Medical Terminology: Specialties and Specialists

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering terms, definitions, roots, and suffixes for medical specialties and specialists based on Lecture 3 - Part 1.

Specialty

A specific science, discipline, study, or subject, also referring to a branch of medicine or surgery.

Specialist

A physician (medical doctor) or expert who has special training in and knowledge of a particular area of medicine or medical sciences.

Family Medicine

A field of medicine focused on providing comprehensive primary care for individuals of all ages.

Paediatrics

The branch of medicine dealing with diagnosing and treating the diseases and disorders of children (root: paed = rearing of children).

Geriatrics

The branch of medicine dealing with diagnosing and treating the diseases and disorders of older people (root: ger = old age).

Orthopaedics

The area of medicine dealing with disorders and injuries of the bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments (root: ortho = straight).

Rheumatology

A medical specialty focusing on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affecting joints and connective tissues (root: rheum = flow).

Neurology

The discipline involving the study and treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves (root: neur/o = nerve).

Radiology

A medical specialty concerned with diagnosing and treating diseases using imaging technologies such as X-ray, CT, and MRI (root: radi/o = radiation).

Anesthesiology

A field focusing on anesthesia, pain control, and perioperative patient care (root: esthesia = sensation).

Psychiatry

The branch of medicine dealing with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders (root: psych = mind; suffix: -iatry = treatment).

Immunology

The branch of medicine and biological sciences concerned with immunity, diagnosing and treating disorders of the body's immune system.

Cardiology

The field of medicine dealing with diseases of the heart and blood vessels (root: cardi/o = heart).

Hematology

The specialty involving the study and treatment of blood and blood-forming organs (root: hemat/o = blood).

Lymphology

The branch of medicine focusing on the lymphatic system and related disorders (root: lymph = lymph fluid).

Oncology

The medical specialty dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer (root: onc/o = mass, tumor).

Pulmonology

The field focusing on diseases of the lungs and respiratory system (roots: pulmon/o = lung, pneum/o = air).

Otorhinolaryngology

The medical specialty dealing with diseases of the ear, nose, and throat (roots: oto = ear, rhino = nose, laryngo = throat).

Ophthalmology

The branch of medicine focusing on eye diseases and vision care (root: ophthalm/o = eye).

Gastroenterology

The medical specialty dealing with the digestive system and related organs (roots: gastr/o = stomach, enter/o = intestine).

Nephrology

The field focusing on kidney function and kidney diseases (root: nephr/o = kidney).

Urology

The medical specialty dealing with the urinary tract and male reproductive system (root: ur/o = urine).

Dermatology

The field of medicine focusing on diseases of the skin, hair, and nails (root: dermat/o = skin).

Endocrinology

The branch of medicine dealing with diagnosing and treating diseases of the endocrine system, including hormones and hormone-secreting glands (root: crin/o = to secrete).

Gynecology

The branch of medicine dealing with diagnosing and treating diseases of the female reproductive systems (root: gynec/o = woman).

Obstetrics

The branch of medicine and surgery concerned with pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care (root: obstetr = midwife).

Dentistry

The field of medical science focusing on diseases of the teeth, gums, and oral cavity (root: dent/o = tooth).

Pharmacology

The scientific discipline studying drugs, their origins, composition, actions, therapeutic uses, and effects on the body, including toxicology (root: pharmac/o = drug).

Neonatology

The medical specialty focusing on the care of newborn infants, especially premature or ill babies (roots: neo = new, nat/o = birth).

Pathology

The branch of medicine involving the study of disease processes and laboratory diagnosis (root: path/o = disease).

Emergency Medicine

The medical specialty focusing on acute, urgent, and life-threatening conditions.

General Surgery

The field involving operative treatment for diseases and injuries, focusing on surgical interventions to improve patient health.

Infectious Diseases Specialty

The medical specialty focusing on infections caused by microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Palliative Medicine

A medical specialty focused on symptom relief and improving quality of life for patients with serious illnesses.

Specialty Suffixes

Suffixes most commonly used to indicate a specialty, including -logy, -iatry, -practic, -iatrics, -istry, and -ics.

Specialist Suffixes

Suffixes most commonly used to indicate a specialist, including -logist, -iatrist, -practor, -iatrician, and -ist.