine

Internal medicine physicians have knowledge of multiple body systems, how they interact, and treatidiseases of all internal organs and systems. They often serve as diagnosticians and consultants. According to the American College of Physicians, internal medicine doctors focus on diagnosing and treating adult diseases.

Emergency Medicine

Emergency physicians are also called Emergency Room (ER) physicians, Emergency Department (ED) physicians or emergency ward (EW) physicians. They provide primary care to the host of patients entering hospital ERs with illnesses and injuries covering a broad spectrum, from acute infections to life-threatening conditions.

Orthopedic Surgery

The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a surgeon as a physician who specializes "in the treatment of injury, disease and deformity through operations." Orthopedists mend broken bones, repair torn ligaments and tendons, and when possible repair the effects of age or stress-related deterioration.

OB-GYN

An Obstetrician/Gynecologist, or OB-GYN, is a physician who specializes in the health of the female reproductive system (gynecology) and manages women before and immediately after pregnancy (obstetrics). These physicians tend to the needs of women from the beginning of pregnancy to childbirth. The doctor's obstetrics duties include monitoring the mother and fetus to ensure both are healthy during the nine-month process. They are also responsible for delivering the baby, either naturally or by cesarean section, and making sure the baby and mother are healthy.