Physician

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Work Tasks

• Examine patients and get their medical histories
• Order tests, look at results, and give treatments for diseases and injuries
• Counsel patients on good health practices and give vaccinations
• May specialize in internal medicine, pediatrics, radiology, surgery, anesthesiology, pathology, ophthalmology, family medicine, or other specialty
• Work for hospitals, health maintenance organizations, clinics, urgent care centers, surgicenters, research labs, the government, and private practice
• Use advanced lab and diagnostic equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $180,500 average per year ($86.75 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 college undergraduate work in physics, biology, math, English, inorganic and organic chemistry, and the humanities and the social sciences.
• Certification/Licensing: All states require physicians to be licensed.