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PageArgumentative Essay On Medicine preview Argumentative Essay On Medicine Good Essays 1862
Words 4 Pages Open Document Essay SampleCheck Writing Quality Medicine Medicine is an idea that
involves both the mind and the body. The science is a combination of brilliant discoveries that work in
unison to create a better tomorrow. Medicine is a forever evolving science and art. Medicine is a
compilation of legal and ethical matters that ultimately gives hope to the faint of heart and continuously
saves lives. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Medicine is “a substance or
preparation used in treating disease; the science and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the
prevention, alleviation, and cure of disease” (“Medicine”). Each person holds a unique story of how
medical intervention has touched their life. Perhaps people form their own definition of the idea of
medicine according to their personal experiences; however, Mortimer Adler illustrates the intricacies of
varying medical theories in his piece, The Great ideas: A Lexicon of Western Thought. Adler references
Plato’s statement, “There are four natures out of which the body is compacted, earth and fire and water
and air…” (522). Adler’s reference to Plato’s commentary…show more content… A significant number of
advancements have been made in the world of prosthetics. Prosthetics give amputees a chance at
regaining a normal life. Life stops for nobody, and regardless of all the medical treatment in the world,
ultimately the choice to fight is left in the hands of the individual. Due to medical research, patients now
have the ability to customize a prosthetic suited best for them. The wide range of choices gives
individuals a sense of control even when their lives appear to be going in a downward spiral.
Amputation is certainly a devastating medical reality, but advancements in medicine give patients a
sense of hope. The science of medicine becomes a saving grace for patients whose lives halt in the midst
of medical Get Access Check Writing Quality Related Powerful Essays Ayurveda or Western Medicine?
2027 Words 5 Pages Medicine can be interpreted in two ways. First, it is the practice of treating or
curing an ailment, and second, it is the substance or medication that is used to cure the ailment. As far
as the first interpretation, medicine is focused on not just removing a disease, but also on promoting a
better health and lifestyle. Sickness is when there is a malfunctioning of a part in the body. These
maladies can be cured by different methods and people from different parts of the world have come up
with special cures. Medicine goes way back in history, starting from the prehistoric age. The prehi...
Read More Best Essays Medicine in Colonial Days 3254 Words 7 Pages 18 Works Cited Medicine has
come a long way from the Greek period. Theories composed of the four elements were used to explain
the sick phenomenon that happens to our bodies. Many of the those theories are not relevant as of
now. Medicine and remedies has begun with the Earth, providing all types of compounds and mixtures
to meddle with. It began with what nature offered: natural lush of sprouts, flowers, trees, bushes, herbs,
and more. And now, medicine has become expanded widely through the examinations of scientists and
doctors to counter or lessen many types of diseases, poisons, and epidemic that are drawn to humans.
Read More Better Essays Medicine And Native American Medicine 1019 Words 3 Pages Medicine is
continuously developing and being discovered in many different objects and ways. Forms of medicine
date back thousands of years but more closely related to Native Americans and their contributions to
Europeans who came over to America. The word medicine is derived from the word medecin, a French
word meaning physician, which was introduced to Native Americans as many French doctors came to
the new world. Native Americans used this term to describe just about any healing or spiritual method
they used. Read More Powerful Essays Paradigms of Health Care 3345 Words 7 Pages This first
paradigm of thinking when it comes to medicine is the modern-day allopathic approach. This model of
care has behind it an idea that there is a separation between the body and mind. The mind is seen as
secondary to the body. Illnesses that are seen as psychosomatic are to be fixed in the mind and perhaps
the patient would even be referred to a psychiatrist. The training of a medical doctor in this approach
rests primarily on looking to quantitative information like research and charts. It does not matter who
the observer is the same results should be achieved. This approach views the other as being outdated
and sometimes even uncivilized. Read More Better Essays Medicalization Vs Human Health 1784 Words
4 Pages a. Medicalization, pg. 559: the transformation of a human condition into a medical matter to be
treated by physicians. Read More Better Essays Religion and Medicine 1037 Words 3 Pages 3 Works
Cited ...ose where medicine and religion meet in his or her own lives. To me, God made humans and
humans are the ones who come up with the advances of medicine, and when it comes the point to
decide whether or not I need medicine to live or die, I will know what to choose. Read More Better
Essays Phenomenology In The Aho Sparknotes 990 Words 2 Pages Both the Aho’s and I agree that
biomedicine cannot explain our end, our existential suffering, but I believe the reason why medicine
cannot explain this is because biomedicines purpose is not to end suffering ones at the end. Biomedicine
does understand human finitude and tries to prolong it as long as it can. Its purpose is to relieve a
physical bodily pain we feel during the living. Therefore I believe it is irrelevant to talk about medicine
and relieving the suffering one feels with their Read More Good Essays Why Food Should Be Labeled for
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) 770 Words 2 Pages “The physician's highest calling, his only
calling, is to make sick people healthy - to heal, as it is termed.” - Samuel Hahnemann Read More Good
Essays Medicine Argumentative Essay 1368 Words 3 Pages Humans have eluded extinction for millennia
with the help of medicine. Medicine today helps us restore our health to “normal” state. Normal of
today is different from normal in the past and being normal means being average. Many use medicine to
get back to normal and some use it for enhancing themselves. One medicine that stands out is steroids.
Steroids help your body recover faster from injuries and are supposed to be therapeutic. However,
many use steroids to enhance people’s performances in sports and create new heights. Today, we are
reaching a point where we are able to modify genes and protect our newborns from common illnesses
such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. This technology does not stop there and is able to
change physical abilities as well as metal abilities, protect our children from depression, and even
elongate lives. Whether gene modification will be used Read More Better Essays Argumentative Essay
On Alternative Medicine 1113 Words 3 Pages The Gedicks have a 4-year old daughter called Rebekah
who suffers from epilepsy. Rebecca was also born with an abnormal hippocampus that causes her
seizures to spiral out of control. The medication prescribed to Rebekah was unsuccessful in stabilizing
her behavior and led to serial vomiting. One doctor prescribed her medical marijuana. The drug is,
however, hard to obtain in Massachusetts. Two years after its approval, the state Department of Public
Health is yet to license any dispensary. Read More Related Topics Medicine Terms of ServicePrivacyCA
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Home PageMedicine preview Medicine Good Essays 539 Words 2 Pages Open Document Essay
SampleCheck Writing Quality On the other hand, some women did study and practice science, even
though they were not allowed to go to university. A few noble women hired scientists to teach them
about new discoveries. Some wealthy women had laboratories in their homes, where they did chemistry
experiments and prepared and experimented with different medical drugs, most of them made from
plants (Mullins 8). Most women knew several simple medicines she could make from ingredients in her
kitchen, garden, or farm. These medicines, like those that physicians prescribed, were made mainly from
plants and animal parts. Mothers could cure their children of most illnesses, such as colds and sore
throats (Mullins 18). Ordinary people used traditional methods such as herbal remedies and foods such
as rhubarb, which made a person, throw up (Ackerknecht 22). Medicine in the Renaissance was based
on the writings of Hippocrates and Galen, two ancient Greek doctors. They thought that the human
body consisted of four different types of fluids called humors: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
These four fluids made up all... Get Access Check Writing Quality Related Better Essays Medicine In
America 1117 Words 3 Pages James Cassedy’s Medicine in America, A Short History takes a
comprehensive look at medical progress in America from its colonial days to the present time. The book
takes on five different themes in discussing medicine. First, it discusses the medical establishment, and
how it develops over time. Second, it looks at the alternative to established medicine. Alternatives
consist of any kind of medical practice outside the orthodox practice of the time. Third, Cassedy explores
the science of medicine, taking time to recognize individuals who make significant discoveries in the
field of medicine. The role of government in science is the fourth theme studied by Cassedy. The
government makes considerable efforts into the regulation of medical practice in America. The final
theme is the role of the environment in the health of Americans. In covering these themes, Cassedy
breaks American history into four different time periods. The book will best be reviewed by looking at
each of these time periods, and how they cover the aforementioned themes. Logically, the book begins
by discussing the period of time that America is under the control of Britain. The first inhabitants of the
continent took a beating from diseases carried by Europeans. Native Americans did not have the
immunities instilled in Europeans. Disease is accredited to wiping out nearly 90 percent of Native
Americans. The colonies, however, also had to deal with diseases. Very few physicians lived in the
colonies due to the fact that Britain was still the mother country. With the medical establishment being
as small as it was, the women of the household often took care of the day to day healing. Midwives
handled childbirths, and basically anyone with any knowledge of medical literature was considered
capable of healing. Some of the common treatments included steam baths, religious rights, and herbal
remedies. Surgical methods were basically limited to that of setting bones and pulling teeth. Realizing
that sanitation was a problem, larger towns eventually began to pass regulations on the removal of
garbage and dead animals. Health related science was circulated by means of periodicals. Along with
being a contributor to medicine as a scientist, Benjamin Franklin often published medical information in
his newspapers. A strong supporter of inoculation, the Reverend Cotton Mather frequently wrote about
medic... Read More Satisfactory Essays Medicine in the Renaissance 412 Words 1 Pages In the
Renaissance, some aspects of medicine and doctors were still in a Dark Age. Outbreaks of disease were
common, doctors were poor, medicine was primitive and many times doctors would kill a patient with a
severe treatment for a minor disease! But, there were other sections where medicine and the use of
medications improved greatly. This paper is written to illustrate the "light and dark" sides of medicine in
the Renaissance. Read More Satisfactory Essays Medicine in the Middle Ages 511 Words 2 Pages Many
people didn’t believe in medicine at all. The most commonly used treatment was prayer. Ordinary
people relied on methods their parents and grandparents used, such as lucky charms, magic spells and
herbal cures. Some of the herbal cures were quite useful. Read More Good Essays medical 985 Words 2
Pages Before 1965, most health care costs for older adults were paid by the elderly themselves, with the
result that many lacked any care at all. This situation greatly improved after the 1965 passage of
Medicare. Part A of Medicare pays for hospital care and some follow-up care. Part B pays for some
outpatient hospital care and some physicians' services. Neither Part A nor Part B of Medicare pays for
prescription drugs and nursing home care is not covered unless licensed nursing services are required.
Even then, the number of days covered for nursing home care is limited to 100, and a very small
percentage of the actual cost is paid. Medicare Adventage program were introduced after the original
Medicare A and B with the idea it would reduce costs. However, they did not, but rather increased costs
by about $1,000 per person. Medicare Part D was enacted in 2005, effective in January 2006. Which it
introduced a new concept in insurance, the doughnut hole. The average enrollee, after paying a
reatively small out-of-pocket co-pay, enters the doughnut hole and has to pay the full cost of
prescription drugs until paying out $3,600. Under Obama's health care law, however, the doughnut hole
is to be phased out over the next 10 years. Medicaid was designed and added specifically to aid older
adults with low incomes. Since 1993, a federal law has required that states recover the money spent on
long-term care of a Medicaid beneficiary after the beneficiary dies. In many cases, the only asset to seize
is the deceased recipient's former home. This requirement is exempted if a surviving spouse or child
under 21 lives in the home, but in many cases the person living there is an adult child who cared for the
deceased for many years. If the adult child ... Read More Powerful Essays Therapeutic Medicine 759
Words 2 Pages 22 Works Cited 3.4) Possible Risks 3.4.1) Reactivation of Viral Vectors Concerns have
been raised regarding the spread of porcine viruses through the xeno-transplanted organs. Pigs have
been discovered to contain Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs) which are fragments of viruses
that are millions of years old. By transplanting porcine organs into humans, reactivation of these PERVs
may occur. Scientists say that the risks of these PERVs reactivating and the spread of porcine viruses to
humans is unlikely however, the risk of the formation of a new strand of diseases is still imminent and
care should be taken by the scientists as not to accidentally create a new strand of human disease that
could cause an epidemic much like that of HIV/AIDS (Yong, 2012). 3.4.2) Read More Good Essays
Therapy 636 Words 2 Pages Therapy Today many people seek professional therapy or counseling for a
limited amount of time in order to deal with different life crises. Others seek professional help for the
majority of their lives in order to deal with a psychological disorder. After reading this chapter on
Therapy, I learned that this was not always the case, and that the way our society views therapy, and the
meaning of therapy, has changed dramatically of the years. This chapter not only explains the evolution
of therapy, it explores the different therapeutic approaches. Read More Good Essays Mentall illnesss
857 Words 2 Pages The unfair treatment of mentally ill people is not something that most choose to
think about, but is a big issue all around the world. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
“A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate
to others and daily functioning” (NAMI). Anyone can develop a mental disorder, no matter the person’s
race, age, or size. That said, people that have a mental illness should be treated with respect and should
not be denied privileges because of their condition. However, in today’s world, these people do not
have nearly as much opportunity or power as mentally stable people do. They are easily taken
advantage of because they are not capable to defend themselves, as other people would be able to. The
mentally ill have been abused and neglected by caretakers, denied jobs, judged by society, and have
been deprived of their rights because of their mental condition. Read More Good Essays American
Nurse: The Backbone of Medicine 1553 Words 4 Pages In colonial America much of what we considered
modern medicine had not even been thought of yet. In the 18th century nursing was not a profession
yet. In America most people were not able to reach a trained medical doctor they relied on the help of
the woman of the house. So during the colonial time most of the actual medical care provided was
based in the home of the patient. Most of what these women knew was either taught to them by their
mothers or by a “guidebook”. In these guidebooks women were able to find helpful recipes for herbal
medications. They only time that women worked outside of the home was to serve as midwife to other
women. Women competed with men for success because women helping other women during
childbirth made more sense than men. However it wasn’t until the Revolutionary War that women really
stood up and the field of nursing really began in the United States. Read More Good Essays Holistic
Medicine 788 Words 2 Pages Holistic Medicine Holistic Medicine, commonly referred to as “Alternative
Medicine”, is a vast and rapidly growing new scientific field. It is derived mainly from ancient, traditional
methods of healing that have often been practiced in the East for centuries. These include a variety of
techniques from herbal healing to acupuncture to homeopathy to energy channeling. Due to the large
number of methods that are covered by the term, there are various definitions of Holistic Medicine.
Read More Powerful Essays Holistic Medicine 1577 Words 4 Pages 6 Works Cited My topic is about how
holistic medicine is used. I became interested in this topic because all I knew about medicine was the
modern western practices. As an occupation when I am older I would like to go into the medical field.
This influenced me to want learn about what other medical treatments were used and then I learn what
holistic medicine is. All I know about holistic medicine is that it is an alternative form of healing and
incorporates the entire person. Also, I know that there are many different natural treatments that are
incorporated into holistic remedies including acupuncture. Through my research I am planning on
discovering what holistic medicine is, what holistic practitioners believe, what different treatments there
are, what one must to do become a holistic specialist, and what the different factors that are included in
holistic medicine. Read More Related Topics Medicine Hippocrates Humorism Galen Bloodletting
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Health EquitySkip to Content (press Enter/Return)EssaysTopics Search over 400,000 essays Home
PageHippocratic Medicine As The Father Of Medicine preview Hippocratic Medicine As The Father Of
Medicine Good Essays 617 Words 2 Pages Open Document Essay SampleCheck Writing Quality
Hippocratic medicine is one of Greece’s most ancient and lasting contributions to science and medicine,
unlike today physicians depend more on equipment’s when diagnosing patients. Physicians in the
Hippocratic era had nothing to depend on but where forced to create a journal system which explained
the steps to curing based upon their common scientific theories of their time. Hippocrates is seen as the
father of medicine even in our modern era, even though he lived before the birth of Christ. He worked
on the assumption that all diseases and illnesses had a natural cause as well as a natural cure rather
than supernatural one. It was Hippocrates who finally freed medicine from the shackles of magic,
superstition, and the supernatural. (Greek Medicine: Hippocrates 2014) Hippocrates believed the
human body was made up of four liquid categories (humours) which were; blood, phlegm, yellow bile
and black bile, and if either one of these liquids were out of balance then you became ill and attention
would be needed by a doctor to balance out the liquids to make you better. Priests as well... Get Access
Check Writing Quality Related Satisfactory Essays Ethical Philosophies and the Hippocratic Physician
1785 Words 4 Pages 7 Works Cited Ethical Philosophies and the Hippocratic Physician Twenty four
centuries ago, Hippocrates created the profession of medicine, for the first time in human history
separating and refining the art of healing from primitive superstitions and religious rituals. His famous
Oath forged medicine into what the Greeks called a technik, a craft requiring the entire person of the
craftsman, an art that, according to Socrates in his dialogue Gorgias, involved virtue in the soul and spirit
as well as the hands and brain. Yet Hippocrates made medicine more than a craft; he infused it with an
intrinsic moral quality, creating a “union of medical skill and the integrity of the person [physician]”
(Cameron, 2001). Read More Powerful Essays 19th-Century Medicine in the United Kingdom 2344
Words 5 Pages 3 Works Cited 19th-Century Medicine in the United Kingdom Professor comments: In this
paper, the student synthesizes several sources about nineteenth-century medicine and medical
education into a focused and coherent essay that provides information about aspects of this topic
especially relevant to understanding Lydgate's position in Middlemarch: the differences among
physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons, both in terms of training and duties on the one hand, social
status on the other; the processes by which someone obtained a medical education and became a
licensed practitioner; and the differences in English, Scottish, and French training. In doing so, the
student displays an awareness of the importance of the contextual material for more than merely
factual purposes, and she employs a principle of selection, concentrating on material that will facilitate
her interpretation of Lydgate's role in the novel--especially in the connection between medical and
political reform--in a separate essay. Nineteenth-Century Medicine in the United Kingdom At the turn of
the nineteenth century, medicine was hardly the enlightened profession it is today. Read More Better
Essays Medicine In America 1117 Words 3 Pages James Cassedy’s Medicine in America, A Short History
takes a comprehensive look at medical progress in America from its colonial days to the present time.
The book takes on five different themes in discussing medicine. First, it discusses the medical
establishment, and how it develops over time. Second, it looks at the alternative to established
medicine. Alternatives consist of any kind of medical practice outside the orthodox practice of the time.
Third, Cassedy explores the science of medicine, taking time to recognize individuals who make
significant discoveries in the field of medicine. The role of government in science is the fourth theme
studied by Cassedy. The government makes considerable efforts into the regulation of medical practice
in America. The final theme is the role of the environment in the health of Americans. In covering these
themes, Cassedy breaks American history into four different time periods. The book will best be
reviewed by looking at each of these time periods, and how they cover the aforementioned themes.
Logically, the book begins by discussing the period of time that America is under the control of Britain.
The first inhabitants of the continent took a beating from diseases carried by Europeans. Native
Americans did not have the immunities instilled in Europeans. Disease is accredited to wiping out nearly
90 percent of Native Americans. The colonies, however, also had to deal with diseases. Very few
physicians lived in the colonies due to the fact that Britain was still the mother country. With the
medical establishment being as small as it was, the women of the household often took care of the day
to day healing. Midwives handled childbirths, and basically anyone with any knowledge of medical
literature was considered capable of healing. Some of the common treatments included steam baths,
religious rights, and herbal remedies. Surgical methods were basically limited to that of setting bones
and pulling teeth. Realizing that sanitation was a problem, larger towns eventually began to pass
regulations on the removal of garbage and dead animals. Health related science was circulated by
means of periodicals. Along with being a contributor to medicine as a scientist, Benjamin Franklin often
published medical information in his newspapers. A strong supporter of inoculation, the Reverend
Cotton Mather frequently wrote about medic... Read More Satisfactory Essays History of Streptococcus
Pyogenes 891 Words 2 Pages 3 Works Cited Although he lived four centuries before the birth of Christ, a
man named Hippocrates recorded the symptoms of diseases we still see to this day. Known as the
“Father of Medicine” (Hippocrates), Hippocrates was an ancient physician who studied and recorded his
observances of the body’s infections and physiology. He set forth the foundation for future physicians,
and in doing so, is accredited for our knowledge of infectious diseases in earlier centuries. During this
time however, many believed the earth and its inhabitants were composed of four general elements:
air, water, fire, and dirt. They also believed that any one person who fell ill was being punished by the
gods. As a foresighted thinker though, Hippocrates encouraged the idea that humans became ill due to
natural causes. In that wisdom, he recorded all his observances of his patients and their illnesses, taking
careful note of the bodily symptoms and their progression. Read More Better Essays Legalization of
Euthanasia 1377 Words 3 Pages 5 Works Cited "Greek Medicine - The Hippocratic Oath." U.S National
Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 02 July 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. Read More
Good Essays The Criminal Justice System: The History Of The Criminal Justice System 1036 Words 3
Pages Although church Dogma still dictated over society, scientist began to turn for supernatural causes
such as possession and evil spirits to more scientific causes. Hippocrates, who as known as the father of
modern medicine, recognize that the brain was the organ that interpreted sensory information from the
world and that disease was not only in the body but also in the mind. He also believed that illnesses
including mental illnesses were caused by imbalance within the body. In order to treat these illnesses
balanced must be restored. One form of treatment thought to restore balance was bloodletting.
Bloodletting was assumed to help, in patients that did not die because of the procedure and these
practices continued for many years (Breitendfeld, Jurasic, Breitenfeld, 2014). Read More Good Essays
Hippocrates's Influence Of Medical Ethics In Medicine 1085 Words 3 Pages Medical science has evolved
for many centuries including the ethical viewpoint. Medicine can be dated from the
Babylonians/Egyptian times, which then spread to Greece where Hippocrates developed it further. He in
a way was the first to present medical ethics, as the Hippocratic oath shows. His oath formalized the
practice of medicine and what it really meant, in his own terms at least. His interpretation of medicine is
astutely different from present day. However, it still holds the foundation and keystone for medical
ethics. Some issues and concerns that seem to be present in the oath is the influence of religion on a
physician, which may lead to certain conflictions, but they were highly moral in terms of protecting the
body/soul and privacy. Read More Powerful Essays Roman Medicine Essay 1175 Words 3 Pages The
Roman medical system was also adopted from the Greeks. The concept of roman medicine focused on
the teaching of Hippocrates. Hippocrates was known as the father of medicine. He and his followers
who were called empiricist believed that disease should be looked at from a natural perspective. He
replaced the concept of empedoclean elements with ... Read More Powerful Essays The Decline in the
Patient - Physician Relationship 1987 Words 4 Pages 7 Works Cited Dr. David KL Quek. Is the Hippocratic
Tradition Still Relevant in Today’s Medical Practice. http://www.vadscorner.com/editorial 10199.html 27
Nov. 2004 Read More Good Essays Greek Medicine 873 Words 2 Pages 5 Works Cited Despite all of the
Western medical advances in the past couple of years, do not think the West went unaided. Many forget
who some of the first pioneers of medicine were. Does Hippocrates sound familiar? Greek physicians
were some of the first to set the morals of medicine that are used today. Without those morals or
standards, Hippocratic medicine wouldn’t exist and underdeveloped medicine would take its place.
Ordinary checkups and lifesaving surgeries would be completely different experiences than the ones
many face today. Greek medicine contributed greatly to modern medicine and continues to inspire new
physicians each day. Read More Related Topics Avicenna Hippocrates Medicine Galen Hippocratic Oath
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What is medicine?

Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH — By The MNT Editorial Team on November 16, 2018

Fields of medicine

Branches of medicine

Takeaway

Medicine is the field of health and healing. It includes nurses, doctors, and various specialists. It covers
diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, medical research, and many other aspects of health.

Medicine aims to promote and maintain health and wellbeing.

Conventional modern medicine is sometimes called allopathic medicine. It involves the use of drugs or
surgery, often supported by counseling and lifestyle measures.

Alternative and complementary types of medicine include acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine,
art therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, and many more.
Fields of medicine

Modern medicine has many fields and aspects. Here are some of them.

Clinical practice

A clinician works with patients in a health setting.

A clinician is a health worker who works directly with patients in a hospital or other healthcare setting.
Nurses, doctors, psychotherapists, and other specialists are all clinicians.

Not all medical specialists are clinicians. Researchers and laboratory workers are not clinicians because
they do not work with patients.

The physician assesses the individual, with the aim of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease using
knowledge learned from training, research, and experiences, and clinical judgment.

Biomedical research

This area of science seeks ways to prevent and treat diseases that lead to illness or death.

Biomedical scientists use biotechnology techniques to study biological processes and diseases. They aim
to develop successful treatments and cures.

Biomedical research requires careful experimentation, development, and evaluation. It involves

biologists, chemists, doctors, pharmacologists, and others.

Medications

This field looks at drugs or medicines and how to use them.

Doctors and other health professionals use medications in the medical diagnosis, treatment, cure, and
prevention of disease.

Surgery
Surgical procedures are necessary for diagnosing and treating some types of disease, malfomation, and
injury. They use instrumental and manual means rather than medication.

A surgeon may carry out a surgical procedure to remove or replace diseased tissue or organs, or they
may use surgery to remove tissue for biopsy. Sometimes, they remove unwanted tissue and then send it
for diagnosis.

Medical devices

Health professionals use a wide range of instruments to diagnose and treat a disease or other condition,
to prevent a worsening of symptoms, to replace a damaged part — such as a hip or a knee — and so on.

Medical devices range from test tubes to sophisticated scanning machines.

Alternative and complementary medicine

Ayurveda is an ancient healing art and a form of alternative medicine.

This includes any practice that aims to heal but is not part of conventional medicine. Techniques range
widely. They include the use of herbs, manipulation of “channels” in the body, relaxation, and so on.

Alternative and complementary do not have the same meaning:

Alternative medicine: People use a different option from the conventional one, such as using relaxation
measures to improve headaches, rather than pain relief medication.

Complementary medicine: People add another treatment option to a main treatment. For example, they
may use relaxation as well as pain relief medication for a headache.

Alternative and complementary therapies are often based on traditional knowledge, rather than
scientific evidence or clinical trials.

Examples include homeopathy, acupuncture, ayurveda, naturopathic medicine, and traditional Chinese
medicine.
Clinical research

Researchers carry out investigations to find out which diseases are present, why they occur, what can
treat or prevent them, what makes them more likely to happen, and many other aspects of health.

Clinical trials are one aspect of clinical research. They aim to find out if a therapy — often a drug — is
safe and effective to use when treating a specific condition.

The most effective way to demonstrate the effectiveness of a drug or technique is to carry out a double-
blind, random, long-term, large clinical human study.

In this type of study, researchers compare the effect of a therapy or drug in with either a placebo, no
treatment, or another therapy or drug.

Psychotherapy

Counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other forms of “talking cure” can be helpful for
people with conditions that affect their mental health, ranging from depression to stress to chronic pain.

Physical and occupational therapy

These treatments do not involve medication, although a person may use medication alongside them.

Physical therapy can help improve strength and flexibility in people who have a condition that affects
their musculoskeletal system.

Occupational therapy can teach people new and better ways to do things physically. A person who has
had a stroke, for example, may benefit from learning again how to walk, using techniques that perhaps
they did not use before.

Other fields of medicine include pharmacology and pharmacy, nursing, speech therapy, medical practice
management, and many more.

Branches of medicine

There are many branches in medicine. Here are some of them.

Anatomy is a field of medicine that looks at the different parts that make up the body.

Anatomy: This is the study of the physical structure of the body.

Biochemistry: A biochemist studies chemical components and how they affect the body.

Biomechanics: This focuses on the structure of biological systems in the body and how they work, using
a mechanical approach.

Biostatistics: Researchers apply statistics to biological fields. This is crucial for successful medical
research and many areas of medical practice.

Biophysics: This uses physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology to model and understand the
workings of biological systems.

Cytology: This is a branch of pathology that involves the medical and scientific microscopic study of cells.

Embryology: This branch of biology studies the formation, early growth, and development of organisms.

Endocrinology: Scientists investigate hormones and their impact on the body.

Epidemiology: Researchers track the causes, distribution, and control of diseases in populations.

Genetics: This is the study of genes and their impact on health and the body.

Histology: This involves looking at the form of structures under the microscope. It is also known as
microscopic anatomy.

Microbiology: This is the study of organisms that are too small to see with the naked eye, known as
microorganisms. Aspects of microbiology include bacteriology, virology, mycology (the study of fungi),
and parasitology.
Neuroscience: Neuroscientists study the nervous system and the brain and investigate diseases of the
nervous system. Aspects of neuroscience include computational modeling and psychophysics. Some
types of neuroscience are cognitive neuroscience, cellular neuroscience, and molecular neuroscience.

Nutrition: Nutritionists study how food and drink influence health, and how they can help treat, cure,
and prevent different diseases and conditions.

There are different types of medical laboratory workers. Some identify the causes of diseases, while
others study toxins and their effects. Sometimes they deal with hazardous materials.

Pathology: This is the study of disease. A pathologist often works in a laboratory, where they do tests —
usually on a sample of blood, urine, or body tissue — to help diagnose diseases and conditions.

Pharmacology: This involves the study of pharmaceutical medications, or drugs, where they come from,
how they work, how the body responds to them, and what they consist of.

Radiology: Radiologists use X-rays and scanning equipment during the diagnostic procedure, and
sometimes as part of treatment, too.

Toxicology: A toxicologist studies poisons, what they are, what effects they have on the body, and how
to detect them.

These are not all the aspects and fields of medicine. Many people work in patient transportation,
dentistry, not to mention the many different specialties that physicians can choose to follow, such as
emergency medicine.

Takeaway

For anyone who is considering medicine as a career, there are a wide variety of options.

Qualifications, aptitude, and preference will make a particular field more attractive or suitable to an
individual.

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Last medically reviewed on November 16, 2018

Medical Practice ManagementMedical Students / Training

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