General Information
How to Find a Physician

Choosing a health care provider can be confusing. There are many physician specialties, all of which require different training, experience, and expertise. To help you find the kind of doctor best able to help you, consider the following:

• How unusual is your problem? Is a specialist really needed, or can your primary care doctor diagnose and treat you?
• Have you traveled outside of the United States?
• Do you have special health concerns that require a specialist? For instance, pregnancy, diabetes, immune system problems, or other diseases?
• Does your health insurance allow you to see a specialist before seeing your primary care physician?
• Is your illness likely to be an infection caused by a parasite or by another kind of organism?

What kind of doctor should I see?

The kind of physician you see should be related to the kinds of signs and symptoms you may be having. Several kinds of physician specialties and a description are listed below.

In addition, a General Practitioner (GP) is trained in a broad range of general medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics. If your condition is beyond a GP’s expertise, he or she will refer you to a specialist.

For the American Medical Associations definition list of physician specialties, check the following Internet site: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2375.html

Can I make an appointment at CDC?

No. CDC is a public health institution that is a part of the federal government. CDC is not a clinical facility and cannot refer patients to specific health care providers. CDC cannot treat or prescribe medication.

I have heard that parasitic infections are rare in the United States and that doctors don’t know how to diagnose or treat them.

This is not true. Parasitic diseases are diagnosed and treated every day in the United States. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult to make and may require a specialist.

Where can I find a physician?

To find such a physician familiar with diagnosing and treating parasitic infections, consider the following:

1. Ask your GP or primary care physician for a referral.

2. Contact the nearest medical school teaching hospital for an appointment.

3. Check your local telephone book for physician and specialist listings.

4. Contact a tropical medicine society or association to find members in your area.

Examples of such associations include:

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene: www.astmh.org

The International Society of Travel Medicine: www.istm.org

Note: Not all physicians are members of associations or societies. Often a member of such a society is referred to as a "diplomate."

5. Find out if the physician is board certified. Board certification means that the physician has trained in and passed a board exam for his or her specialty. A board-eligible physician is one who has been trained in his or her specialty and is eligible for certification, but has not yet taken the board exam.

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This page last reviewed February 22, 1999

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Infectious Diseases
Division of Parasitic Diseases