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medical specialty

medical specialty

1 3.9
A part of medicine that focuses on one area of the body or type of illness
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈspɛʃəlti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : especialidad médica
  • Family practice is a broad-based primary care medical specialty emphasizing continuity of care and treating the whole person.
  • many medical specialties
  • develop medical specialties

Examples

  • Of all the medical specialties, why would anyone choose oncology?

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Healthcare reform is occurring at a rapid pace, and some medical specialties have already seen a great deal of reform-related activity.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Table 1 shows, by setting, the medical specialties in which the respondents worked.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Many medical specialties have developed clear clinical and management pathways.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Our approach may also serve as a template for other medical specialties to develop online CME.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Several medical specialties, however, have initiated innovative programs to increase physician competence in environmental medicine.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Medical schools are often perceived as uneasy alliances of diverse medical specialties.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Many doctors choose to focus on a specific medical specialty, such as pediatrics or cardiology.

  • After completing medical school, she decided to specialize in a medical specialty that treats heart conditions.

  • Most medical specialties require additional years of training to ensure that doctors acquire the necessary expertise.

Synonyms

subspecialty
vsmedical specialty
  • Specialized
2 6.9

A smaller, more focused area within a larger field of study or work

is a medical branch covering a whole area rather than a narrower part
specialism
vsmedical specialty
  • UK
1 7.4

A particular area of study or work someone focuses on

is a medical branch concentrating on a specific area and nonsurgical methods

How Specific

subspecialty
  • Specialized
2 6.9
medical specialty
  • Specialized
1 3.9
medicine
  • Specialized
873 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

medical + specialty

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'medical' (relating to medicine) with 'specialty' (a specific area of professional expertise), yielding 'a specific area of medicine.' This noun-noun compositional pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The term medical specialty may come from the simple idea behind medical and specialty: a doctor chooses one 'special' skill or area to master, like a worker who does only one job. So today a medical specialty is the 'area' of medicine a doctor focuses on, often working without surgery.