When I was a kid, it was "the doctor" who took care of the family's health. We'd not heard of specialists like neurologists, cardiologists and definitely not the paramedicsl like dieticians and physiotherapists. I am not ancient, and I am sure such specialists were around already, but were summoned only for "serious cases". As for paramedics, I really am not sure.
In today's world, there is the joke about specialization going to the extent of the existence of a right ear specialist and a left ear specialist, and so on. But the fact is that specialization is here to stay - not just in the medical profession, but in the world of paramedics too. Doctors put patients on to dieticians and different breeds of therapists, and take their advice too.
I see another brand of paramedics - Medical Librarians. There is already a more "correct name" - Clinical Librarians. This newly emerging breed of professionals is specialised in finding the proverbial needle in a haystack - the "best, filtered information from the ocean of what is out there" . While these angels are doing a great job in some parts of the US / UK and Australia, there is still the rest of the world where medical librarianship has a long way to go.
And it is up to the tribe to make doctors and the others sit up and notice them. Push your skills, and plan to reach a status of an independent consultant in your own right!
