special subjects
Hospital Care Team Members
Specialists
When people have complex or serious medical problems, the attending physician sometimes requests that specialists evaluate the person and recommend how to best diagnose and treat the problems. For example, the specialist may be a doctor who is extensively trained in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the heart (cardiologist), kidneys (nephrologist), or cancer (oncologist). In other cases, the specialist may be a surgeon who has particular expertise in one area, such as the brain, spine, and nerves (neurosurgeon) or muscles, bones, and joints (orthopedic surgeon). 