Osteopathic Physician

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Work Tasks

• Prevent, look for, and treat illness, disease, and injury
• Get medical histories, do diagnostic tests, and specify treatments
• Pay special attention to the body's muscles, bones, and nerves and make sure they are healthy
• Some specialize as neurologists, cardiologists, radiologists, instructors, or researchers
• Work in private practices, hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, surgicenters, public health agencies, the federal government, the military, research labs, and medical schools
• Use advanced lab and diagnostic equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $171,500 average per year ($82.50 per hour)
• A medium occupation (97,800 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.2% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree, including 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of medical school, and 3 to 8 years of internship and residency, depending on the specialty selected.
• Skills/Courses: Premedical students must complete undergraduate work in physics, biology, math, English, inorganic and organic chemistry, and the humanities and social sciences.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require physicians to be licensed and board certified.