Understanding Medical Specialties: A Plain-Language Guide
Medical specialty names come mostly from Greek and Latin, which is why they tell you so little. Here is what each of the main specialties actually covers, in ordinary language, organized by the part of the body involved.
The generalist
Primary care physicians handle everyday illness, preventive care, chronic disease management, and the initial evaluation of almost anything. They are also the people who decide which specialist you need. This is the right starting point whenever your symptoms are unclear.
Heart and lungs
Cardiologists treat the heart and blood vessels, including chest pain, palpitations, and high blood pressure. Pulmonologists treat the lungs, including asthma, chronic cough, and breathing difficulty. These two overlap frequently, because breathlessness can originate in either.
Brain, nerves, and mind
Neurologists treat the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, covering migraine, seizures, numbness, tremor, and memory problems. Psychiatrists treat mental health conditions and can prescribe medication. The distinction is roughly hardware versus function, though in practice the two intersect.
Bones, joints, and movement
Orthopedists treat bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Most orthopedic care involves physical therapy, injections, or bracing rather than surgery, despite the specialty being surgical in name.
Digestion
Gastroenterologists treat the digestive tract from the esophagus to the colon, plus the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. They also perform screening colonoscopies.
Skin, eyes, ears
Dermatologists treat skin, hair, and nails. Ophthalmologists are medical eye doctors who can prescribe and operate. ENTs treat the ears, nose, throat, and sinuses. These three are among the easiest to route to, because the affected area is visible or clearly localized.
Urinary and reproductive
Urologists treat the urinary tract in all patients and the male reproductive system. OB-GYNs treat female reproductive health and pregnancy. Pelvic symptoms often sit at the boundary between these two and gastroenterology.
Specialties we do not yet cover
This site currently covers twelve specialties. Others you may be referred to include rheumatology for inflammatory arthritis, endocrinology for hormones and diabetes, oncology for cancer, nephrology for kidneys, and allergy and immunology. Your primary care physician can direct you to these.
Still unsure?
Specialty names describe organs, but symptoms rarely announce which organ they come from. If you cannot map your symptom to a system, that is normal, and it is what our symptom finder is designed for.
Related reading
Sources
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine (medlineplus.gov)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
- Relevant national medical specialty association guidance