Geriatric Medicine. This is a relatively new subspecialty of medicine that
involves pri-
mary medical and psychosocial care of senior
citizens. There is an increasing demand
for such specialists as the population rapidly
ages. The demand will be accelerated as
the current small group of certified
gerontologists retires. Geriatric physicians usually
work in conjunction with a multispecialty team
of medical and nonmedical profession-
als. There also are opportunities aside from
private practice in the academic community
or corporate medicine.
Contact Organization: American Geriatric
Society.
Hand Surgery. This is a
subspecialty of general orthopedic or plastic surgery. It
deals
with diseases of or injuries to the hand or
forearm. This specialty utilizes the many
developed microsurgical techniques derived from
the fields of plastic and orthopedic
surgery. The surgical procedures used can
usually be performed on an outpatient basis.
Contact Organization: American Association of
Hand Surgery.
Hematology-Oncology. These two distinct subspecialties are linked together by
both
training and practice. Hematology involves the
diagnosis and treatment of blood dis-
eases, while oncology is associated with
cancer-type illnesses. Advances in these two
fields have allowed for therapeutic results
that can provide for the extension of life. Pre-
liminary specialization in internal medicine is
required in this office-based specialty, but
significant in-patient service and night calls
can be anticipated.
Contact Organizations: American Society of
Hematology and The American Soci-
ety of Clinical Oncology.
Infectious Diseases. Another subspecialty of internal medicine, this involves the
diag-
nosis and treatment of infectious diseases. The
status of this subspecialty initially was
revitalized due to the introduction of
antibiotics. It now flourishes because of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic, the bioterrorism threat, and
development of drug-resistant bacte-
ria. The physicians may be involved in internal
medicine practice in addition to working
in this area directly or as a
consultant.
Contact Organization: Infectious Disease
Society of America.
Internal Medicine. This specialty provides training for those interested in
becoming
general internists as well as for a large
variety of potential medical subspecialists. It can
also be combined in an internal
medicine-pediatric residency. The general internist
treats adults suffering from both acute and
chronic diseases and also provides primary
care facilitating health maintenance. The
status of this specialty has become elevated
with the flourishing of HMOs.
Contact Organization: American College of
Physicians–American Society of Inter-
nal Medicine.
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.
These pediatric subspecialists provide medical
care to
newborns in the intensive care unit who usually
are placed there because they are born
prematurely. They are qualified to provide the
medical intervention that is so essential
for survival. They direct a team of ancillary
professionals needed to provide a variety of
services.
Contact Organization: American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Nephrology. This
subspecialty of internal medicine is involved in the diagnosis
and
nonsurgical treatment of kidney and urinary
tract diseases. It is essentially an office-
based practice, usually treating older adults
suffering from chronic kidney disease who
require long-term care. The service provided
usually is associated with managing dialy-
sis and providing care for kidney transplant
patients.
Contact Organization: American Society of
Nephrology.
Neurological Surgery. This surgical subspecialty deals with the management of
lesions
of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves,
and their supporting structures. While com-
monly a surgical approach is the treatment of
choice, it need not always be so. This is a
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