| Employment of physicians and surgeons is | | | | occupations. |
| projected to grow faster than average for all | | | | |
| occupations through the year 2014 due to | | | | About one-third of the |
| continued expansion of health care | | | | nation's physicians are generalists - |
| industries. The growing and aging population | | | | "primary care" doctors who provide lifelong |
| will drive overall growth in the demand for | | | | medical services for the entire family. |
| physician services, as consumers continue to | | | | General internists, family physicians, and |
| demand high levels of care using the latest | | | | general pediatricians are all considered |
| technologies, diagnostic tests, and | | | | generalist doctors. They are the first |
| therapies. In addition to employment growth, | | | | doctors people consult for medical care. And |
| job openings will result from the need to | | | | they are trained to provide the wide range of |
| replace physicians and surgeons who retire | | | | services children and adults need. When |
| over the 2004-14 period. | | | | patients' specific health needs require |
| | | | further treatment, generalist physicians send |
| But what is this career | | | | them to see a specialist physician. |
| about? Is it such a great opportunity as | | | | |
| everyone claims? | | | | Specialist physicians |
| | | | differ from generalists in that they focus on |
| Well, this career allows | | | | treating a particular system or part of the |
| you to help people and advance knowledge and | | | | body. Neurologists who study the brain, |
| your work and contributions are an important | | | | cardiologists who study the heart, |
| part of your community. It offers you lots of | | | | ophthalmologists who study the eye, and |
| career options from the same education base | | | | hematologists who study the blood are just a |
| and it changes daily, so it's hardly ever | | | | few examples of specialists. They work |
| boring. It's a social work; it doesn't tie | | | | together with generalist physicians to ensure |
| you to a desk all the time. And finally, last | | | | that patients receive treatment for specific |
| but not least, it enables you to earn a good | | | | medical problems as well as complete and |
| living with a secure future and your skills | | | | comprehensive care throughout life. |
| and knowledge are in demand, wherever you | | | | |
| choose to live. Physicians and surgeons serve | | | | Medical school is |
| a fundamental role in our society and have an | | | | challenging. If you want to take |
| effect upon all our lives. | | | | responsibility for people's health and |
| | | | well-being, you've got to be serious about |
| Few fields offer a wider | | | | learning. |
| variety of opportunities. Most doctors' | | | | |
| professional lives are filled with caring for | | | | Formal education and |
| people and continuously learning more about | | | | training requirements for physicians are |
| the human body. Every day in communities | | | | among the most demanding of any occupation-4 |
| around the country, doctors work in | | | | years of undergraduate school, 4 years of |
| neighborhood clinics, hospitals, offices, | | | | medical school, and 3 to 8 years of |
| even homeless shelters and schools to care | | | | internship and residency, depending on the |
| for people in need. | | | | specialty selected. A few medical schools |
| | | | offer combined undergraduate and medical |
| Physicians work in one or | | | | school programs that last 6 rather than the |
| more of several specialties, including, but | | | | customary 8 years. |
| not limited to, anesthesiology, family and | | | | |
| general medicine, general internal medicine, | | | | Your college or |
| general pediatrics, obstetrics and | | | | university's premedical advisor can help you |
| gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery. A number | | | | through the application process. Medical |
| of other medical specialists, including | | | | schools will evaluate you on your college |
| allergists, cardiologists, dermatologists, | | | | grades, extracurricular activities, and |
| emergency physicians, gastroenterologists, | | | | personal characteristics. Most also require |
| ophthalmologists, pathologists, and | | | | you to take the Medical College Admission |
| radiologists, also work in clinics, | | | | Test (MCAT(R)), which analyzes your knowledge |
| hospitals, and private offices. | | | | of the basic sciences, your reading and |
| | | | writing abilities, and your problem-solving |
| Physicians do many other | | | | skills. |
| things. Physician researchers are at work | | | | |
| today developing exciting new treatments for | | | | You also should consult |
| cancer, genetic disorders, and infectious | | | | Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR), |
| diseases like AIDS. Academic physicians share | | | | published by the Association of American |
| their skills and wisdom by teaching medical | | | | Medical Colleges, which provides the specific |
| students and residents. Others work with | | | | admission requirements of each U.S. and |
| health maintenance organizations, | | | | Canadian medical school. |
| pharmaceutical companies, medical device | | | | |
| manufacturers, health insurance companies, or | | | | Once you've been accepted, |
| in corporations directing health and safety | | | | the medical school faculty and staff will do |
| programs. People with medical skills are in | | | | everything they can to help you succeed. In |
| demand everywhere. | | | | fact, more than 97 percent of entering |
| | | | medical students obtain their M.D. degrees. |
| Many physicians-primarily | | | | |
| general and family practitioners, general | | | | During the first two years |
| internists, pediatricians, ob/gyns, and | | | | you will study the basic sciences-anatomy, |
| psychiatrists-work in small private offices | | | | biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, |
| or clinics, often assisted by a small staff | | | | pathology, and pharmacology-as well as |
| of nurses and other administrative personnel. | | | | behavioral sciences. You'll also begin |
| Increasingly, physicians are practicing in | | | | learning the fundamental techniques of taking |
| groups or health care organizations that | | | | a medical history and examining patients. |
| provide backup coverage and allow for more | | | | |
| time off. These physicians often work as part | | | | Next, you'll go into the |
| of a team coordinating care for a population | | | | hospital and various clinics to observe and |
| of patients; they are less independent than | | | | work with experienced doctors and begin to |
| solo practitioners of the past. Organized as | | | | learn how to take care of patients. At this |
| clinics or as associations of physicians, | | | | time you'll begin to explore the wide variety |
| medical groups can afford expensive medical | | | | of career paths within medicine, such as |
| equipment and realize other business | | | | family practice, internal medicine, surgery, |
| advantages. | | | | psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, and |
| | | | pediatrics. |
| Medicine has many rewards | | | | |
| - personally, intellectually, and | | | | Your final years are |
| financially. On average, doctors make about | | | | spent continuing your contact with patients |
| $160,000 a year, but this amount can vary | | | | and doctors in a clinical setting while |
| depending on where physicians live and what | | | | taking elective courses. |
| type of medical specialty they practice. As | | | | |
| the American health care system changes, | | | | After medical school you |
| fewer doctors are working for themselves and | | | | will spend three to seven years in a |
| more are joining health care systems, often | | | | residency, where you will gain further |
| as salaried employees. In these | | | | experience and training in the specialty you |
| organizations, physicians often can command | | | | have chosen. |
| salaries comparable to executives in other | | | | |