What is a medical specialist?

A medical specialist has advanced training even beyond board certification. Examples include: caridiology, neurology, pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, infectious disease, urology, plastic surgery, and  cardiothoracic surgery. After training in general surgery, board certified plastic surgeons train for at least 2 -3 years in their fellowship. The above medical specialties have extended training after internal medicine programs. 

Every physician who is board certified has earned the right to call themselves a specialist. For example, Family Practitioners and Internists are Primary Care specialists. However, some physicians go beyond initial board certification in Internal Medicine and become board certified in specialties such as cardiology, geriatrics or endocrinology. Some physicians also train in the specialty of pediatrics take additional fellowship training to become specialists in a pediatric sub-specialty such as pediatric gastroenterology or pediatric infectious disease.