221 Medical Doctors

Generalist medical practitioners (including family and primary care doctors) diagnose, treat and prevent illness, disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments and maintain general health in humans through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They do not limit their practice to certain disease categories or methods of treatment, and may assume responsibility for the provision of continuing and comprehensive medical care to individuals, families and communities. Tasks include - (a) conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status; (b) ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and analysing findings to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses; (c) providing continuing medical care for patients including prescribing, administering, counselling on and monitoring curative treatments and preventive measures; (d) performing surgery and other clinical procedures; (e) advising individuals, families and communities on health, nutrition and lifestyle which aid prevention or treatment of disease and disorders; (f) providing referrals to patients and families for specialized care in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or other types of health care centres; (g) identifying, managing and providing referrals for complications before, during and after childbirth; (h) recording patients’ medical information and history and exchanging information with specialist practitioners and other health workers as required for continuing medical care; (i) reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities to meet legal and professional requirements; (j) conducting research in human health and medical services and disseminating the findings such as through scientific reports; (k) planning and participating in programmes designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of common diseases. Examples of the occupations classified here: - District medical doctor-therapist - Family medical practitioner - General practitioner - Medical doctor (general) - Medical officer (general) - Physician (general) - Primary health care physician - Resident medical officer specializing in general practice Some related occupations classified elsewhere: - Psychiatrist - 2212 - Specialist physician - 212 - Surgeon - 2212 - Clinical officer (paramedical) - 2240 - Feldscher - 2240 Notes Occupations included in this unit group require completion of a university-level degree in basic medical education plus postgraduate clinical training or equivalent for competent performance. Medical interns or residents who have completed their university education in basic medical education and are undertaking postgraduate clinical training in general medicine without any area of specialization are included here. Although in some countries ‘general practice’ and 'family medicine' may be considered as medical specializations, these occupations should always be classified here.

Specialist medical practitioners (medical doctors) diagnose, treat and prevent illness, disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments in humans, using specialized testing, diagnostic, medical, surgical, physical and psychiatric techniques through application of the principles and procedures of modern medicine. They specialize in certain disease categories, types of patient or methods of treatment and may conduct medical education and research in their chosen areas of specialization. Tasks include - (a) conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status; (b) considering medical information provided by a referring doctor or other health care provider, (c) ordering specialized diagnostic tests to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses; (d) prescribing, administering and monitoring patients’ responses to treatments, medications, anaesthetics, psychotherapies, physical rehabilitation programmes and other preventive and curative measures; (e) performing surgery of a general or specialized nature; (f) managing complications before, during and after childbirth; (g) recording patients’ medical information and exchanging information with other health professionals to ensure the provision of comprehensive care; (h) reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities to meet legal and professional requirements; (i) providing information to patients and families and communities about preventive measures, treatment and care for specific ailments; (j) performing autopsies to determine cause of death; (k) conducting research into specific human disorders and illnesses and preventive or curative methods and disseminating the findings such as through scientific reports; (l) planning and participating in programmes designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of specific diseases. Examples of the occupations classified here: - Anaesthetist - Cardiologist - Emergency medicine specialist - Gynaecologist - Obstetrician - Ophthalmologist - Paediatrician - Pathologist - Preventive medicine specialist - Psychiatrist - Radiation oncologist - Radiologist - Resident medical officer in specialist training - Specialist medical practitioner (public health) - Specialist physician (internal medicine) - Specialist physician (nuclear medicine) - Surgeon Some related occupations classified elsewhere: - Biomedical researcher - 2131 - General practitioner - 2211 - Resident medical officer specializing in general practice - 2211 - Dental practitioner - 2261 - Dental surgeon - 2261 - Oral and maxillofacial surgeon - 2261 - Clinical psychologist - 2634 Notes Occupations included in this unit group require completion of a university-level degree in basic medical education plus postgraduate clinical training in a medical specialization (except general practice) or equivalent. Resident medical officers and interns training as specialist practitioners (except general practice) are included here. Although in some countries 'stomatology' may be considered as a medical specialization, stomatologists should be included in Unit group -2261, Dentists. Medical research professionals who participate in biomedical research using living organisms and do not undertake clinical practice are classified in Unit Group 2131: Biologists, Botanists, Zoologists and Related Professionals.