There are 26 medical specialties that start with the letter A. From Abdominal Imaging to Audiology. Medical specialties are fields within medicine that focus on specific functions, patient populations, or types of diseases. They have evolved to address the increasing complexity of healthcare, enabling practitioners to hone their skills and knowledge in particular areas. Specialists typically undergo extensive training that includes residency programs and sometimes additional fellowships, allowing them to provide advanced care and treatment options. The diversification into various specialties ensures that patients receive expert diagnosis and management of their medical conditions, thus enhancing the quality of care.
An interesting fact about medical specialties is that many of them have unique subspecialties that have developed around advancements in technology and research. For instance, within internal medicine, there are subspecialties like cardiology and gastroenterology that focus on specific organ systems or diseases, demonstrating a continuous evolution of medical practice to incorporate new knowledge and techniques.
Here’s what each of the columns in the table means:
Focus Area: This column indicates the primary domain or aspect of health care that the specialty addresses, such as cardiology focusing on heart diseases or pediatrics centering on children’s health.
Training Required: This column specifies the education and training commitments needed to practice within the specialty, typically involving medical school, residency, and possibly fellowships for further specialization.
Common Procedures: This column outlines the typical medical interventions or treatments that practitioners in the specialty perform regularly, such as surgeries, diagnostic tests, or therapeutic measures.
Description: This column provides a brief overview of the specialty, including its scope of practice, the types of conditions treated, and the patient population served, giving insight into the role of the medical specialty in overall healthcare.
Medical specialties That Start With A
| Medical specialties | focus area | training required | common procedures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal Imaging | Abdominal Pain | Abdominal Radiology | Abusive Head Trauma |
| Abdominal Radiology | Focuses on the imaging and interpretation of the abdomen and pelvis. | Requires a medical degree, residency in radiology, and fellowship training in abdominal imaging. | CT scans, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy |
| Addiction Medicine | Specializes in the prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of addictive disorders, including substance abuse and behavioral addictions. | Requires a medical degree, residency in a primary care specialty, and additional training in addiction medicine. | Medication-assisted treatment, psychotherapy, counseling |
| Addiction Psychiatry | Diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse and dependency disorders | Completed residency in psychiatry, plus 1-2 years of additional fellowship training | Medication management, psychotherapy, addiction counseling |
| Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology | Diagnosis and management of advanced heart failure, including transplantation and mechanical circulatory support | Completed residency in cardiology, plus 1-2 years of additional fellowship training | Heart transplantation, left ventricular assist device implantation, management of end-stage heart failure |
| Aerospace and Operational Physiology | Assessing and maintaining the health, safety, and performance of individuals in aerospace and other extreme environments. | Specialized medical training in aerospace medicine, physiology, and occupational health. | Physical examinations, stress testing, hyperbaric chamber testing. |
| Aerospace Medicine | Focuses on the health and safety of individuals working in aviation, space, and other aerospace environments. | Requires a medical degree, residency in preventive medicine or family medicine, and additional training in aerospace medicine. | Fitness evaluations, altitude chamber testing, space medicine |
| Age-Related Macular Degeneration | Diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older adults | Completed residency in ophthalmology | Anti-VEGF injections, laser therapy, low vision rehabilitation |
| Agranulocytosis | Acquired or inherited deficiency of granulocytes (a type of white blood cell). | Training in hematology and internal medicine. | Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, medication management. |
| Allergic and Immunologic Diseases | Diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immunologic conditions, including asthma, hay fever, and autoimmune disorders | Completed residency in internal medicine or pediatrics, plus 2-3 years of additional fellowship training | Allergy testing, immunotherapy, biologic therapies |
| Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis | Hypersensitivity reaction to the fungus Aspergillus in the lungs. | Specialized training in allergy, immunology, and pulmonary medicine. | Allergy testing, corticosteroid therapy, antifungal medications. |
| Allergy and Immunology | Specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of allergic, asthmatic, and immunologic conditions. | Requires a medical degree, residency in pediatrics or internal medicine, and additional training in allergy and immunology. | Skin tests, immunotherapy, biologic treatments |
| Alopecia Areata | An autoimmune condition that causes hair loss in circular patterns. | Dermatology training with expertise in hair and scalp disorders. | Topical and intralesional corticosteroids, immunotherapy, and other hair growth-promoting treatments. |
| Altitude Sickness | Physiological response to rapid exposure to high-altitude environments. | Specialized training in aerospace medicine, high-altitude physiology, and emergency medicine. | Oxygen therapy, medication management, descent to lower altitudes. |
| Anatomic and Clinical Pathology | Diagnosis of diseases through the examination of tissues, cells, and bodily fluids | Completed residency in pathology | Tissue biopsy interpretation, laboratory test analysis, autopsies |
| Anatomic Pathology | Specializes in the examination and interpretation of tissues and cells to diagnose diseases. | Requires a medical degree, residency in pathology, and potential additional training in subspecialties. | Tissue biopsies, autopsies, frozen section analysis |
| Andrology | Focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of male reproductive and sexual health issues. | Requires a medical degree, residency in urology or other relevant specialty, and potential additional training in andrology. | Male infertility treatments, erectile dysfunction management, genital reconstructive surgery |
| Anesthesiology | Focuses on the administration of anesthesia and the management of pain during surgical, obstetric, and other medical procedures. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and potential additional training in subspecialties. | General anesthesia, regional anesthesia, pain management |
| Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine | Specializes in the care of critically ill and injured patients, including those in intensive care units and emergency departments. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and additional training in critical care medicine. | Ventilator management, hemodynamic monitoring, trauma resuscitation |
| Anesthesiology Obstetric | Provision of anesthesia services for obstetric patients, including during labor and delivery | Completed residency in anesthesiology, with additional training in obstetric anesthesia | Epidural anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, general anesthesia for cesarean sections |
| Anesthesiology Pain Medicine | Specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and additional training in pain medicine. | Epidural injections, nerve blocks, spinal cord stimulation |
| Anesthesiology Pediatric | Specializes in the administration of anesthesia and pain management for children and adolescents. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and additional training in pediatric anesthesiology. | General anesthesia, regional anesthesia, pain management for pediatric patients |
| Anesthesiology Perioperative Medicine | Focuses on the comprehensive care of surgical patients, from pre-operative assessment to post-operative management. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and potential additional training in perioperative medicine. | Pre-operative risk assessment, intraoperative management, post-operative care |
| Anesthesiology Transplant | Focuses on the anesthetic management and peri-operative care of patients undergoing solid organ or tissue transplantation. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and additional training in transplant anesthesiology. | Anesthesia for organ procurement, intraoperative monitoring, post-operative care |
| Anesthesiology Trauma | Specializes in the provision of anesthesia and critical care for patients with traumatic injuries. | Requires a medical degree, residency in anesthesiology, and additional training in trauma anesthesiology. | Rapid sequence induction, damage control resuscitation, management of traumatic injuries |
| Audiology | Focuses on the diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation of hearing and balance disorders. | Requires a doctoral degree in audiology, including clinical training. | Hearing assessments, hearing aid fitting, balance testing |
Descriptions
Abdominal Imaging
Acanthocheilonemiasis
Abdominal Radiology
Abdominal radiologists specialize in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, and reproductive organs.
Addiction Medicine
Addiction medicine physicians work to help patients overcome substance use disorders and other addictions, improving their overall health and quality of life.
Addiction Psychiatry
Subspecialty that focuses on the psychiatric aspects of substance abuse and addiction. Treats patients with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Subspecialty that provides specialized care for patients with advanced and end-stage heart failure, including those awaiting or having undergone heart transplantation.
Aerospace and Operational Physiology
Focuses on the unique physiological challenges faced by individuals in aviation, spaceflight, and other high-performance environments, ensuring their optimal health and function.
Aerospace Medicine
Aerospace medicine physicians ensure the medical well-being of pilots, astronauts, and other aerospace personnel, addressing the unique physiological and psychological challenges of working in extreme environments.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Subspecialty that specializes in the management of age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can lead to central vision loss in older individuals.
Agranulocytosis
A potentially life-threatening condition characterized by a severe reduction in white blood cells, leaving the individual vulnerable to infections. Requires prompt diagnosis and treatment to manage the underlying cause.
Allergic and Immunologic Diseases
Subspecialty that focuses on the identification and management of a wide range of allergic and immune-mediated conditions.
Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis
An immune system overreaction to the Aspergillus fungus, leading to inflammation and damage in the lungs. Requires careful management to prevent respiratory complications and progressive lung disease.
Allergy and Immunology
Allergy and immunology physicians help patients with a variety of disorders, including food allergies, asthma, eczema, and autoimmune diseases, using a range of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Alopecia Areata
A common, non-scarring form of hair loss that can affect the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair. The exact cause is not fully understood, but it is believed to be an autoimmune disorder.
Altitude Sickness
A range of symptoms, from mild headaches to life-threatening cerebral or pulmonary edema, caused by the decreased oxygen levels at high altitudes. Proper acclimatization and management are crucial to prevent complications.
Anatomic and Clinical Pathology
Subspecialty that combines the expertise of anatomic pathology (the study of tissue samples) and clinical pathology (the analysis of body fluids and laboratory tests) to provide comprehensive diagnostic services.
Anatomic Pathology
Anatomic pathologists play a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of medical conditions, using microscopic examination and other advanced techniques to analyze samples from the body.
Andrology
Andrologists specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect a man’s ability to reproduce or engage in sexual activity, such as low sperm count, erectile dysfunction, and genital abnormalities.
Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologists are responsible for ensuring the safety and comfort of patients undergoing surgery or other medical interventions, monitoring vital signs and adjusting anesthesia levels accordingly.
Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine
Anesthesiology critical care medicine physicians provide advanced life support and comprehensive care for patients with life-threatening conditions, working closely with other healthcare providers to optimize patient outcomes.
Anesthesiology Obstetric
Subspecialty that specializes in the administration of anesthesia and pain management for pregnant women, including during labor, delivery, and postpartum care.
Anesthesiology Pain Medicine
Anesthesiology pain medicine physicians use a variety of interventional and non-interventional techniques to manage pain, helping patients improve their quality of life and function.
Anesthesiology Pediatric
Pediatric anesthesiologists have specialized expertise in the unique physiological and developmental needs of children, providing safe and effective anesthesia and pain control for a wide range of pediatric surgical and medical procedures.
Anesthesiology Perioperative Medicine
Anesthesiology perioperative medicine physicians work to optimize the care of surgical patients, ensuring their safety and well-being throughout the entire surgical experience.
Anesthesiology Transplant
Transplant anesthesiologists play a critical role in the successful outcome of organ transplant procedures, managing the complex physiological changes and potential complications associated with these complex surgeries.
Anesthesiology Trauma
Trauma anesthesiologists are essential members of the trauma team, responsible for providing anesthesia and hemodynamic support to critically injured patients, often in the setting of the emergency department or operating room.
Audiology
Audiologists are healthcare professionals who specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating hearing and balance problems, helping patients improve their communication, safety, and quality of life.
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