Physician
A physician is a medical professional dedicated to diagnosing, treating, and managing illnesses and injuries in patients. In the United States, physicians can be categorized into two main types: Medical Doctors (MDs), who often employ pharmaceutical and surgical methods, and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs), who focus on holistic approaches and preventive care alongside traditional treatments. Physicians typically work in diverse environments, including hospitals, private practices, and research settings, and their daily responsibilities may involve patient care, medical research, and teaching medical students.
Aspiring to become a physician requires a significant commitment to education, often exceeding a decade, starting with undergraduate studies in sciences, followed by medical school and residency training. Physicians are also required to obtain and maintain state medical licenses to practice. This profession attracts individuals with strong academic backgrounds in subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics, who are motivated to improve the health of others. Given the sensitive nature of their work, physicians must possess excellent communication skills and a deep sense of empathy, essential for discussing complex medical issues with patients from diverse backgrounds.
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Subject Terms
Physician
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Health Science
Interests: Biology, physiology, chemistry, working with the sick or injured, making decisions quickly, communicating with others
Earnings (2015 Median Pay): This wage is equal to or greater than $229,300 per year or $110.24 per hour.
Employment & Outlook: 3% (As fast as average)
Entry-Level Education Doctoral or professional degree
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training Internship/residency
Overview
Sphere of Work. Physicians are doctors who care for sick and injured people. In addition to diagnosing illnesses through the interpretation of medical tests, physicians treat injuries that occur accidentally or as a result of disease or illness. Physicians in the United States are divided into two specialties: medical doctors (MDs), who use pharmaceutical and surgical methods to treat patients, and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), who use similar procedures and incorporate preventative techniques and holistic medical care.
Work Environment. Physicians work in medical office settings and hospitals. Depending on experience and area of specialization, physicians may divide their time between treating patients, conducting medical research, and offering educational instruction to medical students in both classroom and laboratory settings. The location in which a physician works varies based on whether they have a private medical practice, conduct research for a hospital or university, or are employed by a pharmaceutical or health organization.
Occupation Interest. Medicine attracts students with demonstrated academic success in biology, physiology, and chemistry. Many professionals who are drawn to the field are those who have excelled academically and want to put their knowledge to use for the benefit of others. Becoming a physician necessitates more than a decade of academic study.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. The day-to-day duties of physicians vary depending on their employers and medical specialties. Physicians operating private medical practices spend their days visiting patients to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. Private physicians instruct patients on strategies to prevent disease by leading healthier lives. They also prescribe medicines to treat illness and disease and prevent future disease.
Physicians employed in medical research spend their days evaluating new treatments, primarily in a laboratory setting. Medical research involves clinical investigation of medical treatment's effects on humans over time and investigation of trends in sickness and disease through extensive evaluation of public health records.
Hospital- and university-employed physicians divide their time between treating patients and instructing medical students while also making occasional forays into medical research. Unlike private practices, in which physicians are also responsible for overseeing the administrative and financial aspects of their operations, hospitals and universities offer physicians the assistance of large administrative bodies comprising medical health professionals and medical students.
Osteopathic Physicians (071.101-010). Osteopathic physicians diagnose and treat diseases and injuries of the human body and examine patients to determine symptoms attributable to impairments of the musculoskeletal system. They treat disorders of bones, muscles, nerves, and other body systems through surgical or manipulative therapy.
Surgeons (070.101-094). Surgeons perform operations to correct deformities, repair injuries, prevent diseases, and improve patient body functions.
Pediatricians (070.101-066). Pediatricians specialize in diagnosing and treating children’s diseases and preventive medicine for children from birth through adolescence.
Obstetricians (070.101-054). Obstetricians and gynecologists (070.101-034) specialize in the care and treatment of women during and immediately following pregnancy and in diseases of the female reproductive organs.
Cardiologists (070.101-014). Cardiologists diagnose and treat diseases of the heart.
Psychiatrists (070.107-014). Psychiatrists study, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
Podiatrists (079.101-022). Podiatrists diagnose and treat disorders and diseases of the foot and lower leg.
Radiologists (070.101-090). Radiologists use X-ray and radioactive substances to diagnose and treat diseases of the human body.
Anesthesiologists (070.101-010). Anesthesiologists administer anesthetics to render patients insensible to pain during surgical, obstetrical, and other medical procedures.
Ophthalmologists (070.101-058). Ophthalmologists diagnose and treat diseases and injuries of the eye.
Dermatologists (070.101-018). Dermatologists diagnose and treat diseases of the human skin.
Neurologists (070.101-050). Neurologists diagnose and treat organic diseases and disorders of the human nervous system.
Internists (070.101-042). Internists diagnose and treat diseases and injuries of human internal organ systems.
Family Practitioners (070.101-026). Family practitioners provide comprehensive medical services for all family members, regardless of age or sex, continuously.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Physicians work in a wide variety of academic and medical settings, including laboratories, hospitals, and university classrooms.
Human Environment. Physicians must be excellent interpersonal communicators capable of explaining intricate medical concepts in an understandable manner. As physicians must often discuss sensitive topics with patients, they must be capable of exhibiting tremendous compassion.
Technological Environment. Physicians use a vast array of traditional and contemporary medical devices and diagnostic technology, ranging from complex computer software to highly specialized instruments.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students can best prepare to enter the medical field by taking high-level courses in algebra, calculus, geometry, biology, chemistry, and physics. Students who become medical doctors usually demonstrate high levels of achievement in each of these courses, as well as extensive extracurricular involvement in high school events, such as science fairs and national scholastic science competitions. Volunteerism and charitable work also help high school students attain and hone the interpersonal communication skills relevant to the position.
Postsecondary. Few professions require as much postsecondary education as that of a physician. Aspiring physicians first complete four years of premedicine collegiate courses. Premed students must successfully complete collegiate-level courses in organic chemistry, physics, and biology. Such coursework involves investigations into complex topics such as cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry.
Upon completing premed studies, aspiring physicians must apply and be accepted to a four-year program at one of numerous accredited medical schools. In medical school, students dedicate themselves to a particular realm of medicine while completing coursework in anatomy, internal medicine, and general surgery.
Aspiring physicians must then successfully complete a three- to four-year doctoral program in which they investigate the historical development of and contemporary issues related to their particular realm of medical expertise. Specific medical fields pursued by medical students may include pathology, radiology, clinical medicine, and neurophysiology. Such programs are usually supplemented with hospital residency programs and thesis presentations outlining specific field or laboratory research.
Professional Certification or Licensure. All physicians must hold and subsequently renew a state medical license, granting them the right to practice medicine there. Medical license applications are reviewed annually by state medical boards.
Related Occupations
− Dentist
− Medical & Health Services Manager
− Surgeon
Bibliography
“Physicians and Surgeons.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 6 Sept 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.