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