A general surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery on patients. General surgeons typically perform common surgeries and have attended college and medical school to learn the skills needed to perform them successfully. They also care for their patients before and after operations and can give an accurate prognosis after the surgery is complete and the patient has had time to heal.

Pathology is a medical subfield with a focus on the diagnosis of disease. Medical professionals who become pathologists often have background knowledge in several different areas of medicine, as this knowledge is helpful when it comes to diagnosis. Pathologists generally test for disease by analyzing tissue, body fluid, and cell samples. In this way, these doctors can diagnose problems caused by parasites, pathogens, and even non-infectious causes. This work can help other physicians make the proper treatment recommendations.