With so many doctors to choose from in metropolitan Chicago, where should you turn in times of medical crisis? Our list, prepared for Chicago by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., is a good place to start. To create our list, Castle Connolly contacted thousands of health professionals in metropolitan Chicago and asked them to name the doctors to whom they would entrust a family member when confronting a particular problem (learn more about Castle Connolly). That process yielded our list of doctors.

The doctors on our list have been arranged into 55 commonly consulted specialties, from addiction psychiatry to vascular surgery. You will also find information about the doctors' area of special interest, their hospital affiliations, and their office phone numbers. You will also get an up-close look at eight of the region's more distinguished physicians. While some of these doctors may be too busy to take on new patients, they often have partners who can assist you, or they might be able to recommend a doctor at another practice.

On the assumption that most people already have a primary care physician, we have included only a handful of doctors in family practice. We have also decided not to include the names of doctors involved in more esoteric specialties, or those specialties, such as anesthesiology, over which patients generally exercise little choice. And we do not name emergency medicine specialists, since in a dire emergency, people are less likely to consult a list than they are to head immediately for the nearest emergency room.

Chicago and the suburbs are home to many fine doctors, some of whom may not appear on our list. But when your next medical crisis looms, it's reassuring to know that the 350 doctors listed here have won the confidence of their fellow MDs.

Please note that, because of contractual obligations, Chicago may post Castle Connolly's list on our Web site only until mid-March, 2006. After that date, copies of the January 2006 issue will still be available for purchase. Or to access the complete Castle Connolly list (for a $21.95 annual fee), go to www.castleconnolly.com.

Photography By Katrina Wittkamp

About Castle Connolly