impaired musculoskeletal, neurological, and
other body system disabilities. Patients of
all ages are treated. Their problem may have
originated due to brain or spinal cord dam-
age or as the result of accidents. Physiatrists
seek to positively impact upon patients'
physical, psychosocial, and career-related
activities as well as seek remission of pain.
Contact Organization: American Academy of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Plastic Surgery. These
specialists apply their surgical skills to rectify body
disfigure-
ments. The source of the impaired area may be
due to a birth defect, injury, disease, or
aging process. Aside from being surgically
highly skilled, one needs a strong aesthetic
sense to achieve the desirable results in both
reconstructive and cosmetic undertakings.
Much of the procedures are carried out on an
ambulatory basis.
Contact Organization: American Academy of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Preventive Medicine. This field is involved in population-based approaches to
environ-
mental health promotion and disease prevention.
Physicians in this field are employed
by government agencies, managed care
organizations, industry, and academic institu-
tions. It involves, in addition to knowledge of
general preventive medicine, a back-
ground in epidemiology, informatics, and
biostatistics.
Contact Organization: American College of
Preventive Medicine.
Psychiatry. Specialists in this area diagnose diseases of the mind. They
treat a very
broad spectrum of mental illness. While usually
practicing in an office-based setting,
they also see patients in psychiatric hospitals
and community health and substance
abuse centers. The impressive development in
potent psychotropic medications has
broadened this field potential for
treatment.
Contact Organization: American Psychiatric
Association.
Public Health. This is
a subspecialty of preventive medicine. It deals with health
issues
capable of or affecting entire communities, in
addition to individuals. To promote health
and understand the possible danger of disease
or risky situations, these specialists evalu-
ate relevant community information, develop
suitable protective public health policies,
and seek to facilitate achieving set goals.
Those in this field work for government agen-
cies and private health organizations, as well
as academic and research institutions.
Contact Organization: American College of
Preventive Medicine.
Surgery. The area of
general surgery covers the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
of
and injuries to the abdominal organs and the
soft tissues of the trunk. It forms the basis
for subspecialization in a wide variety of
areas. General surgeons require five years of
training and usually have a short-term contract
with their patients.
Contact Organization: American College of
Surgeons.
Thoracic Surgery. These subspecialists apply their surgical skills to treat
diseases of
and injuries to the heart and lungs as well as
other components of the chest. Common
procedures are coronary artery bypass, heart
valve repair, and lung lesions. This is a
very stressful specialty, given the physical
and emotional demands involved. It requires
lengthy training of up to six
years.
Contact Organization: American College of
Surgeons.
Urology. In males,
these specialists treat diseases of and injuries to the urethras,
bladder,
prostate, and genitals. In females they are
concerned with the first two of these organs.
Contact Organization: American College of
Urologists.
Vascular Surgery. This
subspecialty of general surgery is associated with the
diagnosis
and treatment of diseases of the arterial,
venous, and lymphatic systems. To maintain an
active practice, many of these specialists
combine their practice with that of general
surgery.
Contact Organization: American Association for
Vascular Surgery.
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