Medical is the discipline concerned with human health and disease. It is an academic subject taught at universities and colleges, and carried out in hospitals and private practice. Medical practitioners have a wide range of skills and knowledge, and are trained to diagnose, treat and manage patients. They are regulated by national and international laws.
The core of medicine is science; it encompasses anatomy (the study of physical structure), physiology, pathology and biochemistry. Physiology is the study of normal functioning, and pathology is the investigation of diseases, their causes, progression and resolution. Biochemistry is the study of chemical reactions in living organisms. Modern medical scientific biomedical research began with the Greek physician Hippocrates who formulated the oath of physicians, and based his teachings on rationality, observation, experimentation and reason.
Modern medical practitioners use a variety of diagnostic techniques and treatments, including drugs, surgery, injections and other invasive procedures. Other modalities include radiation therapy, acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Some clinical specialties focus on specific regions of the body, such as gynecology, pediatrics and obstetrics, gastroenterology, endocrinology, dermatology, pulmonology, cardiology, renal medicine, hematology and infectious diseases.
In contemporary health care systems, medical education and practice is usually structured around a patient-centred model, where doctors work in teams with other medical professionals to provide patients with diagnosis, treatment and management services. These teams are referred to as health care systems, and the overall goal is to deliver safe, effective and affordable healthcare to patients.
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