Kinds of Specialist Doctors You Need To Know

Various specialist doctors have special expertise to deal with certain conditions or diseases. The general practitioner will refer the patient to a specialist in accordance with the conditions and complaints felt by the patient.

As the name implies, specialist doctors are doctors who specialize in a particular field or body part. To get a specialist degree, one must first take general medical education, then proceed to specialist medical education programs.

Various Kinds of Specialists

Patients will usually be referred to a specialist if a general practitioner assesses the condition that requires special treatment. However, you can consult directly with a specialist without first seeing a general practitioner.

If you want to consult directly with a specialist, you need to know which specialist is right for you to meet. The following are the kinds of specialist doctors in Indonesia:

1. Internal medicine specialist

Internal medicine specialists, also called internists, are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and managing a number of health problems experienced by an adult or elderly patients. Examples are immune problems, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, and kidney disease.

2. Pediatricians

Pediatricians also called pediatrics, are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating patients aged 0-18 years. Generally, all diseases that occur in children, both physical problems, behavior, to mental health, will be referred to as a pediatrician. However, it is also possible for pediatricians to collaborate with other specialists.

For example, when dealing with psychiatric problems, pediatricians will work together with psychiatry, or when a child's condition requires surgery, the pediatrician will collaborate with pediatric surgeons.

3. Neurologist

Neurologist or neurologist is a doctor whose job is to diagnose, treat, and treat sufferers of diseases related to the nervous system, ranging from the brain, spinal cord, to the peripheral nervous system.

Neurologists typically treat stroke patients, nervous system infections, inoperable tumors, autoimmune diseases that attack the nervous system, convulsions, body movement disorders, muscular disorders due to neurological disorders, migraines, dementia, and peripheral neuropathy.

4. Obstetrician and gynecology specialist

In accordance with the title, obstetricians and gynecologists have special expertise in 2 fields, namely expertise around pregnancy and childbirth (obstetrics) and expertise around reproductive health (gynecology).

The field of obstetrics serves everything about pregnancy and childbirth, both normal and problematic. Meanwhile, the gynecology sector deals with complaints related to reproductive health, for example, menstruation and menopause problems.

5. Surgical specialist

A surgeon is a doctor who specializes in all matters relating to surgical procedures. You can consult a surgeon if you have an abnormal lump in a certain area or a wound that is not healing.

Some cases require a surgeon with special expertise, for example, surgery for cancerous tissue will be performed by an oncology surgeon, while surgery on the bone will be performed by an orthopedic specialist.

6. Skin and venereal specialist

Skin and genital specialists are doctors who specialize in diagnosing and dealing with the skin and genital health problems, both experienced by men and women.

There are so many diseases related to skin and genitals. However, some health problems that are generally handled by the skin and venereal specialists are skin allergies, fungal infections, herpes, skin cancer, and various sexually transmitted infections.

7. ENT specialist

Otolaryngologist or otolaryngologist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and treating sufferers of ear, nose, and throat disorders.

Health problems that can be treated by ENT specialists include sore throat, tonsillitis, sleep apnea, sinusitis, ear infections, to tumors in the head and neck.

8. Ophthalmologist

Ophthalmologist or ophthalmologist is a doctor who has expertise in dealing with eye health problems. In addition to eye examinations, ophthalmologists can also prescribe medication or eyeglasses, and also perform eye surgeries.

Eye health problems commonly handled by ophthalmologists include eye problems, eyelid disorders, eye irritation, flickering that doesn't go away, or eye-related diseases such as cataracts.

9. Psychiatrist

Psychiatrists are specialist doctors who master mental health and behavioral sciences. Psychiatrists deal with problems related to emotional, psychological, and behavioral disorders of patients through counseling and treatment.

Examples of mental health problems that are generally handled by psychiatrists are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, autism, addiction problems, and also sexual problems.

10. Dentist

A dentist is not necessarily a specialist. Dentists are doctors who specialize in dental and oral health issues. A dentist's degree can be obtained without taking a general medical education first.

Various dental health problems are usually handled by dentists, ranging from bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, cavities, to chronic bad breath problems.

Similar to general practitioners, dentists can also take their own specialist education, including oral surgery specialists, pediatric dental specialists, orthodontic specialists, oral disease specialists, and prosthodontics (dentures) specialists.

If you have a health complaint, you can consult a general practitioner first. If indeed your condition requires special treatment from a specialist, a general practitioner can refer you to the appropriate specialist.

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