Who is a Consultant Physician?
Consultant physicians (کنسلٹنٹ ڈاکٹر) are specialist doctors who cater to a wide range of ailments that affect the body. They mainly work in hospitals, where they are ultimately responsible for the health of the patients but are also involved in private practice as well. They are also referred to as GP.
Moreover, the best physician in Karachi also works and helps other doctors with the patient diagnosis. They also confer with surgeons before the surgery to do a risk assessment of the patient.
When should you see a Consultant Physician?
People need to see a consultant physician (ماہر طب) when recommended by their primary doctor, or family physician. It is also pertinent to visit a doctor in case of apparent signs of disease like changed bodily function, unexplained weight loss, dietary issues, pain around the body etc.
Patients already diagnosed with chronic problems like diabetes also need to periodically visit their general physician in Karachi for better disease management and to ensure that the risk factors can be controlled.
What are the most common diseases overseen by Consultant Physicians in Pakistan?
There are big challenges facing the health sector. Poor infrastructure, lack of resource and great disease burden have overwhelmed the system. Health is also not a priority for the government, as evident by the budget allocation, further complicating an already grim situation.
According to CDC, following the top 10 causes of death in Pakistan:
|
Disease
|
Percentage prevalence
|
|
Ischemic Heart Disease
|
8%
|
|
Cancer
|
8%
|
|
Lower-Respiratory Infections
|
8%
|
|
Stroke
|
6%
|
|
Diarrheal Diseases
|
6%
|
|
Neonatal Encephalopathy
|
5%
|
|
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
|
5%
|
|
TB
|
5%
|
|
Pre-Term Birth Complications
|
4%
|
|
Diabetes
|
3%
|
What are a the main areas of concern for a Consultant Physician?
Consultant physicians (GP) cater to the wellbeing of the patient by overseeing their complete care, especially in case where condition of the patient is complicated. While sometimes they just have to give their consultation, other times, they comanage the patient as well.
Not only do patients directly seek the help of their general physician in Karachi, but they are also approached by referring physicians for recommendations with regards to the patient evaluation and care.
Amongst main concerns of the internal medicine specialist, or GP, is investigating into what is ailing the patient, enabling diagnostic procedures and then drafting the diagnosis and its respective remedy. Likewise, consultants also use their expertise to improve the patient's risk factors for different diseases.
They also perform preoperative medical consultation as well. This is a big responsibility, as consultants have to consider factors like health of the patient, medical history, need for the surgery, operative risks of the patients, alternate treatment options etc. Not always is the pertinent patient data available to the consultant, so they need to have sufficient acumen to make judgments, nonetheless.
Often, consultants also need to dispense follow-up care after the surgical procedure, as the patient is still vulnerable in the post-op.
These specialist doctors are not only involved in the typical medical role, but their responsibilities extend to operational matters as well. They work from teams from other departments, as naturally, patient care is not an isolated matter. Consultant physicians are also involved in running of the hospitals.
Moreover, consultants also help in training of the junior doctors and students alike. Some are also involved in the research process, in order to enable patient care even further.
What kinds of Consultant Physicians are there?
Since there are numerous medical specialties, there are many different types of consultants that cater to each field. However, the basic categorization of these fields include:
- Anesthesiologist: These experts are responsible for monitoring patient pain and vitals during surgery.
- Cardiologist: These specialists cater to problems specifically targeting the heart, and the blood vessels.
- Gastroenterologist: Experts in this field cater to the problems pertaining to the GI tract.
- Endocrinologist: Endocrine system is concerned with the secretion of hormones, and their regulation. Experts cater to ailments of this system.
- Internal Medicine specialist: Experts of this field give primary medical care to the patient. They use conservative treatment methods to remedy various ailments around the adult body
- Pediatrician: Pediatricians treat issues ailing children, up to the age of 18 years. Other than treating illnesses, they also are responsible for pertinent medical care like immunization etc.
- Pulmonologist: This field deals with the respiratory system, and all the organs involved therein
- Oncologist: Consultants Physicians specializing in oncology are responsible for cancer patients
Radiologist: Experts of this field are concerned with viewing and understanding the radiology tests
How to become a Consultant Physician in Pakistan?
The world of consultancy is very competitive one, thus people aspiring to be the best physician in Karachi need to be ambitious and passionate about their goal.
Becoming a consultant physician in Karachi entails completing M.B.B.S and then house job, which is a year of training at a teaching hospital. People then need to appear in the exams conducted by the College of Physician and Surgeons, Pakistan, (CPSP), alongside doing the requisite training.
After completing the specialization can then people apply for the consultant-level posts at the hospital of their choice.
What are Consultant Physicians called in Pakistan?
Consultant physicians are also referred to as:
- Family Physician
- General Physician
- Internal medicine specialist
- Mahir-e-Tib
- GP
- خاندانی معالج
- ماہر طب
- جنرل معالج
- جنرل فزیشن
- مشیر معالج
- کنسلٹنٹ ڈاکٹر
