What Is Medical?
Medical is the science and practice of caring for patients and managing their diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, and palliation of illness and injury. The term may also refer to the branch of science that deals with the structure and function of the human body, such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Medicine encompasses a wide range of healthcare services, from primary care to specialist treatments such as surgery and radiology.
Medical research is the search for scientific knowledge about diseases, their causes, and methods of prevention. The scope of medical research includes biochemistry, cell biology, cytology, genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. Medical physics, medical imaging and virology are also important branches of medicine. In addition to clinical care, medical research is essential for development of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices.
The first known medical texts were written in the ancient Syrian city of Ebla around 2500 BCE. Since then, many different systems of medicine have been developed, including Egyptian Medicine (Egyptian), Babylonian Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine from India and Classical Chinese Medicine. Some of these have been merged with modern Western medicine, while others have become obsolete or have been supplanted by newer technologies or discoveries in medicine.
During an office visit, doctors use the information provided by their patient to make a diagnosis. This process typically involves taking a patient’s history, performing a physical exam, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, and perhaps referring the patient to a specialist. The doctor then formulates a treatment plan to manage the patient’s disease or condition.
Modern health care relies on a team of highly trained professionals working together to provide quality patient care. In addition to physicians, the members of a health care team may include nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, allied health professionals such as radiographers and physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, dietitians, pharmacists, and social workers.
In order to understand how the body works, medical students undergo a period of study called anatomy. In most colleges, this entails the practical dissection of bodies to learn about the body’s components and how they work together.
Physicians who specialize in internal medicine must complete three or more years of residency after graduating from medical school. This is followed by one or more years of fellowship training in a specific subspecialty. This makes for a lengthy and rigorous academic program that can be stressful due to the long hours and intense concentration required. In the United States, a doctor who has completed medical school and residency receives a degree called a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or, in some cases, a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O). In some countries, the equivalent is a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (B.M.S). In contrast, surgeons are usually licensed after a short residency program. These requirements vary widely around the world.
Medical is the science and practice of caring for patients and managing their diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, and palliation of illness and injury. The term may also refer to the branch of science that deals with the structure and function of the human body, such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. Medicine encompasses a wide range of healthcare services, from primary care to specialist treatments such as surgery and radiology. Medical research is the search for scientific knowledge about diseases, their causes, and methods of prevention. The scope of medical research includes biochemistry, cell biology, cytology, genetics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. Medical physics, medical imaging and virology are also important branches of medicine. In addition to clinical care, medical research is essential for development of pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. The first known medical texts were written in the ancient Syrian city of Ebla around 2500 BCE. Since then, many different systems of medicine have been developed, including Egyptian Medicine (Egyptian), Babylonian Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine from India and Classical Chinese Medicine. Some of these have been merged with modern Western medicine, while others have become obsolete or have been supplanted by newer technologies or discoveries in medicine. During an office visit, doctors use the information provided by their patient to make a diagnosis. This process typically involves taking a patient’s history, performing a physical exam, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, and perhaps referring the patient to a specialist. The doctor then formulates a treatment plan to manage the patient’s disease or condition. Modern health care relies on a team of highly trained professionals working together to provide quality patient care. In addition to physicians, the members of a health care team may include nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, allied health professionals such as radiographers and physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, dietitians, pharmacists, and social workers. In order to understand how the body works, medical students undergo a period of study called anatomy. In most colleges, this entails the practical dissection of bodies to learn about the body’s components and how they work together. Physicians who specialize in internal medicine must complete three or more years of residency after graduating from medical school. This is followed by one or more years of fellowship training in a specific subspecialty. This makes for a lengthy and rigorous academic program that can be stressful due to the long hours and intense concentration required. In the United States, a doctor who has completed medical school and residency receives a degree called a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or, in some cases, a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O). In some countries, the equivalent is a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (B.M.S). In contrast, surgeons are usually licensed after a short residency program. These requirements vary widely around the world.