As in any other country in the world, general medicine and specialty medicine are widely practiced in India. General medicine, which is also known as internal medicine, deals with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases that occur in adult human beings. Doctors who specialize in general medicine are known as physicians. General medicine includes a number of sub-specialties such as cardiology, endocrinology, haematology, nephrology, rheumatology, hospital medicine, sleep medicine and so on. On the other hand, the term specialty medicine refers to a particular branch of medical science. A vast majority of physicians and surgeons specialize in a particular branch of medicine, after completion of their basic medical education. Medical specialties can be grouped into broad categories based on the angle of specialization. These include surgical specialties, diagnostic specialties, organ or technique-based specialties and specializations based on the age group of patients being treated. Hide this