General physician : Specialists

What is a general physician?

This is a doctor who treats a vast range of diseases although he/she may have expertise in a particular area, e.g. arthritis.

What does a general physician do?

He or she is trained to diagnose and treat a variety of medical complaints. This can also include any of 26 medical specialisms such as cardiology or oncology (cancer).

He/she will undertake a range of procedures, for example biopsies, and order treatments which range from the prescription of drugs through to complex regimes such as bone marrow transplants.

A general physician does not perform surgery.

Here are a few examples of general physicians:

• Oncologists
• Dermatologists
• Cardiologists
• Endocrinologists
• Neurologists
• Rheumatologists
• Gastroenterologists
• Geriatricians

Each of these is discussed in an individual section.

Other specialties include:

• Sports medicine
• Immunology
• Renal medicine
• Clinical genetics
• Allergies
• Infectious diseases
• Palliative medicine
• Neurology

A complete list of these can be found on the Royal College of Physicians website.