Glossary of Pediatric Clinicians
Here are definitions for many of the clinicians (health care
professionals) who provide care for pediatric patients.
Need to Define a Term NOT Here? Perhaps try one of the online
dictionaries:
- dictionary.com (also provides translations for various languages)
- webmd.com (use search feature for medical terminology and disease information)
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
Anesthesiologist
A doctor who is specially trained to give anesthesia, which is the
medicine given to relieve pain.
Attending
A faculty level physician on staff at UNC in charge of the general
care of the patient or acting as a consultant for specialized care. All
attendings are members of the UNC School of Medicine.
C
Cardiologist
A doctor who specializes in the treatment of the heart.
Clinician
A health care professional (may be a medical doctor, specialized
nurse, etc.). A patient may have a number of clinicians treating him or
her.
E
Endocrinologist
A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders
of the glands, for example, diabetes or thyroid disorders.
Faculty
Clinicians involved in teaching health care professionals. All faculty
at UNC Hospitals are members of the UNC School of Medicine.
Fellow
A physician who is doing special training (called a fellowship) to
further develop skills in a particular medical specialty.
Geneticist
Medical doctor who specializes in the care of individuals with genetic
problems. Genes are the unit in the chromosome that contains the
blueprint for making a protein. Genes are responsible for transmission
of inherited characteristics.
Hematologist
A doctor who specializes in blood problems.
Intensivist
A critical care physician whose medical practice is focused entirely
on the care of critically ill and injured patients.
Intern
A medical doctor who has completed medical school and is in their
first year of specialty training. An intern always works under the
supervision of an attending.
Lactation Consultant
A professional who is trained to help mothers who want to breastfeed
their babies.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
An individual who has completed a program in nursing and is licensed
to provide basic care under the supervision of a doctor or registered
nurse.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Physicians
OB/GYN doctors who specialize in the care of both mother and fetus in
high-risk pregnancies; they are sometimes called perinatologists.
Neonatologist
A pediatrician who specializes in the care of premature babies (a baby
born before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy; also called preemie
or preterm baby) and critically ill newborn babies.
Nephrologist
A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the
kidney.
Neurologist
A physician who specializes in treating and diagnosing disorders of
the nervous system and brain.
Neurosurgeon
A doctor who specializes in surgery of the brain and spinal
cord.
Nurse Practitioner
A registered nurse who has received specialized training in diagnosing
and treating illnesses and providing health care maintenance. Nurse
practitioners always work under the supervision of a physician in
delivering medical care.
Obstetrician/Gynecologist
(OB/GYN)
A physician who specializes in women’s reproductive health issues,
both medically and surgically.
Oncologist
A physician who specializes in the study of cancer and related
diseases, including noncancerous lumps.
Orthopedic Surgeon
A surgeon who specializes in the care and problems of the muscles and
bones.
Pediatrician
A physician who specializes in the development, care and diseases of
children.
Perinatologist
An obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancy, also called a
maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
Physician (MD)
A medical doctor who is trained and licensed to practice
medicine.
Physician Assistant (PA)
An individual who has taken specialized training to perform a defined
area of medical care. PAs always work under the supervision of a
physician.
Public Health Nurse
A specially trained nurse who visits parents and their baby at home
after the baby is discharged from the hospital.
Registered Nurse (RN)
A graduate nurse who has passed a state board examination and been
registered and licensed to practice nursing.
Resident
A doctor who has completed medical school and is receiving further
specialty training. An intern is a first year resident. A resident
always works under the supervision of an attending physician.
Respiratory Therapist
An individual who has had specialized training to assist in treating
breathing problems.
Social Worker
A licensed professional who gives families emotional support, help in
adjusting to hospitalization, help planning for hospital discharge, and
referral to community resources. Social work services are available to
all families with babies in the Neonatal Critical Care Center (NCCC).
The NCCC is a special place in the NC Children’ s Hospital for sick and
premature infants.
Surgeon
A doctor trained to perform surgery.
Urologist
A surgeon who specializes in the care of problems with the kidneys and
bladder.
