Which Doctor Should I See?
People pay for the wrong consultation all the time. Here is how to work out where to start.
For most health problems, start with a general physician. They can treat the majority of common conditions themselves, and where a specialist is needed they will tell you which one — which saves you the cost of guessing wrong. Go directly to a specialist for pregnancy, children's illness, and eye or dental problems.
Do not use this page in an emergency
For chest pain, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness or difficulty speaking, severe bleeding, a seizure, or loss of consciousness — go to the nearest emergency department or call 112. Do not spend time choosing the right specialist.
Go straight to an emergency department for these
Chest pain
Chest pain can be acidity or a heart attack, and you cannot reliably tell them apart yourself. Do not book an appointment and wait. Go to an emergency department, especially with sweating, breathlessness, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw.
Sudden weakness on one side, or difficulty speaking
These are stroke symptoms, and stroke treatment is time-critical. Every hour of delay reduces what can be recovered. Call 112.
For everything else
The specialty named is where you are likely to end up. In most cases the sensible first appointment is still a general physician.
Fever has dozens of causes and needs a general assessment and blood tests before anyone can narrow it down. Going straight to a specialist usually means being sent back.
Start with a general physician, who will arrange a sputum test for TB and a chest X-ray. Those two tests answer most long-cough questions before a specialist is needed.
Most acidity is managed well by a general physician. A gastroenterologist is for when treatment is not working, or when there are warning signs such as difficulty swallowing, vomiting blood or weight loss.
Most back pain is muscular and needs no specialist at all. See a doctor promptly if pain runs down the leg with numbness or weakness. Loss of bladder or bowel control is an emergency, not an appointment.
Ordinary neck pain needs no specialist. Pain, numbness or weakness travelling into the arm suggests a nerve is involved, which is when a referral makes sense.
A general physician can diagnose and treat migraine, which is the commonest cause. A neurologist is for headaches that are not responding, or that come with warning signs.
Type 2 diabetes is managed very well by general physicians. An endocrinologist or diabetologist is for complicated cases, type 1 diabetes, or when control is not being achieved.
Blood pressure is a general physician's bread and butter. A cardiologist is needed if there is heart disease alongside it, or if the pressure will not come under control on several medicines.
People often go to a dermatologist for hair fall when the cause is thyroid disease or anaemia. A general physician can order the few blood tests that sort this out quickly.
Breathlessness can come from the lungs, the heart or anaemia, so a general assessment comes first. Sudden or severe breathlessness is an emergency.
This may involve the kidneys, the heart or the liver. A general physician orders the tests that decide which specialist you actually need.
This is one of the few areas where going straight to the specialist is right.
Children are not small adults — doses, normal ranges and the pattern of illness are all different. Go directly to a paediatrician.
Both are valid starting points. A general physician can begin treatment and rule out physical causes such as thyroid disease. There is no shame in going straight to a psychiatrist.
What each specialist actually treats
Cardiology
Conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including heart attacks, heart failure and rhythm problems.
Emergency Medicine
Urgent assessment and treatment of accidents, injuries and sudden serious illness.
Gastroenterology
The digestive system — stomach, intestines, liver, pancreas and gall bladder.
General Medicine
Diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of adult illnesses — the usual first point of contact.
Nephrology
Kidney disease, dialysis and kidney transplantation.
Neurology
Conditions of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, such as stroke, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Pregnancy, childbirth and conditions of the female reproductive system.
Oncology
Diagnosis and treatment of cancer, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and cancer surgery.
Orthopaedics
Bones, joints, muscles and ligaments — fractures, arthritis and joint replacement.
Paediatrics
Health and illness in babies, children and adolescents.
Psychiatry
Mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and severe mental illness.
Pulmonology
Lungs and breathing — asthma, COPD, tuberculosis and other chest conditions.
Getting more from the appointment
- Take your old reports and prescriptions. All of them, even the ones you think are irrelevant. Comparison over time tells a doctor far more than one reading.
- Write down your three main questions before you go. Consultations are short and it is easy to leave having forgotten the thing you came about.
- Take a list of every medicine you take, including supplements and traditional remedies. Doctors can only check for interactions they know about.
- Say when the problem started and what changes it. That single sentence narrows the possibilities more than anything else you can offer.
- Ask what the diagnosis is, what the treatment is for, and what should improve by when. If nothing improves by then, go back.
Frequently asked questions
Should I see a general physician or go straight to a specialist?
For most problems, a general physician first. They can diagnose and treat the majority of common conditions, and where a specialist is needed they will tell you which one — which saves you paying for the wrong consultation. Pregnancy, children's illness and eye or dental problems are the main exceptions where going directly is sensible.
What is the difference between a physician and a surgeon?
A physician treats with medicines and other non-surgical means. A surgeon treats with operations. Many conditions are managed by a physician for years and never need a surgeon at all.
Is MBBS enough, or do I need an MD?
An MBBS doctor is a fully qualified doctor and handles the great majority of everyday illness competently. MD or MS means additional specialist training in one area. For common problems, an experienced MBBS general physician is entirely appropriate.
How do I check whether a doctor is genuinely registered?
Every practising doctor in India is registered with a State Medical Council or the National Medical Commission. You can ask any doctor for their registration number and check it on the Indian Medical Register online. A genuine doctor will not mind being asked.
Looking for a hospital? Browse hospitals by city and specialty. Not sure what your symptom means? Start with symptoms or ask a question in your own words.