Outline of medicine

Updated on Dec 09, 2024

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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to medicine:

Medicine – science of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.

Goals

Cure

Health

Homeostasis

Medical ethics

Prevention of illness

Palliation

Branches of medicine

Alternative medicine

List of branches of alternative medicine

Cardiology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the blood vessels.

Critical care medicine – focuses on life support and the intensive care of the seriously ill.

Dentistry – branch of medicine that deals with treatment of diseases in the oral cavity

Dermatology – branch of medicine that deals with the skin, hair, and nails.

Emergency medicine – focuses on care provided in the emergency department

Endocrinology – branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the endocrine system.

Epidemiology - study of cause and prevalence of diseases and programs to contain them

First aid – assistance given to any person suffering a sudden illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, and/or promote recovery. It includes initial intervention in a serious condition prior to professional medical help being available, such as performing CPR while awaiting an ambulance, as well as the complete treatment of minor conditions, such as applying a plaster to a cut.

Gastroenterology – branch of medicine that deals with the study and care of the digestive system.

General practice (often called family medicine) is a branch of medicine that specializes in primary care.

Geriatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of the elderly.

Gynaecology - diagnosis and treatment of the female reproductive system

Hematology – branch of medicine that deals with the blood and the circulatory system.

Hepatology – branch of medicine that deals with the liver, gallbladder and the biliary system.

Infectious disease – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and management of infectious disease, especially for complex cases and immunocompromised patients.

Internal medicine - involved with adult diseases

Neurology – branch of medicine that deals with the brain and the nervous system.

Nephrology – branch of medicine which deals with the kidneys.

Obstetrics - care of women during and after pregnancy

Oncology – branch of medicine that studies the types of cancer.

Ophthalmology – branch of medicine that deals with the eyes.

Orthopaedics – branch of medicine that deals with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system.

Otorhinolaryngology – branch of medicine that deals with the ears, nose and throat.

Pathology – study of causes and pathogenesis of diseases.

Pediatrics – branch of medicine that deals with the general health and well-being of children and in some countries like the U.S. young adults.

Preventive medicine – measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment.

Psychiatry – branch of medicine that deals with the study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.

Pulmonology – branch of medicine that deals with the respiratory system.

Radiology – branch of medicine that employs medical imaging to diagnose and treat disease.

Sports medicine

Rheumatology – branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases.

Surgery – branch of medicine that uses operative techniques to investigate or treat both disease and injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.

Urology – branch of medicine that deals with the urinary system of both sexes and the male reproductive system.

Numerous other interdisciplinary fields.

History of medicine

Prehistoric medicine

Herbalism

Siddha medicine

Ayurveda

Ancient Egyptian medicine

Babylonian medicine

Ancient Iranian medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine

Jewish medicine

Greco-Roman medicine

Medicine in the medieval Islamic world

Medieval medicine of Western Europe

Medical biology

Fields of medical biology

Anatomy – study of the physical structure of organisms. In contrast to macroscopic or gross anatomy, cytology and histology are concerned with microscopic structures.

List of anatomical topics

List of bones of the human skeleton

List of homologues of the human reproductive system

List of human anatomical features

List of human anatomical parts named after people

List of human blood components

List of human hormones

List of human nerves

List of muscles of the human body

List of protective human features

List of regions in the human brain

Biochemistry – study of the chemistry taking place in living organisms, especially the structure and function of their chemical components.

Bioinformatics

Biological engineering

Biophysics

Biostatistics – application of statistics to biological fields in the broadest sense. A knowledge of biostatistics is essential in the planning, evaluation, and interpretation of medical research. It is also fundamental to epidemiology and evidence-based medicine.

Biotechnology

Cell biology – microscopic study of individual cells.

Cytogenetics

Embryology – study of the early development of organisms.

Embryology

Gene therapy

Genetics – study of genes, and their role in biological inheritance.

Histology – study of the structures of biological tissues by light microscopy, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry.

Immunology – study of the immune system, which includes the innate and adaptive immune system in humans, for example.

Laboratory medical biology

Microbiology – study of microorganisms, including protozoa, bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Molecular biology

Nanobiotechnology

Neuroscience (outline) – includes those disciplines of science that are related to the study of the nervous system. A main focus of neuroscience is the biology and physiology of the human brain and spinal cord.

Parasitology

Pathology – study of disease, including the causes, course, progression and resolution thereof.

Physiology – study of the normal functioning of the body and the underlying regulatory mechanisms.

Systems biology

Virology

Toxicology – study of hazardous effects of drugs and poisons.

and many others (typically, life sciences that pertain to medicine)

Illness (diseases and disorders)

List of cancer types

List of childhood diseases

List of diseases caused by insects

List of eponymous diseases

List of fictional diseases

List of food-borne illness outbreaks in the United States

List of genetic disorders

List of human parasitic diseases

List of illnesses related to poor nutrition

List of infectious diseases

List of infectious diseases causing flu-like syndrome

List of latent human viral infections

List of mental illnesses

List of neurological disorders

List of notifiable diseases

List of parasites (human)

List of skin-related conditions

List of systemic diseases with ocular manifestations

Medical practice

Practice of medicine

Physical examination

Diagnosis

Surgery

Medication

Drugs

List of anaesthetic drugs

List of antiviral drugs

List of bestselling drugs

List of drugs affected by grapefruit

List of drugs banned from the Olympics

List of controlled drugs in the United Kingdom

List of fictional medicines and drugs

List of comic book drugs

List of medical inhalants

List of monoclonal antibodies

List of psychedelic drugs

List of psychiatric medications

List of psychiatric medications by condition treated

List of schedules of controlled substances (USA)

List of Schedule I drugs

List of Schedule II drugs

List of Schedule III drugs

List of Schedule IV drugs

List of Schedule V drugs

List of withdrawn drugs

Medical equipment

Medical facilities

Clinic

Hospice

List of hospice programs

Hospital

List of hospitals in the United States

List of burn centers in the United States

List of Veterans Affairs medical facilities

Medical education

Medical education – education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner; either the initial training to become a physician, additional training thereafter, and fellowship.

Medical school

List of medical schools

Internship

Residency

Fellowship

Medical research

Clinical research (outline)

Medical jargon

Medical terminology

List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes

Medical abbreviations and acronyms

Acronyms in healthcare

List of medical abbreviations: Overview

List of medical abbreviations: Latin abbreviations

List of abbreviations for diseases and disorders

List of abbreviations for medical organisations and personnel

List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions

List of abbreviations used in health informatics

List of optometric abbreviations

Medical glossaries

Glossary of alternative medicine

Glossary of anatomical terminology, definitions and abbreviations

Glossary of clinical research

Glossary of communication disorders

Glossary of diabetes

Glossary of medical terms related to communications disorders

Glossary of psychiatry

Medical organizations

List of medical organisations

List of LGBT medical organizations

List of pharmacy associations

Government agencies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)

Food and Drug Administration (US)

National Academy of Medicine (US)

National Institutes of Health (US)

Medical publications

List of important publications in medicine

List of important publications in psychology

List of medical journals

List of defunct medical journals

List of medical and health informatics journals

Persons influential in medicine

List of physicians

Medical scholars

The earliest known physician, Hesyre.

The first recorded female physician, Peseshet.

Borsippa, a Babylonian who wrote the Diagnostic Handbook.

The Iranian chemist, Rhazes.

Avicenna, the philosopher and physician.

Greco-Roman medical scholars:

Hippocrates, commonly considered the father of modern medicine.

Galen, known for his ambitious surgeries.

Andreas Vesalius

Oribasius, a Byzantine who compiled medical knowledge.

Abu al-Qasim, an Islamic physician known as the father of modern surgery.

Medieval European medical scholars:

Theodoric Borgognoni, one of the most significant surgeons of the medieval period, responsible for introducing and promoting important surgical advances including basic antiseptic practice and the use of anaesthetics.

Guy de Chauliac, considered to be one of the earliest fathers of modern surgery, after the great Islamic surgeon, Abu al-Qasim.

Realdo Colombo, anatomist and surgeon who contributed to understanding of lesser circulation.

Michael Servetus, considered to be the first European to discover the pulmonary circulation of the blood.

Ambroise Paré suggested using ligatures instead of cauterisation and tested the bezoar stone.

William Harvey describes blood circulation.

John Hunter, surgeon.

Amato Lusitano described venous valves and guessed their function.

Garcia de Orta first to describe Cholera and other tropical diseases and herbal treatments

Percivall Pott, surgeon.

Sir Thomas Browne physician and medical neologist.

Thomas Sydenham physician and so-called "English Hippocrates."

Kuan Huang, who studied abroad and brought his techniques back to homeland china.

Ignaz Semmelweis, who studied and decreased the incidence of childbed fever.

Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch founded bacteriology.

Alexander Fleming, whose accidental discovery of penicillin advanced the field of antibiotics.

Pioneers in medicine

Wilhelm Röntgen discovered x-rays, earning the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901, "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays (or x-rays)," and invented radiography.

Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant

Ian Donald pioneered the use of the ultrasound scan, which led to its use as a diagnostic tool.

Sir Godfrey Hounsfield invented the computed tomography (CT) scanner, sharing the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Allan M. Cormack, "for the development of computer assisted tomography."

Sir Peter Mansfield invented the MRI scanner, sharing the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Lauterbur for their "discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging."

Robert Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart.

Anthony Atala, creator of the first lab-grown organ, an artificial urinary bladder.

General concepts in medicine

Epidemiology – study of the demographics of disease processes, and includes, but is not limited to, the study of epidemics.

Nutrition – study of the relationship of food and drink to health and disease, especially in determining an optimal diet. Medical nutrition therapy is done by dietitians and is prescribed for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, weight and eating disorders, allergies, malnutrition, and neoplastic diseases.

Pharmacology – study of drugs and their actions.

Psychology – an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.

Outline of nutrition

List of macronutrients

List of micronutrients

Outline of emergency medicine

List of emergency medicine courses

List of surgical procedures

List of eye surgical procedures

List of disabilities

List of disability-related terms with negative connotations

List of medical emergencies