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A medical education can lead
to a wide variety of specialisations which include:
Medical specialities cover a wide range of role
ranging from accident and emergency to clinical
genetics. They cover most of the conditions fore
which people are admitted to hospital. Many of
the specialties focus on particular organs such
as the heart (cardiology), or disease processes
such as cancers (oncology). Below is a list of
the main areas of speciality in medicine and broad
definition of what these areas of speciality cover
Accident and emergency is new, it is exciting
and it is an expanding speciality. It is the only
hospital-based speciality where a complete spectrum
of illness and injury are managed. A & E doctors
are generalists, in the broadest sense of the
term, who specialise is resuscitation. A number
also develop their own sub-speciality interest.
Personal qualities should include:
· A dynamic approach and an interest in
decision making
· Ability to ct as part of a team
· Ability to cope with a constantly varying
workload.
Allergy is a clinical speciality, which has scientific
roots in the discipline of immunology. It shares
with immunology many of the same laboratory techniques,
but those who practise clinically in the speciality
are unlikely to be called upon to direct service
laboratory departments. They may, however, run
research laboratories.
All aspects of the investigation, diagnosis and
management of hearing impaired ands balance disordered
children and adults, as well as children with
disorders of communication.
Encompasses the diagnosis, assessment and management
of patients with cardiovascular disease. This
popular speciality is high profile, exciting and
demanding. Careful analytical skills are essential
and decisive action can be life saving. Most consultants
divide their time between inpatient and outpatient
clinical duties including coronary care and investigation/interventional
procedures. This is the cutting edge of medicine
with the rapid translation of academic research
to clinical practise.
The diagnosis of disorders and birth defects
caused by genetic mechanisms and with risk estimation
and genetic counselling of family members. Clinical
geneticists need a wide range of clinical skills
since genetic disorders can effect people of all
ages and all body systems. Communication skills
are particularly important in transmitting complex
concepts and test results to families to enable
them to choose appropriate options.
Clinical pharmacology is a sub speciality of
General Medicine and physicians who specialise
in it are experts in the effectiveness, safety
and cost effectiveness of drug treatment.
Dermatology is a rapidly developing medical speciality,
which requires knowledge of Skin Physiology and
Pharmacology. There is increasing demand from
the public and general practitioners for specialised
dermatological care. Dermatology is also an essential
part of General Practise and a high proportion
of GP consultations are for skin disorders.
The speciality of Diabetes and Endocrinology
is concerned with hormone under and overproduction.
It is mainly an outpatient speciality.
General Internal medicine (GIM) encompasses the
full breadth of adult medical practise with responsibility
for both acute and emergencies and continuing
care.
The core work relates to sexually transmitted
infections. A large part of the work in many areas
is now involved in the clinical management of
patients with HIV infection at all stages of disease,
possibly including inpatient management. GUM is,
in the main, a nine-to-five speciality that has
the attractions of allowing specialists to lead
a normal life out of medicine, in particular with
adequate time not only to raise a family, but
to enjoy it too!
Concerned with the clinical, preventive, remedial
and social aspects of illness in older people.
Clinical Geriatrics is rapidly evolving into both
a hospital-based speciality and a speciality concerned
with community care.
Managing an emergency admission to a hospital
of a patient suffering from severe infection and
managing sever infections. It also requires a
practical knowledge of common clinical diagnostic
procedures.
A surgical/oncological sub-speciality, which
is involved in solely delivering cytotoxic and
biological agents in the management of solid diseases
(cancer etc.) Medical Oncology is part of a large
team of specialist oncologists within Cancer Centres.
This remains a very attractive speciality and
it is becoming increasingly outpatient based.
Neurology is about the nervous system and with
the recent advances in neuroscience the speciality
is becoming increasingly involved with acute medical
problems, in particular, stroke.
Clinical physiology is a branch of the neuroscience
that is concerned with the investigation of neurological
disease by techniques, which depend upon the electrical
properties of neural tissue and muscle. The speciality
is primarily involved with the diagnosis of nerve
entrapments, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy and
opthalmological disease.
Encompasses a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic
clinical procedures using radioactive substances.
Nuclear Medicine posts are daytime jobs in larger
teaching hospitals and provide ample patient contact.
Occupational Medicine specialises in the diagnosis,
management and prevention of disease due to, or
exacerbated by workplace factors. It is concerned
with all aspects of the effects of work on health
and health on work.
Concerned with diseases of the hearts I the growing
and developing individual. This speciality is
well suited to those who enjoy the satisfaction
of dealing directly with emergency problems in
neonates and infants.
The appropriate medical care of patients with
advanced and progressive disease for whom the
focus of care is the quality of life and in whom
the prognosis is limited. Control of pain, or
other symptoms and of psychological, social and
spiritual problems is paramount. Palliative Medicine
includes consideration of the family needs and
after the patient's death.
Rehabilitation Medicine is a speciality that
deals with physical disabilities acquired from
disease or trauma. Neurological disease forms
a substantial part of the caseload. This speciality
attracts people with enthusiasm who have a desire
to devote a "hands-on" commitment to
their careers with the potential for considerable
scientific and academic development.
Nephrology as a speciality involves the long-term
care of patients with a broad range of renal and
other disorders. Many types of renal diseases
have a chronic and often progressive course.
Respiratory diseases are found at the hub of
medical practise. Respiratory Medicine links to
many other disciplines with great advances occurring
in our understanding about how the lungs are affected
by allergens, organisms, occupation, pollution
and diet. Consultants are usually undertake General
internal Medicine as well as with emergency on-call
commitments.
The speciality that deals with a group of conditions
collectively called "rheumatic or musculo-skeletal
disease". The term covers over 200 conditions
affecting joints, bones, soft tissues and muscles.
Arthritis is the biggest cause of physical disability
in the UK.
If you are interested in medicine and would like
to specialise in any of the areas defined above
then contact the British Medical Association via
their website www.bma.org.uk
or get more advice from the NHS www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
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