If you or a loved one is living with a chronic illness, you’ve probably been to at least one specialist. Those of you who have diseases that affect more than one part of the body have probably been to several different specialists.
But do you know who does what? Do you know what specialist to go see for what symptoms? That’s what we’re going to cover in this article. But before we dive into the different specialties, lets take a look at exactly what a specialist is.
What is a Specialist?
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A specialist is a physician (medical doctor) who has undergone extensive training in one area of medicine. They must complete a residency and then pass a rigorous exam to become board certified in their chosen specialty. Depending on the specialty, the residency can take anywhere from 3-7 years.
After an aspiring doctor finishes medical school, they have to do at least a one-year internship before they can get licensed to practice medicine. But most doctors don’t stop there: they go on to do an additional multiple-year residency. A residency is specialized training and experience in one particular area of medicine.
Doctors who get licensed and start practicing medicine right after their internship are called general practitioners (GPs). They can diagnose illnesses and prescribe medications, but aren’t board certified and haven’t completed a residency. Most doctors, however, do choose to do a residency and specialize in one area of medicine.
General practitioners are capable of diagnosing and treating common medical ailments like colds, the flu, high blood pressure, etc. But for those of us living with rare and chronic medical conditions, our symptoms are often beyond the scope of the average GP. For us, we need to see one or more specialists.
But do you know what specialist to see for what symptom? There are over two-dozen specialties, some with dozens of subspecialties. If you include all the specialties and subspecialties, there are hundreds. Now, we’re not going to go over every single subspecialty. But we’re going to take a look a variety of specialists, what they do, who they treat, and how much training they have.
The Different Types of Medical Specialists
When you go to your primary care physician (PCP) for something that is beyond their scope of practice, they will refer you to a specialist. While you don’t have to know the different types of specialists, it definitely comes in handy – especially if you’re living with a rare or chronic disease. Here are the most common specialists you’re likely to be referred to by your PCP (in alphabetical order).
Allergist/Immunologist
These specialists are board certified to treat allergies, diseases of the respiratory tract, and immune system disorders. While allergists and immunologists are technically different areas of medicine, there is a lot of overlap between the two. Doctors wanting to become either an allergist or an immunologist must complete an allergist/immunologist fellowship.
But before a doctor can even begin their allergist/immunologist training, they must first complete a three-year residency in either internal medicine or pediatrics. Then they need to complete an additional two years allergist/immunologist fellowship before they can take the exam and get board certified. Here are just some of the diseases that allergists and immunologists treat:
Asthma- Food and drug allergies
- Immune deficiencies
- Lung diseases
Anesthesiologist
I used to think that the only thing anesthesiologists did was knock you out before surgery. But then I was referred to one at a pain management clinic and realized they do a lot more. Anesthesiologists not only do anesthesia, they also help patients with pain relief.
Anesthesiologists spend at least three years doing a residency, but most do four years. Then they can take the exam and become board certified. Anesthesiologists work in hospitals, clinics, and other settings. If you’re going to have surgery, you’ll want an anesthesiologist there to put you under, bring you back, and provide pain relief after. Or if you suffer from chronic pain, you may want to see an anesthesiologist to discuss your pain relief options.
Cardiologist
If you’re having heart problems, this is the specialist you want to see. Cardiologists specialize in diseases of the heart, cardiovascular system, and related conditions. While a primary care physician can treat some cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, you’ll want to see a cardiologist for anything more serious.
To become a cardiologist, you must first complete a three-year residency in internal medicine. Then, an additional two-to-three-year fellowship in cardiology is required before you can take the exam and become board certified. From there, cardiologists can specialize even further, completing an additional fellowship in a cardiology subspecialty. Here are just some of the conditions cardiologists treat:
- Heart disease
- Cardiovascular disease
Congenital heart defects- Coronary artery disease
- Heart aneurysms
- Angina
- Arrhythmia
Dermatologist
These doctors specialize in diseases of the skin, hair, and nails. They provide a number of services including scar removal, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, punch grafts, collagen injections, and more. And, of course, dermatologists can prescribe medications for a variety of skin disorders.
To become a dermatologist, you must first complete a three-year residency in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, or a related discipline. Then, you must go on to complete an addition three-to-four-year residency in dermatology. After your dermatology residency, you can take the exam and become board certified. Some dermatologists go on to complete an addition fellowship, subspecializing in one particular area of dermatology.
Emergency Medicine
Have you ever had to suffer through the torture of going to the emergency room? The doctors who work in the ER are highly trained specialists in emergency medicine. They’re trained to deal with a variety of emergency medical situations like heart attacks, strokes, gunshots, stabbings, and car accidents.
Doctors who wish to become board certified in emergency medicine must complete a three-to-four-year residency. Some emergency physicians choose to subspecialize by doing an additional fellowship. Emergency medicine subspecialties include sports medicine, pediatric emergency medicine, and undersea and hyperbaric medicine.
Endocrinologist
These are doctors who specialize in disorders of the endocrine system. This is the bodily system that regulates hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Some common endocrine system disorders include diabetes, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, pituitary gland disorders, and others.
To become an endocrinologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine, pediatrics, or obstetrics and gynecology. Then, they must do a two-to-three-year fellowship in endocrinology. From there they can subspecialize in areas that include clinical, pediatric, and reproductive endocrinology.
Family Medicine
While most specialties focus on one area of the body, these next two specialties focus on the entire patient. Family medicine specialists are trained to treat a wide variety of ailments in patients of all ages. A lot of primary care physicians (PCPs) are family medicine specialists.
To become board certified in family medicine, a doctor has to complete a three-year residency. Their training includes rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics, general surgery, and inpatient hospital care. Family physicians can subspecialize in a number of areas including geriatric medicine, adolescent medicine, and sports medicine.
Gastroenterologist
These are doctors who specialize in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, all the way from your mouth to your butt. They perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including liver biopsies, colonoscopies, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and other hard-to-pronounce procedures.
To become a gastroenterologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine. Then, they must do an additional two-to-three-year fellowship in gastroenterology.
Hematologist
If Dracula was a doctor, he would’ve been a hematologist. These are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating blood disorders. Hematologists treat things like blood clots, hemophilia, bleeding disorders, and blood cancers like lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukemia.
To become a hematologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine. Then they must do an additional three-year fellowship in hematology (or hematology/oncology). After that they can sit for the exam and get board certified.
Infectious Disease Specialist
These are doctors who specialize in – you guessed it – infectious diseases. They are trained to diagnose and treat complex infections. Infectious disease specialists also often manage patients with immune system diseases like HIV/AIDS. Though I’ve never been to one myself, I’ve known people who have seen one of these specialists for their autoimmune disease.
To become an infectious disease specialist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine. Then they must do an additional two-to-three-year infectious disease fellowship before they can take the exam and get board certified.
Internist (Internal Medicine)
A doctor who specializes in internal medicine, like family medicine, treats illnesses of the entire body. However, unlike family physicians who are trained to work with patients of all ages, internal medicine focuses on treating adults.
A lot of PCPs are internists. To become board certified in internal medicine, a doctor must complete a three-year residency and then pass an exam. But a lot of doctors don’t stop there. They use their internal medicine residency as a jumping off point to subspecialize by doing an additional fellowship. I won’t list the dozens of subspecialties here because a lot of them are already on our list of specialists.
Neurologist
These are doctors who specialize in nervous system disorders. These disorders include things like epilepsy, migraine headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, Bell’s palsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease), and many more.
Neurologists must complete a three-to-four-year residency before they can seek certification. Many go on to subspecialize in areas like child neurology, neuromuscular medicine, brain injury medicine, and vascular neurology. These subspecialties require an additional one-to-five years of training.
Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OBGYN)
If you’re a guy, you won’t be seeing this type of specialist unless you’re going to an appointment with your wife/girlfriend/sister/mother/daughter/random female. That’s because obstetricians and gynecologists (often called OBGYNs) treat conditions that are specific to women and girls.
To become an OBGYN, a doctor must complete a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology. While obstetricians and gynecologists perform different duties, their training and certification are often combined into one. Most doctors who do a residency in obstetrics and gynecology become certified in both. However, some specialize in one or the other. Here is what each of them do:
- Obstetrician (OB) – A doctor who specializes in pregnancy. They provide care before (prenatal), during, and after (postnatal) childbirth.
- Gynecologist – A doctor who specializes in providing care exclusively for women and treats a variety of reproductive-system disorders.
Oncologist
This is one specialist you never want to have to go to. Oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancer. Some oncologists treat a wide variety of patients and cancers. Others subspecialize in certain types of cancer or with certain populations.
To become an oncologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in either internal medicine, pediatrics, or general surgery. Then, a two-to-three-year oncology residency is required before they can take the exam to get board certified. As mentioned above, a lot of oncologists subspecialize. These subspecialties include pediatric, gynecologic, and surgical oncology.
Ophthalmologist
These doctors are eyeball specialists. They treat a variety of eye disorders including vision problems, eye injuries or pain, double vision, conjunctivitis (red eye aka pink eye), uveitis, and glaucoma. Sometimes ophthalmologists are confused with optometrists. While optometrists are also eye doctors (O.D.) trained at diagnosing and treating a variety of eye problems, they are not medical doctors (M.D. Or D.O.) like ophthalmologists are.
To become an ophthalmologist, a doctor must complete a three-to-four-year residency and then take a test to become board certified. Many ophthalmologists go on to complete additional training, subspecializing in areas like neuro-ophthalmology, retina/uveitis, ocular oncology, and others.
Otolaryngologist (ENT)
These are doctors who specialize in diseases of the ears, nose, and throat. Otolaryngologists (often called ENTs or eyes, nose, and throat doctors) diagnose and treat a wide variety of disorders that affect these body parts.
To become an otolaryngologist, a doctor must complete a five-year residency in otolaryngology. This includes one year of surgical training. Once they complete the residency, the doctor can sit for the exam and get board certified.
Pediatrician
While internists specialize in treating adults and family medicine doctors specialize in treat patients of all ages, pediatricians specialize in treating infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatricians are often primary care physicians for their young patients. They treat a wide variety of ailments and have specialized training in working with kids.
To become a pediatrician, a doctor must complete a three-year residency program and pass their board certification exam. There are a number of subspecialties that pediatricians can go into with additional training. Here are just some of the pediatric subspecialties:
- Adolescent medicine
- Child abuse pediatrics
- Developmental-behavioral pediatrics
Neonatal-perinatal medicine- Pediatric cardiology
- Pediatric critical care medicine
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Pediatric rheumatology
- Pediatric sports medicine
Plastic Surgeon
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of plastic surgeons? Breast implants? Rhinoplasty (nose jobs)? Lip injections? While plastic surgeons do perform these procedures, they also do a whole lot more. There are two basic types of plastic surgeons: cosmetic and reconstructive.
Cosmetic surgeons do the type of work most people think about when they think of plastic surgery. They perform surgeries to improve the way their patients look. Reconstructive plastic surgeons, on the other hand, help patients who’ve been injured or have congenital defects. They perform surgeries to fix a variety of things from simple scar removal to reattaching severed limbs.
Plastic surgeons have extensive training not only in general medicine, but also in surgery. There are two paths a doctor can take to becoming a plastic surgeon. They can complete a six-year residency specifically in plastic surgery or they can complete a five-year residency in general surgery and then do an additional three-year residency in plastic surgery. From there, they can subspecialize in either hand or craniofacial surgery.
Psychiatrist
These doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. They often use a combination of medication, therapy, and psychoeducation to treat their patients. Here are just a few of the many types of mental illnesses psychiatrists treat:
- Mood disorders – major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), etc.
- Anxiety disorders – generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, phobias, etc.
- Trauma/stress disorders – post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adjustment disorders, etc.
- Psychotic disorders – schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, etc.
- Neurodevelopmental disorders – autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders – body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), hoarding disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder), etc.
- Personality disorders – borderline (BPD), narcissistic, antisocial, paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, avoidant, dependent, and histrionic personality disorders, etc.
- Substance-related and addictive disorders – addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, etc.
Psychiatrists are often confused with psychologists. While psychologists are also doctors (Ph.D., Psy.D.) who diagnose and treat mental illnesses, they are not medical doctors (M.D., D.O.). Except in five states, only psychiatrists can prescribe medication. Aside from psychiatrists and psychologists, there are also several other types of mental health professionals. To become a psychiatrist, a medical doctor must complete a four-year residency and pass a board exam. Some go on to complete fellowships in addiction, forensics, geriatrics, or child and adolescent psychiatry.
Pulmonologist
These are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders of the respiratory tract. This includes disorders of the lungs, trachea, larynx, pharynx, and nasal cavity. Pulmonologists treat things like pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), asthma, emphysema, and chest infections.
To become a pulmonologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine. Then they must go on to complete an additional one-to-two-year fellowship in pulmonology. After that they can take an exam and get board certified.
Radiologist
These doctors don’t specialize in AM/FM radios – they specialize in using radio waves and other technologies to do medical imaging. Radiologists perform a number of diagnostic tests including x-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasounds, angiographies, digital radiography, fluoroscopies, and others.
To become a radiologist, a doctor must complete a five-year residency and then pass their board certification exam. There are a number of subspecialties within the field of radiology, most of which require an additional one-year fellowship. These subspecialties include neuroradiology, nuclear radiology, abdominal radiology, musculoskeletal radiology, pediatric radiology, vascular radiology, and others.
Rheumatologist
I’ve been seeing one of these specialists since I was a teenager. Rheumatologists specialize in rheumatic diseases, of which there are over 200. These specialists diagnose and treat a variety of autoimmune, soft tissue, and musculoskeletal system diseases, vasculitides, and connective tissue disorders.
To become a rheumatologist, a doctor must first complete a three-to-four-year residency in internal medicine or pediatrics. After that, a two-to-three-year fellowship in rheumatology is required before the doctor can take the exam and get board certified.
Surgeon
Even if you’ve never been to one, you probably know what surgeons do. They are highly-trained specialists who perform a wide variety of different surgeries. These surgeries can range from a simple appendectomy (appendix removal) all the way to quadruple-bypass heart surgery.
To become a general surgeon, a doctor must complete a five-year residency in surgery and then pass a board certification exam. From there, many surgeons go on to subspecialize. There are a number of surgical subspecialties including:
- Colon and rectal surgery (formerly called proctology)
- Gynecologic oncology
Neurological surgery- Plastic surgery
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Pediatric surgery
- Vascular surgery
Urologist
While women have OBGYNs all to themselves, us guys have urologists – well, mostly. Urologists specialize in conditions that affect the urinary tract. Since women have gynecologists to take care of their lady-part problems, most urologists focus on treating men’s urinary and reproductive issues.
Although most urologists focus on treating men, they’re actually trained to treat a variety of urological problems in both men and women. These can include fertility issues, prostate disorders, kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTIs), overactive bladder, incontinence, urological cancers, and more.
To become a urologist, a doctor must complete a five-year residency which includes one year of surgical training. Then, they can take the exam to get board certified. There are a number of urological subspecialties that include pediatric urology, male infertility, female urology, neurourology, urologic oncology, and others.
Conclusion
Hopefully you won’t have to see many (or any) of the specialists we’ve discussed. But even if you don’t, it’s good to have an idea of what the different medical specialties are and what the different specialists do.
Over the the past twenty-plus years since I was diagnosed with Behcet’s disease, I’ve been to eleven of the specialists above. Just in the past year, I’ve been to four of them. It’s definitely not a contest, but I’m curious to know: How many of the specialists above have you been to? Please leave your answer in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
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