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