·Family and General Physicians
Usually, when you just need to see a doctor for a checkup, a physical or an uncomplicated health problem, this type of physician is the one you’ll make an appointment with. Traditional family physicians are capable of assessing and treating a wide range of conditions, from sinus and respiratory infections to sprained and broken bones. These doctors typically have long-running practices in the same community and build up a base of regular, ongoing patients and their families. When patients come to them with more serious illnesses or conditions, they will refer them to a specialist or another clinic for the needed follow-up tests and treatments.
·General Internists
General internists diagnose and provide nonsurgical treatment for various problems that affect patients’ internal organ systems, such as the stomach, kidneys, liver, and digestive tract. As you’ll note, they too have the word “general” in front of their physician category – meaning that they are primary care specialists. While they do treat patients referred from other doctors, they will, in turn, refer those patients to other specialists, when more complex treatment is called for.
·General Pediatricians
This is another “general” type of physician who specifically targets a practice towards the care of infants, children, teenagers and young adults. They focus on ailments (as well as needed preventative healthcare) for young people and monitor their development as they grow into adulthood. Like the family physician, general pediatricians will treat simple "normal” illnesses, such as colds and minor injuries, and also provide important immunizations needed by children to avoid measles, polio, and other contagious and dangerous diseases – more complex cases will be referred to other specialists. There are, however, pediatricians who also specialize in pediatric surgery or other serious medical conditions that threaten the health of younger people.
·Obstetricians and Gynecologists
OB/GYNs are specialists in women’s health. They not only attend to women’s general health, but also provide care for their pregnancies and their reproductive systems. While they do diagnose and treat general health issues, their focus is on specific female ailments, such as cancers of the cervix, urinary tract and pelvic disorders, and hormonal disorders. Obstetricians and gynecologists also are childbirth experts; they will counsel and treat patients through their pregnancies, from prenatal care to assisting with the delivery itself as well as all postpartum health needs.
·Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists specialize in mental healthcare. They will engage in psychotherapy, which involves regular discussions with patients about their issues. The psychiatrist will then attempt to help them change destructive or unproductive behavioral patterns, as well as explore past experiences that may be interfering with their present life. Hospitalization and medication may be treatments that the psychiatrist chooses to prescribe in more serious cases.
·Surgeons
A surgeon deals with human medical problems by performing operations. They use specially designed instruments, anesthesia, and a strong support team to either correct an existing problem or prevent one from developing. Although there are many general surgeons, there are also many who choose to specialize in such areas as orthopedic surgery (treatment of the musculoskeletal system), neurological surgery (treatment of the brain and nervous system), cardiovascular surgery, otolaryngology (treatment of the ear, nose, and throat), and plastic or reconstructive surgery. Before they perform surgery, they will examine patients, usually referred by other physicians, perform and interpret diagnostic tests, and provide counsel before and after operations.
The above doctor descriptions just cover the largest physician categories. There are many other specialists as well, such as gastroenterologists, urologists, pathologists, dermatologists, cardiologists, allergists, ophthalmologists, and radiologists, to name a few.
Finally, there are also non-clinical physician occupations available that don’t require you to provide actual patient care. About a tenth of all U.S. physicians are employed in these kinds of positions; they aren’t as widely available as those that do require patient care, but they do exist. Many practicing doctors aren’t all that familiar with them simply because they’re not as exposed to them in medical school and through their internships and residencies. These types of careers can involve working in medical research, administration at a medical facility, medical writing for journals and such, as well as working as a consultant for corporations, such as pharmaceutical companies.
Keeping all this in mind, you may want to start thinking about what specific services you want to provide in your role as doctor, or you may just want to wait and see what sparks your interest down the line.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
One of the first questions I’m asked by those wanting to be a doctor is just how long it takes to become a fully licensed practicing physician. In most cases, the process will require 8 years of higher education (i.e., past high school), as well as anywhere from 3 to 8 additional years of internship and residency, depending on what you intend to specialize in.
Obviously, this is a significant investment of time and effort. In fact, the requirements for becoming a physician are probably the most demanding of any occupation. That is why you must feel very certain you want to be a doctor, so you are able to make the proper commitment to the goal. Otherwise, you will be traveling a very long road to a destination you don’t really believe in.
In order to even qualify for admission into a medical school, you need to complete 3 years of college. The overwhelming majority of applicants, however, will have at least a bachelor’s degree, while still others will have another advanced degree.
While we will get much more specific about gaining acceptance to medical school, it is, as I’ve already noted, highly competitive. Applicants have to submit their school transcripts, they must take the MCAT (the Medical College Admission Test), as well as solicit and send in letters of recommendation. Character, leadership qualities, and personality will also be considered, and participation in extracurricular activities will be examined. A personal interview with members of the admissions committee is also usually required.
Once in medical school, the bulk of the first 2 years will be spent taking coursework in various aspects of the human body and the study of medicine. The final 2 years will mark a shift over from the theoretical to the practical, as students begin to work with patients under the supervision of experienced doctors.
Following medical school, almost all M.D.s enter a residency program, which is basically a paid on-the-job training program and usually accomplished in a hospital. Most D.O.s, in contrast, will serve a year-long rotating internship after completing medical school, and then enter into their residency period.
For those who want to become a board-certified specialist, a much longer residency period of up to 7 years is required. Passing a final exam after the residency (or after 1 or 2 years of practicing in the specialty) is also necessary for certification by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Both of these organizations represent a number of boards (24 in the case of the ABMS, 18 in the case of the AOA) that represent the complete range of medical specialties. If the doctor wants to pursue a subspecialty, he or she will usually need yet another 1 to 2 years of residency.
Becoming