Medicine: Blend Of Art And Science!

Introduction of Medicine

The branch of health science dealing with human health and reinstating it through treatment of diseases and injuries is referred to as Medicine. Medicine is basically the science of body systems dealing with several diseases and their treatments. Medicine is considered to be comprises of several sub branches like paediatrics, neurology, gynaecology concerning body systems, treatments of diseases, or other health areas.

History of Medicine

There has been historical presence of medical and healthcare practices in the human societies for long. These different systems came into being due to presence of diversified cultures and regions across the world. Historically, western world is credited as a huge contributor to the development of medicine. Other medicine and healthcare traditions which are practiced across the globe seem to be different from medicine from the western world, and are commonly referred to as Bio Medicine or the Hippocratic tradition. India’s Ayurvedic tradition and China’s traditional medicine are some of the most highly regarded systems of medicine developed beyond the western tradition of medicine.

Branches of Medicine

There are several branches and sub-branches of medicines. Basic sciences, diagnostic specialties, Clinical disciplines and interdisciplinary fields are the major categorization of medicine. Basic Sciences include anatomy, cytology, bio-statistics, genetics, embryology, immunology, nutrition, pathology, etc while clinical laboratory sciences, cellular pathology, haematology, clinical microbiology, radiology, nuclear medicine are few diagnostic specialties. Clinical disciplines comprises of dermatology, anaesthesiology, geriatrics, cardiology, endocrinology, etc

Types of Medical Care Services

Medical services offered by physicians and other professionals who provide first time care or medical treatment to the patients are called as Primary Care medical services. They are offered in clinics, nursing homes, office of patients or physicians, etc. While those services offered by medical specialists in clinics or at local community hospitals are referred to as Secondary Care Medical Services. These specialists usually get those patients who are referred by primary care provider for specific treatments. Tertial Care Medical services are offered in hospitals or special centres with world class facilities available for diagnostic and disease specific treatment which are not present at local community hospitals.

Practice of Medicine

There is a mix of both science as well as art in the practice of medicine. Science along with technology provides an evidence support for various clinical problems while art deals with application and implementation of this knowledge using the uncommon sixth sense and clinical assessment for establishing unique diagnosis and treatment procedures for patients. The relationship between patient and doctor forms the centrepiece of medicine. There are two types of medical systems prevailing in all cultures i.e. Universal Health Care and the other one which is commonly practiced in the U.S. called as Market-based Health Care.

The complete procedure of medical evaluation deals with: Medical history, a physical examination, medical data analysis, diagnosis, and treatment procedure. There are several locations like clinic, hospital and hospice where the medical care is provided due to diverse nature of medicine.

Summary:

Medicine is considered as an area of knowledge pertaining to diseases, injuries and their treatment. It is the branch of science concerned with looking after of human health by curing diseases through specialized treatment. Medicine is rooted in several historical chapters and western world was the supremo in the field of medicine in the early days of its existence. Ayurvedic medical system in India is now spreading across the globe.

Medicine is considered to be the practice which is a combination of both science and art. The core of medicine is the relationship between the doctor and patients in which doctor serves the patient and cures diseases by offering appropriate treatment. Physicians, medical specialists, nurses, etc also build the relationship by offering medical services like primary care, secondary care and tertiary care medical services at different locations like hospitals, offices, clinics, etc. The branches of medicine include basic sciences, diagnostic specialties, clinical disciplines and interdisciplinary fields which have several specialized sub branches as well for practising medicine.