Family Practitioner
by Yamilex V.
Physicians diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians need to have a vast amount of knowledge on medicines and the body, because their job is to keep people alive and healthy. Another name for a physician is a Medical Doctor, or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.).
Other Job Titles That Relate:
Other Job Titles That Relate:
- Surgeon: Specialize in treating injuries, diseases, and deformities through operations.
- Family and general physicians: Take care of general health issues and usually treat patients (and whole families) for long periods of time.
- General Pediatricians: Specialize in treating infants, toddlers, children, and teenagers.
- Take a patient’s medical history: Doctors actually interact with their patients and get to know them and their health through a series of questions.
- Review test results: Physicians have to review test results in order to identify any abnormal findings or things that may be wrong with the patient’s health.
- Recommend and design a plan of treatment: Based on the test results, doctors must find a “solution” to help their patients treat their medical conditions. Doctors may recommend new diets, medications, or daily activities.
- Address concerns or answer questions: Doctors need to have an extensive knowledge on everything related to health in order to be able to answer any questions that patients may have. This is where doctors are like their patient’s live search engine.
- Help patients take care of their health by discussing topics such as proper nutrition and hygiene: Doctors should be able to teach their patients about important things like proper nutrition, exercise, hygiene, etc.
Education Required
Doctoral or professional degree: bachelor’s degree (4 years), medical school (4 years), residency program (3-7 years, depending on specialty).
The career of a Physician requires many years of training, as you can see above.
Wages
Approx. $187,200 a year or $90.00 per hour
Common College Majors
No specific major is required, but students must complete undergraduate work in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English.
Doctoral or professional degree: bachelor’s degree (4 years), medical school (4 years), residency program (3-7 years, depending on specialty).
The career of a Physician requires many years of training, as you can see above.
Wages
Approx. $187,200 a year or $90.00 per hour
Common College Majors
No specific major is required, but students must complete undergraduate work in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and English.
- Majoring in certain areas like biology and chemistry will fulfill all of the pre-med requirements needed to apply for medical school.
- Students of biology undertake a general program in which they study living organisms and the systems and processes that permit life. Courses include subjects like cell biology, evolutionary biology, marine biology, and plant biology.
Drawbacks
Pluses
- Time needs to be sacrificed- Becoming a doctor can take up to 15 years. A person pursuing the career in the medical field must be very dedicated to school and be willing to spend many hours studying. Usually, if students fail classes needed to meet the prerequisites for med school, they will no longer be accepted into med school. In other words, if you fail a class like Organic Chemistry, start choosing a different career. In addition, doctors spend long hours at work and very few hours with their family and friends.
- More and more doctors are being sued for malpractice. Patients’ families often blame doctors for the death of a relative. Malpractice insurance can cost up to $200,000 per year.
Pluses
- The profession of a Physician is among the highest paid in the world. In exchange for sacrificing their time, doctors and their families get to enjoy a stable life. In one hour, a doctor gets paid what a person working minimum wage earns in 10 hours.
- The careers in the medical field are secure jobs. Doctors will be needed for the next few decades, unlike people who build electronic devices, who could be easily replaced by machines. There is still not anything that can replace a doctor.
- As a doctor, you get to save people’s lives. People will forever be grateful for what you do for them. For many doctors, this is their main motivation; knowing that you're making a positive impact in society grants personal pleasure.
- Doctors are highly respected and admired by society. When you could do something that the average person cannot, you earn people's respect. In a way, doctors are like the heroes of the world.
- Instead of working for a hospital, doctors can buy their own practice and have their own office. A practice is a medical office, equipment, and a set list of patients. Doctors who own their practice get to spend more time with their family because they can choose their own schedule.
Doctors need to have an extensive knowledge on everything related to health in order to be able to answer any questions that patients may have. If a patient asks a doctor a question and the doctor does not know the answer, patients may lose trust and switch to another doctor. Doctors are in charge of saving lives, so they need to know what they're doing.
Personal Observations
- New information: I will have to take English courses in college. I knew that they were required for my general ed, but I didn’t think they were necessary to take for all 4 years of my undergrad.
- Compatibility in 10 years: I do see myself in this career in 10 years because I possess some of the important qualities needed for this profession. I also am interested in taking courses in the sciences and math. I am passionately curious about many things in life, including how the human body works.
- Additional comments: I am not sure what to specialize in, but I still have about 5 to 6 years to decide. During residency, I will be able to train in different specialties, which will give me a sense of the path I want to take.
Pediatrician
By: Maria S.
A Pediatrician is a doctor for children who are younger than 18, and newborn. The pediatrician looks to see if the children do not have any diseases, and make sure everything is great with the patient. They make sure the children are given the right medicine needed to get better. A pediatrician is also called Adolescent Medicine Specialist, Baby Doctor, and Group Practice Pediatrician.
The top five activities
Important Qualities
The top five activities
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, and examination results
- Examine patients or order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests to obtain information on medical condition and determine diagnosis
- Advise patients, parents or guardians, and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff
Important Qualities
- Investigative ability because a pediatrician will need to know many facts about diseases, but not only knowing also thinking. A good thinking process will be needed because when a pediatrician is examining a patient, the doctor will need to know what is wrong or pick up anything new.
- Social skills are very important because pediatricians often communicate with parents/guardians, and coworkers. A pediatrician needs to know how to explain any disease, treatments, vaccinations, etc to anyone easily. They offer their service to the public and take care of the children health.
Education needed Breakdown:
4 years of college + 4 years of medical school + 3 years of residency = 11 years after high school.
4 years of college + 4 years of medical school + 3 years of residency = 11 years after high school.
Annual Wage
In 2013, a pediatrician in California is $171, 570.
In 2013, a pediatrician in California is $171, 570.
College Majors
One of the college majors that interested me was Therapy and Counseling because a pediatrician will need to learn procedures for treatment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of either physical or mental. It is a guidance for children and making sure they are able to be cured and be able to enjoy their life at a young age.
My Observations
As I was researching this career, I realized much more on what is needed to become a pediatrician. A pediatrician does not only need to know medical topics, but also the English Language very well because it will help read and learn more about disease, illness, and see if there are any updates. A pediatrician needs to be kind, and caring to the patients because they do not know how the patient will react when they are told bad news. I did not know counseling was needed to become a pediatrician because I assumed that was part of the training they needed when they earned their residency. I do see myself doing this job in ten years, but that is only if I am 110% dedicated to my studies. I need to stay completely focus to make sure I can keep on learning, and stay in medical school. A pediatrician will never stop learning, and a good memory is necessary because there aremany disease, illness, treatments, and medications needed to know for children. Every child is different, and the doctor needs to know what exactly is wrong and know what treatment or therapy is right for them.
As I was researching this career, I realized much more on what is needed to become a pediatrician. A pediatrician does not only need to know medical topics, but also the English Language very well because it will help read and learn more about disease, illness, and see if there are any updates. A pediatrician needs to be kind, and caring to the patients because they do not know how the patient will react when they are told bad news. I did not know counseling was needed to become a pediatrician because I assumed that was part of the training they needed when they earned their residency. I do see myself doing this job in ten years, but that is only if I am 110% dedicated to my studies. I need to stay completely focus to make sure I can keep on learning, and stay in medical school. A pediatrician will never stop learning, and a good memory is necessary because there aremany disease, illness, treatments, and medications needed to know for children. Every child is different, and the doctor needs to know what exactly is wrong and know what treatment or therapy is right for them.
Pros & Cons about Becoming a Pediatrician
Pros
- Pediatricians can help save lives
- Both the pediatricians and their family receive health insurance
- never bored and ready to help
- participate in research for future preventions and medicine.
- care for children to make sure they are healthy
- the amount of school needed to become a pediatrician
- tough dealing with insurance companies and regulations
- work long hours
Family Practitioner
By: Daniel P.
General Family Practitioner (Doctor)
Doctors who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries that commonly occur with people.
Education
Undergrad
Biology/Chemistry 4 years with pre med classes
(English, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus)
***MUST PASS MCAT*** (Medical College Admission Test)
Grad (Med School) 4 years→ Medicine degree with training→ Residency 3-7 years depending on the specialty
Average Wage (annually)
$168K
Demand for Job
18% faster than average
What They Do
Important Qualities
University of Southern California
Annual Tuition-$44463
University of California-Davis
Annual Tuition-$36755
My Observations
What worries me about pursuing this career is the long road ahead of me. I will basically be in school for 8 years. Apart from the school Doctors have to do a residency, training for several years in their area of specialty. A lot of the time is taken up just for this career. A lot of debt will be accumulate and that is very overwhelming.
I feel that I devoted some of my time into this field. Over the summer I was in a program that made us dissect and observe different organs and find out their functions. Apart from that summer program, I am taking lessons from Mr. Landrum in kinesiology.
Cons
Doctors who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases and injuries that commonly occur with people.
Education
Undergrad
Biology/Chemistry 4 years with pre med classes
(English, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus)
***MUST PASS MCAT*** (Medical College Admission Test)
Grad (Med School) 4 years→ Medicine degree with training→ Residency 3-7 years depending on the specialty
Average Wage (annually)
$168K
Demand for Job
18% faster than average
What They Do
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, and examination results.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
Important Qualities
- Organization
- Communication
University of Southern California
Annual Tuition-$44463
University of California-Davis
Annual Tuition-$36755
My Observations
What worries me about pursuing this career is the long road ahead of me. I will basically be in school for 8 years. Apart from the school Doctors have to do a residency, training for several years in their area of specialty. A lot of the time is taken up just for this career. A lot of debt will be accumulate and that is very overwhelming.
I feel that I devoted some of my time into this field. Over the summer I was in a program that made us dissect and observe different organs and find out their functions. Apart from that summer program, I am taking lessons from Mr. Landrum in kinesiology.
Cons
- Time in school
- Highly competitive job
- Impacts in people’s health
- Secure job in the medical field
- Very high paid occupation
- Save lives