Licensed Physician Careers Information
Licensed physicians or doctors work to prevent, diagnose, and treat the thousands of medical conditions which effect human lives. Owing to the number and variety of such conditions, licensed physicians usually become specialists in a certain kind of medicine, from surgery to emergency medicine to pediatrics and family medicine. The training and apprenticeship system licensed physicians/doctors go through before becoming licensed professionals is among the most rigorous in all the professions; only the driven and ambitious need consider this lengthy and trying career path.
Furthermore, long hours and the complexities of healthcare bureaucracy mean that physicians often have very stressful workdays. Nevertheless, the lifestyle afforded licensed physicians in our society-not only in social status and lucrative compensation, but in the personal satisfaction that comes from treating patients and improving lives-makes this a highly satisfying profession and one in considerable demand.
Licensed Physician Careers Path
The strong financial compensation received by many physicians is needed in part to pay for a considerable educational and preparatory process. Aspiring doctors undertake a rigorous “pre-med” course of study as undergraduates, usually majoring in medicine-related subjects such as biology or biomedical engineering. (Some students who worked in other fields as undergraduates will supplement their education with pre-med coursework, up to and including specialized Master’s degree programs meant specifically to prepare non pre-med students for medical school).
Regardless of experience, ALL applicants to medical schools must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree. The needed pre-med coursework prepares students for the MCAT examination, offered by the College Board and required of all medical school applicants. The med school application process can be expensive and complicated; students planning on becoming doctors should have very strong grades in relevant undergraduate courses, high scores on the MCAT, and a willingness to relocate to whichever medical school programs accept them. Following graduation from medical school, aspiring physicians must pass a thorough licensing examination, after which they are officially titled Doctor of Medicine (MD), or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
The fun doesn’t stop here, however: following four years of intensive classroom and clinical training in medical school, graduates embark upon a second program of on-the-job training called a ‘residency,’ which is sometimes supplemented beforehand by a one-year internship that provides further clinical training. Residents, however, are paid and active members of hospital staff, and are charged with many of the day-to-day care responsibilities at hospitals around the country. Residencies usually last between two and six years.
Finally, some doctors who choose certain specialties are required to pass an examination after residency. These examinations, depending on the specialty, are offered by either the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
Licensed Physician Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Trustworthy, reliable, knowledgeable, moral, courageous, caring, observant, sagacious, persevering, focused, hard-working, patient, intelligent, problem-solving.
Licensed Physician Careers: Salary Expectations
The salaries of licensed doctors are extremely competitive, although they do vary widely depending on specialties. While internal medicine specialists with over one year on the job earn a median income of $180,000 a year, doctors specializing in anesthesiology with the same amount of experience earn median annual income of $321,686. Furthermore, very lucrative possibilities for advancement are available to more experienced physicians, including moving into private practice, profit sharing, or administrative and corporate roles. Job security and benefits are impeccable.
Licensed Physician Careers: Job Outlook
As with many healthcare professions, demand in this field should increase in tandem with increasing demand for medical care in general as America’s population ages. The Department of Labor estimates that licensed physicians should see job growth of 14% by 2016. Those willing to work in rural or underrepresented areas should have even better opportunities than average doctors, as will their counterparts in certain in-demand specialties, such as family practice.
Slightly Off the Footpath
Sources: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm; Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics: bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm
