GD9 CTW fileÒ  Medical 16, Û It is no surprise that people first think of doctors when someone refers to a person as a medical provider. Of course, they quickly realize that the term also can be used to describe a nurse. They are not as apt to realize that a pharmacist is also one who provides medical care. While laws do vary a good deal, some states do permit druggists to give such shots as those that are now used for the flu. Some states even allow them to prescribe the basic drugs. Others in the medical field have titles that are not as common. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who either have earned master's degrees or have exited from certificate programs that are about two years in length. They care for those who have colds, minor injuries, and infections. Nurse practitioners can diagnose, treat, and monitor those with chronic disease problems. They can also prescribe and diagnose lab work and electrocardiograms. In most states they may even be allowed to prescribe medicine. The major tasks for a certified nurse-midwife are in obstetrics and gynecology. Experts in prenatal and newborn care, they deliver babies in a home, in a birth center, or a hospital. They also treat those with venereal diseases. A master's degree or a certificate program is required. Although he or she must work under a doctor, if even by phone, the training for a physician assistant is almost as long as for a doctor. They can do nearly all the things that a doctor can do, from primary care to surgical care.