INTRODUCTION

 

Though medical sciences is a part of health sciences, it is so important that we have given it a separate place. In this part we have highlighted the professions of Medical doctors and Homeopaths. For all other main professions related to medical sceinces, please refer to our page "Healthcare".

 

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

General practice doctor:

 

General practitioners, or GPs, provide primary and continuing medical care for patients in the community. They take account of physical, emotional and social factors when diagnosing illness and recommending the required treatment. Patients may be referred to hospital clinics for further assessment and possibly for treatment.

GPs may run specialist clinics within the practice for patients with specific conditions. They increasingly work as part of a team alongside other healthcare professionals, including community health doctors, to discuss care options for patients and their families and help patients to take responsibility for their own health.

GPs who are partners in a practice are also responsible for the running of the practice, which involves a range of administrative activities, such as employing staff, managing contracts and working within strict budgets.

 

Tasks activities include:

• responding to medical/health problems presented by patients including history taking, diagnosis, investigation, treatment and referral as appropriate;

• maintaining confidentiality and impartiality;

• commissioning healthcare by liaising with medical professionals in the community and hospitals;

• promoting health education in conjunction with other health professionals;

• organising preventative medical programmes for individual patients;

• providing specialist clinics for specific conditions or for certain groups, e.g. diabetes, smoking cessation and new babies;

• meeting targets set by the government for specific treatments, such as child immunisations;

• discussing the development of new pharmaceutical products with pharmaceutical sales representatives;

• managing resources to service targets as effectively as possible, for example, using Choose and Book, the national electronic referral service;

• using IT skills - some practices have one partner who specialises in the use of IT within the practice but all will be expected to have basic abilities for work such as maintaining patients' records using specific packages;

• keeping up to date with medical developments, new drugs, treatments and medications, including complementary medicine;

• observing and assessing the work of trainee GPs and medical students and teaching at medical schools or hospitals;

• maintaining a portfolio of continuing professional development (CPD) activities.

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Partners in a practice may decide to expand their career portfolio and specialise in a specific area of medicine, such as obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry or orthopaedics. They may also specialise in areas such as IT, human resource management, medical education or training.

 

 

Homeopath

 

Homeopathy is a system of alterative or complementary medicine based on treating the individual with very diluted natural substances, given in mainly tablet form, which triggers the body's natural system of healing. Homeopaths decide on the most appropriate treatment for the patient on the basis of the symptoms the patient experiences.

Homeopaths treat a range of conditions; they might be physical problems, such as skin ailments, asthma or arthritis, or they might be of an emotional or psychological nature, like depression or phobias.

They adopt a holistic approach with their patients, treating the person as a whole, including past and present symptoms. Patients may seek treatment themselves or be referred to a homeopath by their GP. Duration of treatment varies from weeks to months or years, depending on the severity of the disorder.

Most practitioners are solely homeopaths but some are also trained in conventional medicine and practice as doctors, dentists and veterinary surgeons.

 

Tasks & activities include:

• assessing patients and developing a detailed case history with patients comprising psychological, emotional and physical symptoms and characteristics;

• using homeopathic remedies to treat a range of conditions e.g. arthritis and eczema;

• analysing each case to select a remedy or series of remedies appropriate for the individual (this may take several consultations);

• monitoring and evaluating patient progress;

• responding to patient queries and problems, either face to face or over the phone;

• instructing patients about the use and effects of particular remedies;

• advising on lifestyle issues, such as diet, exercise and mental health;

• referring the patient to other health practitioners, as appropriate;

• maintaining detailed clinical notes and records for each patient;

• visiting patients in their home (though this is less common than patient contact in a clinic);

• researching medical conditions and homeopathic remedies;

• managing a business (and all that this entails: finance, taxation and marketing or promotion);

• running seminars and presentations for groups in the community, or for other health practitioners, to promote homeopathy.

 

Homeopaths with a good level of professional experience may also be involved with training and/or supervising homeopathy students.