Medical microbiology is the subspecialty of pathology concerned primarily with the laboratory diagnosis, treatment, and control of infectious diseases.

Practitioners of medical microbiology provide: medical, scientific, and administrative direction for diagnostic microbiology laboratories; consultations regarding the pathologic/microbiologic diagnosis of infectious diseases; and clinical consultations regarding the selection and interpretation of medical microbiology tests. In addition to these activities, medical microbiologists may direct the infection control program of a healthcare organization, and participate on or direct an antibiotic formulary committee to optimize the wise use of antimicrobial agents and minimize the emergence of resistance toward these compounds.