The Field of Medical Science
Medical, also known as medicine or veterinary medicine, is the practice of diagnosing and treating diseases, infections and injuries in animals and humans. It is a science based on the biological and physical sciences, with applied ethics. The field of medical science encompasses a broad range of disciplines that include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, endocrinology, molecular biology and immunology. Medical doctors must be familiar with these and other related fields in order to treat patients effectively.
The scope of medical work includes clinical, experimental and theoretical research, as well as teaching and administration. In the developed world, most of these activities are conducted within health care systems that provide funding, credentialing and legal frameworks for medical practice. Medical education is typically organized into a cycle of pre-clinical study, undergraduate medical school, postgraduate clinical training and specialist certification. Almost all countries require medical doctors to be licensed or registered, with laws designed to restrict practices of unqualified individuals and to protect the public from charlatans who exploit patients for financial gain.
A wide variety of professions contribute to the medical field, including nursing, laboratory scientists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and medical writers. Many of these are employed in hospitals, with physicians working as part of a team that may include nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists.
There are numerous sub-fields of medical science that focus on specific diseases or body systems. These include nutritional medicine (which studies how diet and nutrition affect health), pathology (the study of disease through examination of tissue samples such as blood, urine or body fluids), pharmacology (the study of pharmaceutical medications, their actions and side effects) and radiology (using X-ray equipment to examine internal structures).
Some branches of medical science are concerned with preventive medicine. Others are focused on behavioural modification, such as lifestyle interventions or psychotherapy. Still others are more involved in the fundamental aspects of medical knowledge, such as epidemiology (the study of disease in populations), genetics (the study of genes and their role in health and illness) and histology (the study of tissue structure by means of microscopic examination).
Some medical journals publish articles that appeal to a more general readership. These may use a narrative style to describe the experience of being ill or the impact of a particular medical treatment. The more technical journals are likely to stick to strict scientific and clinical guidelines. Many medical journals also have departments dedicated to the humanities, which can be an opportunity for a more creative approach to medical writing. The medical journal Intima even has a Department of Poetry! These types of articles should be discussed with the editor in advance. A medical writer should be familiar with the requirements of each journal in which they intend to submit an article. They should also be aware of the need to comply with standards for ethical conduct and copyright. Finally, they should be aware of the need for consistency in the use of medical terminology and abbreviations across different publications.
Medical, also known as medicine or veterinary medicine, is the practice of diagnosing and treating diseases, infections and injuries in animals and humans. It is a science based on the biological and physical sciences, with applied ethics. The field of medical science encompasses a broad range of disciplines that include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, endocrinology, molecular biology and immunology. Medical doctors must be familiar with these and other related fields in order to treat patients effectively. The scope of medical work includes clinical, experimental and theoretical research, as well as teaching and administration. In the developed world, most of these activities are conducted within health care systems that provide funding, credentialing and legal frameworks for medical practice. Medical education is typically organized into a cycle of pre-clinical study, undergraduate medical school, postgraduate clinical training and specialist certification. Almost all countries require medical doctors to be licensed or registered, with laws designed to restrict practices of unqualified individuals and to protect the public from charlatans who exploit patients for financial gain. A wide variety of professions contribute to the medical field, including nursing, laboratory scientists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and medical writers. Many of these are employed in hospitals, with physicians working as part of a team that may include nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists. There are numerous sub-fields of medical science that focus on specific diseases or body systems. These include nutritional medicine (which studies how diet and nutrition affect health), pathology (the study of disease through examination of tissue samples such as blood, urine or body fluids), pharmacology (the study of pharmaceutical medications, their actions and side effects) and radiology (using X-ray equipment to examine internal structures). Some branches of medical science are concerned with preventive medicine. Others are focused on behavioural modification, such as lifestyle interventions or psychotherapy. Still others are more involved in the fundamental aspects of medical knowledge, such as epidemiology (the study of disease in populations), genetics (the study of genes and their role in health and illness) and histology (the study of tissue structure by means of microscopic examination). Some medical journals publish articles that appeal to a more general readership. These may use a narrative style to describe the experience of being ill or the impact of a particular medical treatment. The more technical journals are likely to stick to strict scientific and clinical guidelines. Many medical journals also have departments dedicated to the humanities, which can be an opportunity for a more creative approach to medical writing. The medical journal Intima even has a Department of Poetry! These types of articles should be discussed with the editor in advance. A medical writer should be familiar with the requirements of each journal in which they intend to submit an article. They should also be aware of the need to comply with standards for ethical conduct and copyright. Finally, they should be aware of the need for consistency in the use of medical terminology and abbreviations across different publications.