Specialist Physician Roles in Ontario
A well-rounded physician is not only a medical expert and clinical decision maker, but also a communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate, scholar and professional. The following content, from the
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, explores how these qualities connect to practice.
Communicator: To provide humane, high-quality care, physicians establish effective relationships with patients, other physicians, and other health professionals. Communication skills, particularly good listening, are essential for the functioning of a physician, and are necessary for obtaining information from, and conveying information to, patients and their families. These abilities are critical in eliciting patients' concerns, and expectations about their illnesses, and for assessing key factors that affect patients' health.
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Collaborator: Physicians work in partnership with others who are appropriately involved in the care of individuals or specific groups of patients. It is therefore essential for physicians to be able to collaborate effectively with patients and a multidisciplinary team of expert health professionals for the provision of optimal patient care, education, and research.
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Manager: Physicians function as managers when they make everyday practice decisions involving resources, co-workers, tasks, policies, and their personal lives. They do this in the settings of individual patient care, practice organizations, and in the broader context of the health care system. Physicians must use resources to effectively strike a professional/personal life balance. In addition, they use information technology to optimize patient care, life-long learning, and other activities. Thus, physicians require the abilities to prioritize and effectively execute tasks through teamwork with colleagues, and make systematic decisions when allocating health care resources.
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Health Advocate: Physicians recognize the importance of advocacy activities in responding to the challenges represented by those social, environmental, and biological factors that determine the health of patients and society. They recognize advocacy as an essential and fundamental component of health promotion that occurs at the level of the individual patient, the practice population, and the broader community. Health advocacy is appropriately expressed both by the individual and collective responses of physicians in influencing public health and policy.
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Scholar: Physicians engage in a lifelong pursuit of mastery of their profession. They recognize the need to continually learn by developing, implementing, and monitoring personal continuing education strategies. Through their scholarly activities, they contribute to the appraisal, collection, and understanding of health care knowledge, and contribute to the development of new knowledge. They also facilitate the education of their students, patients and others.
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Professional: Physicians, as professionals, have a unique societal role with a distinct body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of others. Physicians are committed to the highest standards of excellence in clinical care and ethical conduct, and to the pursuit of mastery of their discipline. They deliver the highest quality care with integrity, honesty, and compassion and practice medicine ethically, consistent with the obligations of a physician.
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All physicians practising in Ontario must be registered and licensed with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, for medical specialties and sub-specialties, and the College of Family Physicians of Canada, for family medicine and family medicine sub-specialties, are responsible for accrediting specialty, sub-specialty and family medicine medical training programs, and the certification of physicians and surgeons.
Specialty Physician Roles and Descriptions of Specialties and Sub-specialties
To practise as a specialist you must be certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Click on a link below to view the RCPSC definition of more than 60 specialties and sub-specialties.
Anatomical PathologyAnatomical Pathology is that branch of medicine concerned with the study of the morphologic aspects of disease and includes subspecialties that may be oriented towards specific organ systems, (for example, gynecological pathology, dermatopathology, gastrointestinal pathology, cardiovascular pathology, respiratory pathology, musculoskeletal pathology, renal pathology, genito-urinary pathology, endocrine pathology, ophthalmic pathology, E.N.T. pathology, neuropathology), certain laboratory methods (for example, cytopathology, immunopathology, electron microscopy), or certain types of clinical cases (for example, pediatric pathology, forensic pathology).
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Anesthesiology
Anesthesiology is a medical specialty which includes patient assessment and provision of life support, amnesia, and analgesia for both surgical procedures and childbirth; assessment and management of critically ill patients; and the assessment and management of patients with acute and chronic pain.
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Cardiac Surgery
Cardiac surgery is a branch of surgery concerned with diseases of the pericardium, heart and great vessels. The Resident who has completed training in Cardiac Surgery is expected to function as an independent consultant with respect to the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiovascular disease, including the provisions of surgical intervention when indicated and postoperative care.
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Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical subspecialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, management, and rehabilitation of patients with diseases of the cardiovascular system. A cardiologist is a specialist who is an expert in the diagnosis and management of all aspects of cardiovascular disease.
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Clinical Immunology and Allergy
The specialist in clinical immunology and allergy is expected to possess indepth knowledge of theoretical immunology and of other basic sciences relevant to the understanding and practice of clinical immunology and allergy. Their knowledge should thus encompass, with a degree of specific expertise that may vary, the broad field of clinical immunology and allergy, which generally includes atopic diseases, adverse reactions to environmental agents of all types, (i.e. drugs, foods, industrial exposures etc.), autoimmune disorders, immune deficiencies, immunoproliferative disorders, immunotherapy of all types (biological, pharmacological, physical) and the immunological aspects of systemic diseases.
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Clinical Pharamcology
Clinical pharmacology is the consultant specialty with the goal of achieving optimal drug treatment. The specialty is based on in depth knowledge of human pharmacology, therapeutics and toxicology. The discipline of clinical pharmacology includes rational therapeutics, clinical toxicology, population therapeutics and pharmacogenomics.
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Community Medicine
Community Medicine is that branch of medicine concerned with the health of populations. The Community Medicine specialist uses population health knowledge and skills to play leading and collaborative roles in the maintenance and improvement of the health and well-being of the community. Through inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral partnerships, the Community Medicine specialist measures the health needs of populations and develops strategies for improving health and well-being, through health promotion, disease prevention and health protection.
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Critical Care Medicine (Pediatric or Adult)
Critical care medicine is a multidisciplinary field concerned with patients who have sustained, or are at risk of sustaining life threatening, single or multiple organ system failure due to disease or injury. Critical care medicine seeks to provide for the needs of these patients through immediate and continuous observation and intervention so as to restore health and prevent complications. A specialist in critical care medicine is a physician or surgeon who is competent in all aspects of recognizing and managing acutely ill pediatric patients with single or multiple organ system failure requiring ongoing monitoring and support.
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Dermatology
Dermatology is that branch of medicine concerned with the study and clinical management of the skin, its appendages and mucous membranes, both in health and disease.
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Diagnostic Radiology
Diagnostic Radiology is a branch of medical practice concerned with the use of imaging techniques in the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
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Emergency Medicine
Emergency Medicine is that branch of specialty practice that is concerned with the management of the broad spectrum of acute illness and injury in all age groups.
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Endocrinology and Metabolism
Endocrinology and metabolism is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the diseases of the endocrine organs, disorders of hormone systems, and their target organs and disorders of the pathways of glucose and lipid metabolism in health and disease. It encompasses the assessment of patients with such disorders and the use of laboratory methods for diagnosis and monitoring of therapy. An endocrinologist is a specialist trained in the diagnosis and management of a broad range of diseases that are caused directly by disorders of the endocrine organs or disorders that secondarily affect the endocrine system. An endocrinologist is knowledgeable in endocrine physiology, particularly regarding normal control of hormone secretion and action.
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Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is the medical specialty that deals specifically with the investigation, diagnosis and management of disorders of the digestive system including the pancreas and liver. The specialty is further defined by pediatric and adult disciplines based on differences in both cognitive and technical skills. There is overlap in some aspects of the two disciplines at the adolescent transition.
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General Pathology
General Pathology is that branch of medicine concerned with all aspects of laboratory investigation in health and disease. The discipline incorporates both morphological and non-morphological diagnostic techniques in the areas of Anatomic Pathology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Hematopathology and Transfusion Medicine.
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General Surgery
The specialty of General Surgery embraces the principles and techniques of safe and effective surgical care of the whole person of any age, and is the parent of all surgical specialties. The Resident in general surgery is an eclectic surgical specialist whose practice deals mainly with the alimentary tract, trauma and critical care, endocrine and breast diseases, cancer surgery and endoscopy. By virtue of training, special interest or circumstance the practice of general surgery may be narrowly focused or may extend to diseases or injuries affecting virtually any system of the body. Modern general surgical practice includes expertise in communication and collaboration, teaching and research, health care management and continuing professional development.
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Geriatric Medicine
Geriatric Medicine is that branch of specialty practice concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, remedial and social aspects of illness in older people.
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Gynecologic Oncology
Gynecologic oncology is a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology directed to the diagnosis and management of female genital tract cancers. Gynecologic oncology interrelates multiple modes of therapy to improve the whole care of women presenting with genital cancer.
Gynecologic reproductive endocrinology and infertility is a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology. It is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of those disorders of the reproductive endocrine system that interfere with reproductive health at any age, and endocrine and other conditions that interfere with the human procreative process.
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Hematological Pathology
The practice of hematological pathology involves the provision in the laboratory or elsewhere of the medical and medically supervised technological services necessary in a large diagnostic hematology service. Such practice includes the detection, diagnosis and laboratory monitoring of disorders of the blood and blood forming organs, whether these are primarily diseases of the hemopoietic system or whether they are effects on the hemopoietic system of drugs, or of diseases of other organ systems. The specialty may also embrace the collection and provision of appropriately prepared blood and blood components for therapeutic purposes.
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Hematology
Hematology is that branch of medicine concerned with the investigation (clinical and laboratory) and the treatment of diseases of the blood and blood-forming tissues.
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Infectious Diseases
The specialty of infectious diseases concerns itself with human illness due to micro-organisms. These diseases traverse the usual boundaries of organs and systems and the specialist in infectious diseases must be prepared to deal with involvement in any region of the body. Infectious diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world and are important contributors to illness and death in Canada today.
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Internal Medicine
An internist is a specialist trained in the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of diseases involving all organ systems, and is especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes. An internist cares for hospitalized and ambulatory patients and may play a major role in teaching or research.
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Maternal-fetal Medicine
Maternal-fetal medicine involves the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of those conditions responsible for morbidity and mortality of the mother, fetus and early newborn. The rapidly expanding body of knowledge regarding maternal health and disease, the continuing introduction of new technologic methods for maternal and fetal assessment and increasing societal demands and expectations for mother and child, continue to modify the nature of obstetrical care. A direct result of these evolving processes is a need for specialists in maternal-fetal medicine with educational and research interests, administrative ability and special training in the identification and management of high risk obstetrical problems. Specialists in maternal-fetal medicine are viewed primarily as consultants to the practising obstetrician and other health care providers. For the most part they will limit their practice to referred high-risk obstetrical patients in a tertiary health care institution and function as regional consultants in matters of organization, standards and education in the broad field of maternal-fetal medicine.
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Medical Biochemistry
Medical Biochemistry is that branch of medicine concerned with the study and measurement of biochemical abnormalities in human disease. The medical biochemist is trained in the operation and management of hospital biochemistry laboratories, and acts as a consultant in all aspects of their use. As an academic specialist, the medical biochemist develops and integrates a basic research program with clinical practice in a field of biochemical interest, and maintains an active role as a teacher of clinically applied biochemistry.
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Medical Genetics
Medical Genetics is that branch of medicine concerned with the effect of genetic variation on human development and health and also with the study, diagnosis, management, and prevention of disease in individuals, families and communities.
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Medical Microbiology
Medical Microbiology is a branch of medicine concerned primarily with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. The specialty of Medical Microbiology consists primarily of four major spheres of activity: 1. Scientific and administrative direction of a clinical microbiology laboratory. 2. Creation and direction of a hospital infection control program. 3. Provision of clinical consultations on the investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients suffering from infectious diseases. 4. Public health and communicable disease epidemiology and prevention.
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Medical Oncology
Medical oncology is that branch of medicine concerned with the investigation and management of patients with the spectrum of neoplastic diseases and their complications, together with an understanding of the basic scientific principles which relate to cancer and its treatment, particularly the chemical, hormonal and immunologic approaches.
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Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine is concerned with the maintenance of health and long-term development of the newborn and young infant, and with special knowledge and skills in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the fetus, newborn and young infant.
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Nephrology
Nephrology is the branch of medicine concerned with the care of patients with kidney disease and disorders of fluid and electrolyte metabolism.
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Neurology
Neurology is that branch of medicine concerned with the study of the nervous system in health and disease.
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Neuropathology
Neuropathology is a medical specialty concerned with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems and skeletal muscle, and their manifestations in other body systems or certain types of clinical cases (for example, pediatric neuropathology, forensic pathology).
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Neuroradiology
Neuroradiology is a branch of diagnostic radiology concerned with both imaging and interventional procedures related to the brain, spine and spinal cord, head, neck, and organs of special senses in adults and children.
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Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery as a discipline arose as a result of an increasing need for special expertise in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of various diseases affecting the nervous system and supporting structures. Thus, the discipline involves the ability to diagnose, and the technical expertise for the effective surgical treatment of the congenital and acquired abnormalities, trauma and diseases affecting the nervous system, which potentially, can be prevented, alleviated or cured.
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Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear Medicine is a branch of medical practice concerned primarily - although not exclusively - with the use of unsealed radioactive sources emitting any of a variety of types of radiations - including but not limited to photons, positrons, negative beta particles, and alpha particles - in the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
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Obstetrics and Gynecology
A specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology is a physician with special education and expertise in the field of women's health and reproduction. He/she has the appropriate medical, surgical and obstetrical knowledge and skills for the prevention, diagnosis and management of a broad range of conditions affecting women's reproductive and gynecological health. As well as providing clinical care and education in normal and complicated obstetrics and gynecology, he/she may contribute significantly to research.
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Occupational Medicine
Occupational Medicine is a medical discipline that emphasizes prevention and deals clinically and administratively with the health needs of both individuals and groups with respect to their working environments and includes the recognition, evaluation, control, management and rehabilitation of occupationally related diseases and injuries.
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Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is that specialty which concerned with the screening, diagnosis and management of optical, medical and surgical disorders and diseases of the eye, its adjacent structures, the visual pathways, and to the visual system.
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Orthopedic Surgery
In translation from its Greek root the term orthopedic means "straight child", reflecting the responsibility of the orthopedic surgeon to strive to maintain and restore proper function of the musculoskeletal system, not only in children but also in patients of all ages.
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Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology is that branch of medicine concerned with the screening, diagnosis and management of medical and surgical disorders of the ear, the upper respiratory and upper alimentary systems and related structures and the head and neck.
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Palliative Medicine
The Canadian Palliative Care Association has defined palliative care as: Palliative care is aimed at relief of suffering and improving the quality of life for persons who are living with or dying from advanced illness or are bereaved.
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Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Pediatric emergency medicine is that branch of medicine concerned with providing highly specialized acute health care to children of all ages and developmental level which includes triage, stabilization, diagnosis, treatment and appropriate follow-up care.
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Pediatric General Surgery
Pediatric General Surgery is the field of medicine that encompasses a broad range of diseases and malformations, both operative and non-operative, from the fetal period until the late teenage years. In addition to the body areas/systems covered by General Surgery, Pediatric General Surgery also deals with non-cardiac thoracic conditions and specific genito-urinary and gynecological problems in children.
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Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is that branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents (age 0 to 19 years) [WHO definition] with cancer and non-malignant disorders of the blood and blood-forming tissues.
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Pediatric Radiology
Pediatric radiology is a branch of medical practice concerned with the use of imaging techniques in the study, diagnosis and treatment of disease affecting the infant, child and adolescent.
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Pediatrics
Pediatrics is that branch of medicine concerned with the study of infants, children and adolescents in health and disease, their growth and development, and their opportunity to achieve full potential as adults.
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Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The consultant in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (or Physiatrist) is a medical specialist, expert in the comprehensive diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of people of all ages with neuromusculoskeletal disorders and associated disabilities.
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Plastic Surgery
The term "plastic" is derived from the Greek word "plastikos" which means moulding or giving form. It is the additional responsibility of the plastic surgeon to employ techniques designed to minimize damage to healthy tissue and to facilitate the healing of injured tissue. The plastic surgeon should be dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the patient by improving bodily function and appearance which is abnormal due to birth defects, trauma or infection, or by correcting body features displeasing to the patient and thus improving the patient's self-esteem.
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Psychiatry
Psychiatry is that branch of medicine concerned with the bio-psycho-social study of the etiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioral disorders alone or as they coexist with other medical or surgical disorders.
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Radiation Oncology
Radiation oncologists are medical specialists with unique knowledge, understanding and expertise in the diagnosis and care of patients with malignant disease. They are integrally involved in the formulation and execution of the management plan of cancer patients. Using an evidence-based approach, they are responsible for the appropriate recommendation; prescription and supervision of therapeutic ionizing radiation. The competent and ethical discharge of these responsibilities results in improved quality of life and/or survival for cancer patients, which in turn benefits families, society and future care.
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Respirology (Adult or Pediatric)
Respirology is a medical subspecialty, which deals with the study of the respiratory system as it transitions from health to disease.
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Rheumatology
Rheumatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the specialized assessment and care of patients with Rheumatological, Autoimmune, and related Musculoskeletal Health Disorders. Traditionally, pediatric patients (usually under age 18) are attended to by Pediatricians with subspecialty training in Pediatric Rheumatology. Adult patients (usually over age 18) are attended to by Internists with subspecialty training in Adult Rheumatology.
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Thoracic Surgery
Thoracic Surgery is that branch of surgery concerned with congenital and acquired diseases of the chest wall, mediastinum, lungs, trachea, pleura, esophagus and diaphragm.
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Transfusion medicine
Transfusion medicine is that domain of laboratory and clinical medicine concerned with the study and the supervision of the collection, testing, preparation, storage, transportation, pretransfusion testing, infusion and safety of human blood products, non-human alternatives and alternative products manufactured by recombinant DNA technology. These activities are undertaken in such a way that the rights of blood donors, patients and families are respected.
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Urology
Urology is that branch of medicine and surgery concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment in adults and children of abnormalities and diseases of the genito-urinary tract of the male and the urinary tract of the female.
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Vascular surgery
Vascular surgery is concerned with the diagnosis and management of congenital and acquired diseases of the arterial, venous, and lymphatic circulatory systems, exclusive of the vessels intrinsic to the heart, the intracranial vessels, and the thoracic aorta where surgery would require cardiopulmonary pump support.
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For more information on these specialties and specialty training requirements go to www.rcpsc.medical.org.