Emergency medicine is a subspecialty that focuses on patients who need immediate and often intensive care. These physicians must be able to handle medical problems quickly to avoid potential complications with their patients. With their knowledge of emergency medicine comes knowledge about many other types of medicine, as they must be able to respond to patients who present a variety of symptoms and problems. They will also have a thorough understanding of emergency medical devices.

Thoracic surgery is a surgical subspecialty. Its focus is on the organs of the thoracic cavity. Most of the time, this means the heart and lungs. Patients who need thoracic surgery may have any number of problems, such as heart disease or needing a lung transplant.