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

A

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.

F

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.

G

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.

H

Hematologist
A doctor who specializes in blood problems.

I

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.

L

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.

M

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.

N

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.

O

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.

P

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.

R

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.

S

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.

U

Urologist
A surgeon who specializes in the care of problems with the kidneys and bladder.