Which professional examines patients, obtains medical history, orders tests, makes diagnoses, performs surgery, and teaches preventive health?

• A. Physician or Medical Doctor
• B. Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• C. Medical Assistant
• D. Paramedic

Answer: (A)

A physician is the medical professional equipped to handle the full continuum of patient care—from examining patients and taking a medical history to ordering and interpreting tests, making diagnoses, planning and sometimes performing surgery, and teaching preventive health. This broad scope, licensed and practiced by physicians, covers both diagnosing and treating illness, plus guiding patients in how to prevent future problems.

Medical assistants provide support tasks and can’t independently diagnose or order tests or perform surgeries. Paramedics deliver urgent prehospital care and stabilization, not ongoing medical diagnoses or surgical procedures. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are physicians as well, but the phrasing here aligns with the general term physician or medical doctor, which captures the complete set of duties described.