Throughout history, the most important has been the division into surgical and internal medicine specialties. The surgical specialties are those in which an important part of diagnosis and treatment 
 is achieved through major surgical techniques. The internal medicine specialties are the specialties 
 in which the main diagnosis and treatment is never major surgery. In some countries, anesthesiology 
 is classified as a surgical discipline, since it is vital in the surgical process, though anesthesiologists never perform major surgery themselves.
															
															
															Throughout history, the most important has been the division into surgical and internal medicine specialties. The surgical specialties are those in which an important part of diagnosis and treatment is achieved through major surgical techniques. The internal medicine specialties are the specialties in which the main diagnosis and treatment is never major surgery. In some countries, anesthesiology is classified as a surgical discipline, since it is vital in the surgical process, though anesthesiologists never perform major surgery themselves.