Medical Specialties (Part 1)

The term medical specialty refers to a branch of medical practice that focuses on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, and philosophy.

This quiz will teach you the different kinds of medical specialties and the differences between their medical practices.

Quick Review for the Quiz
Specialty Role or Function
Cardiology
Deals with diseases of the heart and some aspects of the circulatory system.
Gastroenterology
Concerned with digestive disorders.
Geriatrics Health care of the elderly.
Hematology Studies blood-related diseases.
Immunology
Concerns the body’s immune system.
Obstetrics
Focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
Oncology
Deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
Pediatrics
Deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.
Psychiatry
Diagnoses, preventions, and treatments of mental illnesses.
Pulmonology
Deals with diseases of the respiratory system.

  • Question of

    Deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

    • Oncology
    • Gynecology
    • Orthopedics
    • Gastroenterology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Onc/o/logy = Onc/o is a combining form that pertains to "tumor", and -logy is a suffix term that means "specialty". ] Oncology is the study, treatment, and prevention of cancer. Doctors who practice oncology are called oncologists.

  • Question of

    Medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.

    • Pediatrics
    • Orthopedics
    • Hematology
    • Geriatrics

    Correct Wrong

    [ Ped/iatric = Ped for this term is a word root that pertains to "child", and -iatric is a suffix term that indicates "specialty". ] The specialty of pediatrics deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents.

  • Question of

    Diagnoses, preventions, and treatments of mental illnesses are the focus of this medical specialty.

    • Psychiatry
    • Neurology
    • Immunology
    • Neonatology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Psych/iatry = Psych is a word root that pertains to "mind", and -iatry is a suffix term that signifies "specialty". ] Psychiatry focuses on diagnosing, preventing, and treating mental disorders. These include various maladaptations of mood, behavior, cognition, and perception.

  • Question of

    A specialty devoted to the health care of the elderly.

    • Geriatrics
    • Pharmacology
    • Otolaryngology
    • Immunology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Ger/iatrics = Ger is a word root that pertains to "old age", and -iatrics is a suffix term that signifies "specialty". ] The field of geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, focuses on the care of the elderly. Prevention and treatment of diseases and disabilities in the elderly are its goals.

  • Question of

    Specialty regarding diseases of the heart and some aspects of the circulatory system.

    • Cardiology
    • Neonatology
    • Endocrinology
    • Dentistry

    Correct Wrong

    [ Cardi/o/logy = Cardi/o is a combining form that pertains to "heart", and -logy is a suffix term that refers to "specialty".] Medicine that focuses on the heart and certain parts of the circulatory system is called cardiology.

  • Question of

    Medicine concerned with digestive disorders.

    • Gastroenterology
    • Urology
    • Endocrinology
    • Pharmacology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Gastr/o/enter/o/logy = Gastr/o is a combining form that pertains to "stomach", enter/o is a combining form that refers to "intestine" , and -logy is a suffix term that denotes to "specialty".] Medical branch that focuses on digestive disorders is gastroenterology. The focus of this specialty is on diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including organs downstream of the mouth and along the alimentary canal.

  • Question of

    This medical specialty deals with diseases of the respiratory system.

    • Pulmonology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Oncology
    • Dietetics

    Correct Wrong

    [ Pulmon/o/logy = Pulmon/o is a combining form that pertains to "lungs" or "respiration", and -logy is a suffix term that denotes to "specialty".] The specialty of Pulmonology focuses on diseases of the respiratory system. Pulmonology belongs to internal medicine and is associated with intensive care medicine. Often, pulmonologists deal with patients who require life support or mechanical ventilation.

  • Question of

    Study in this field of study focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

    • Obstetrics
    • Reproductive medicine
    • Pediatrics
    • Immunology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Obstetr/ics = Obstetr is a word root that pertains to "pregnancy" or "birth" , and -ics is a suffix term that denotes "specialty".] The field of obstetrics focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Obstetrics and gynecology are medical specialties that are combined under the name obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN).

  • Question of

    An area of medicine that studies blood-related diseases.

    • Hematology
    • Andrology
    • Immunology
    • Pulmonology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Hemat/o/logy = Hemat/o is a combining form that pertains to "blood" , and -logy is a suffix term that denotes "specialty".] In medicine, hematology is the study of the causes, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases that affect blood.

  • Question of

    Refers to the study of the immune system.

    • Immunology
    • Pharmacology
    • Hematology
    • Otolaryngology

    Correct Wrong

    [ Immun/o/logy = Immun/o is a combining form that pertains to "immune" or "immunity" , and -logy is a suffix term that indicates "specialty".] Nearly all organism has an immune system, which is studied by immunology. The goal of immunology is to chart, measure, and contextualize the physiological functioning of the immune system in both health and disease.