Medicine and health includes disciplines that focus on the diagnosis, treatment, prevention of illnesses and diseases as well as the care and rehabilitation of human beings and other living organisms.Medicine and health degrees cover subjects from disciplines such as biomedicine, health management, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, or veterinary medicine. Many interdisciplinary fields have emerged that are strongly connected to advanced technology, involving expertise in engineering as well as natural sciences. Examples include medical imaging or medical devices.

Basic medical knowledge focuses on knowing the basic human structure, function and health, advancing to more specialised medical branches. In their first years of study, future medical professionals receive training in human anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, in addition to subjects from related areas such as biology, biotechnology, chemistry, neuroscience, and psychology.Medical school education is followed by a period of supervised practice or internship, and a residency. Further specialisations can be achieved through postgraduate vocational training. A great part of medicine relies on active research, generally conducted by Doctors in Medicine (or M.D.s).Job titles related to the field of medicine and health include: general practician, surgeon, veterinary doctor, psychiatrist, medical technician, nurse, hospital administrator, dietician, pharmacist, and more.

Medical availability and clinical practice differs across the world due to regional differences in culture and technology. Modern scientific medicine is highly developed in the Western world, whilst in developing countries such as parts of Africa or Asia, the population may rely more heavily on traditional medicine with limited efficacy and evidence and no required formal training for practitioners. Even in the developed world however, evidence-based medicine isn’t universally used in clinical practice; for example, a 2007 survey of literature reviews found that about 49% of the interventions lacked sufficient evidence to support either benefit or harm.In modern clinical practice, doctors assess patients in order to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease using clinical judgment. The doctor-patient relationship typically begins an interaction with an examination of the patient's medical history and medical record, followed by a medical interview and a physical examination.

Basic diagnostic medical devices (e.g. stethoscope, tongue depressor) are typically used. After examination for signs and symptoms, the doctor may order medical tests (e.g. blood tests), take a biopsy, or prescribe pharmaceutical drugs. Differential diagnosis procedures help to rule out conditions based on the information provided. During the encounter, properly informing the patient of all relevant facts is an integral part of the relationship and the development of trust. The medical procedure is then documented in the medical record, which is a legal document in many jurisdictions.Follow-ups may be shorter but follow the same general procedure, and specialists follow a similar process. The diagnosis and treatment may take only a few minutes or a few weeks depending upon the complexity of the issue.