Physician
Cardiology
This article is about the medical specialty. For the album, see Cardiology (album). For the medical journal, see Cardiology (journal).
Cardiology Blood flow diagram of the human heart. Blue components indicate de-oxygenated blood pathways and red components indicate oxygenated blood pathways.
System Cardiovascular Subdivisions Interventional, Nuclear
Significant diseases Heart disease, Cardiovascular disease, Atherosclerosis, Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Significant tests Blood tests, electrophysiology study, cardiac imaging, ECG, echocardiograms, stress test
Specialist Cardiologist Glossary Glossary of medicine Cardiologist
Occupation
Names
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Physician
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Surgeon
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Physician
A physician is a general term for a doctor who has earned a medical degree. Physicians work to maintain, promote, and restore health by studying, diagnosing, and treating injuries and diseases.
Physicians generally have six core skills:
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Patient care. Physicians have to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care to promote health and treat health problems in their patients.
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Medical knowledge. Physicians must be experts in established and new biomedical, clinical, and cognate sciences and how to apply this knowledge to patient care.
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Practice-based learning and improvement. Physicians must always investigate and evaluate their own care and look for ways to improve.
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Interpersonal and communication skills. Physicians must be able to communicate effectively with patients, their families, and other health professionals.
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Professionalism. A commitment to professionalism includes carrying out professional responsibilities, sticking to ethical principles, and being sensitive to a diverse patient population.
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Systems-based practice. Physicians must be aware of and responsive to the larger context and system of health care. They must also be able to find and use resources to provide the best care possible.