Medical Specialty Abbreviations
47 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Short names for medical and surgical specialties, subspecialties and physician training terms as they appear in consult requests, hospital paging, referral letters and residency applications. Many are clipped words rather than initials (Peds, Ortho, Rheum, Psych), and some letters carry unrelated meanings elsewhere in medicine, such as ID (infectious disease or intradermal) and IM (internal medicine or intramuscular). Training lengths given are typical US pathways and differ in other countries.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A&I | Allergy and immunology | Subspecialty treating allergic diseases and immune system disorders, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, food and drug allergy, anaphylaxis, eczema, hives and primary… |
| ABMS | American Board of Medical Specialties | Nonprofit organization whose 24 member boards certify physicians in specialties and subspecialties in the United States, such as internal medicine, surgery and… |
| ACGME | Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education | Private nonprofit organization that accredits residency and fellowship programs in the United States, setting standards for curriculum, supervision and resident duty… |
| Anes | Anesthesiology | Specialty responsible for anesthesia and perioperative medicine, including general, regional and sedation anesthesia for surgery and procedures, airway management, pain… |
| Cards | Cardiology | Hospital shorthand for cardiology, the internal medicine subspecialty treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels such as coronary artery disease, heart failure… |
| CCM | Critical care medicine | Specialty focused on critically ill patients with life-threatening organ failure, such as respiratory failure requiring a ventilator, septic shock and multi-organ… |
| CT | Cardiothoracic (surgery) | Surgical specialty operating on the heart, lungs, esophagus and other organs in the chest, including coronary artery bypass, valve replacement, lung cancer resection… |
| Derm | Dermatology | Specialty diagnosing and treating diseases of the skin, hair and nails, including acne, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections and skin cancers, and performing biopsies… |
| ECFMG | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates | US organization that certifies the readiness of international medical graduates to enter residency and fellowship programs accredited by the ACGME. |
| EM | Emergency medicine | Specialty caring for patients with acute, undifferentiated illness and injury in emergency departments, from resuscitation and major trauma to minor complaints. |
| Endo | Endocrinology | Hormone and metabolic disorders are the focus of this subspecialty, including diabetes, thyroid disease, pituitary and adrenal disorders, osteoporosis, obesity and… |
| ENT | Ear, nose and throat (otolaryngology) | Known formally as otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, this specialty treats disorders of the ears, nose, sinuses, throat, voice box, salivary glands and neck… |
| FM | Family medicine | Primary care specialty treating patients of all ages and both sexes, covering preventive care, chronic disease management, minor procedures, pediatrics, women's health… |
| FP | Family physician (family practice) | Physician who practices family medicine, or the older name for the specialty itself (family practice). |
| Geri | Geriatrics | Care of older adults, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions, frailty, dementia, falls and complex medication regimens, is the focus of this specialty. |
| GI | Gastroenterology | Internal medicine subspecialty devoted to the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder and pancreas, and to endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy, upper… |
| GP | General practitioner | Physician providing primary care to patients of all ages and the usual first point of contact for health problems in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and many… |
| Heme/Onc | Hematology and oncology | Combined subspecialty covering blood disorders (anemia, bleeding and clotting disorders, sickle cell disease) and cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma as… |
| HPM | Hospice and palliative medicine | Subspecialty focused on relieving pain and other symptoms, guiding conversations about goals of care and caring for people with serious illness at any stage, including… |
| ID | Infectious diseases | Subspecialty of internal medicine or pediatrics dedicated to complex infections, including HIV, tuberculosis, bone and joint infections, endocarditis, infections in… |
| IM | Internal medicine | Specialty focused on the prevention, diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases in adults, from outpatient primary care to complex hospital medicine. |
| IMG | International medical graduate | Physician who graduated from a medical school outside the United States and Canada and seeks to train or practice there. |
| IR | Interventional radiology | Specialty performing minimally invasive, image-guided procedures through needles and catheters, such as angioplasty and stenting, embolization of bleeding vessels and… |
| Med-Peds | Internal medicine-pediatrics | Combined four-year residency that trains physicians to care for both adults and children, leading to board eligibility in internal medicine and pediatrics. |
| MFM | Maternal-fetal medicine | Obstetric subspecialty caring for high-risk pregnancies, such as those complicated by maternal heart or kidney disease, diabetes, preeclampsia, twins, preterm labor or… |
| Nephro | Nephrology | Internal medicine subspecialty dealing with kidney function and disease, including chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, electrolyte and acid-base disorders… |
| Neuro | Neurology | Medical specialty diagnosing and treating disorders of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles, such as stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease… |
| NM | Nuclear medicine | Specialty that uses small amounts of radioactive tracers to diagnose and treat disease, including bone scans, thyroid uptake scans, PET and myocardial perfusion… |
| NSGY | Neurosurgery | Brain, spinal cord, spine and peripheral nerve surgery, treating brain tumors, aneurysms, head and spinal trauma, hydrocephalus and degenerative spine disease, and… |
| OB/GYN | Obstetrics and gynecology | Combined surgical and medical specialty covering pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period (obstetrics) and the health of the female reproductive system… |
| OMFS | Oral and maxillofacial surgery | Dental and surgical specialty treating the mouth, jaws, face and neck, including wisdom tooth removal, dental implants, jaw fractures, corrective jaw surgery, cleft… |
| Onc | Oncology | Branch of medicine that diagnoses and treats cancer. |
| Ophtho | Ophthalmology | Medical and surgical specialty for eye diseases and vision, treating cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, eye injuries and strabismus, and… |
| Ortho | Orthopedics (orthopedic surgery) | Surgical specialty treating bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles, from fractures and sports injuries to joint replacement, spine surgery, hand surgery and… |
| Path | Pathology | Specialty that diagnoses disease by examining tissues, cells and body fluids. |
| PCCM | Pulmonary and critical care medicine | Combined subspecialty and the most common US pathway into intensive care, covering both lung disease and the management of critically ill patients in the ICU. |
| Peds | Pediatrics | Care of infants, children and adolescents, typically through age 18 or 21, covering growth and development, vaccinations and the diagnosis and treatment of childhood… |
| PRS | Plastic and reconstructive surgery | Restores form and function to the body through reconstruction after cancer or trauma, burn care, hand surgery, cleft lip and palate repair, gender-affirming surgery and… |
| Psych | Psychiatry | Diagnoses and treats mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, substance use and eating disorders… |
| Pulm | Pulmonology | Branch of internal medicine dealing with the lungs and breathing, including asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, lung nodules… |
| Rad Onc | Radiation oncology | Specialty that treats cancer and some benign conditions with ionizing radiation, delivered externally (as with intensity-modulated radiation therapy or stereotactic… |
| Rads | Radiology | Hospital and student shorthand for radiology, the specialty that diagnoses disease with X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound and nuclear medicine imaging and performs… |
| REI | Reproductive endocrinology and infertility | OB/GYN subspecialty treating infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and reproductive hormone disorders, and providing assisted reproduction such as in vitro… |
| Rheum | Rheumatology | Internal medicine and pediatric subspecialty treating autoimmune and inflammatory conditions of the joints, muscles and connective tissues, including rheumatoid… |
| Sub-I | Sub-internship | Advanced clinical rotation, usually in the fourth year of US medical school, in which a student takes on intern-level responsibilities such as primary patient care… |
| Tox | Toxicology | Subspecialty, formally medical toxicology, focused on poisoning, drug overdoses, envenomations, adverse drug effects and environmental and occupational exposures. |
| Uro | Urology | Specialty dealing surgically and medically with the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and male reproductive organs, treating kidney stones, urinary incontinence… |
More medical abbreviations
- Anatomy Abbreviations (70)
- Anesthesia Abbreviations (34)
- Cardiology Abbreviations (229)
- Dermatology Abbreviations (52)
- Drug Abbreviations (170)
- Drug Class Abbreviations (113)
- Emergency Medicine Abbreviations (97)
- Endocrinology & Diabetes Abbreviations (64)
- Gastroenterology Abbreviations (85)
- Health Insurance Abbreviations (107)
- Healthcare Credential Abbreviations (122)
- Hematology and Oncology Abbreviations (144)
- Hospital Abbreviations (89)
- Infectious Disease Abbreviations (92)
- Laboratory Test Abbreviations (135)
- Medical Documentation Abbreviations (79)
- Medical Imaging Abbreviations (58)
- Medical Research Abbreviations (94)
- Medication Route Abbreviations (41)
- Mental Health & Psychiatry Abbreviations (100)
- Musculoskeletal & Rheumatology Abbreviations (71)
- Nephrology & Urology Abbreviations (71)
- Neurology Abbreviations (131)
- Nursing Abbreviations (90)
- Obstetrics & Gynecology Abbreviations (89)
- Ophthalmology & ENT Abbreviations (74)
- Patient Assessment Abbreviations (65)
- Pediatric & Neonatal Abbreviations (51)
- Pharmacology Abbreviations (36)
- Pharmacy Abbreviations (134)
- Prescription Abbreviations (77)
- Rehabilitation Abbreviations (98)
- Respiratory Abbreviations (109)
- Surgical Abbreviations (51)