Medical Doctor Education, Career and Salary Facts

<h3 id="section---WhatYouNeedToKnow">What You Need to Know</h3> <p>Medical doctors are responsible for examining and diagnosing people with different conditions, in addition to prescribing and offering the proper treatment. Doctors may specialize as family and general practitioners, pediatricians, internists, surgeons and psychiatrists. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td> <b>Degrees </b> </td><td> Bachelor's degree in a science-related area and a medical degree - Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) from a medical school</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Training </b> </td><td>Complete a residency program in the area of medical specialty</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Licensure </b> </td><td> Licensure is required in all states</td></tr> <tr><td> <b>Median Salary (2021)* </b> </td><td> $208,000 (physicians and surgeons)</td></tr> <tr><td><b> Projected Job Growth (2021-2031)*</b></td><td> 3% (physicians and surgeons)</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *United States Bureau of Labor Statistics </i></p> <h3 id="section---HowDoIQualifyToBeADoctor">How Do I Qualify to Be a Doctor?</h3> <p>The training to become an M.D. is among the most extensive of any profession; to become a doctor, you must complete an undergraduate degree and graduate from medical school, then complete as many as eight years of internships and residencies. This practical experience is supervised by physicians in hospital and clinical settings and usually involves rotations where you diagnose and treat patients in: </p> <ul><li>Family practice </li><li>Internal medicine </li><li>Pediatrics </li><li>Surgery </li><li>Obstetrics and Gynecology </li></ul><p>The admission requirements for medical school vary according to which school you want to enroll in. There is no one subject in which you need to major, but in general, you must complete a bachelor's degree in a science-related area. This usually includes at least one year of biology, physics and English, and two years of organic chemistry courses. All medical schools also require you to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which covers physical and biological sciences as well as verbal reasoning. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreTypicalResponsibilitiesOfAMedicalDoctor">What Are Typical Responsibilities of a Medical Doctor?</h3> <p>There are different types of medical doctors, and their responsibilities depend on their specialty. Generally speaking, physicians and surgeons examine, diagnose, and treat patients with different injuries and illnesses. Here are examples of what may be involved on a daily basis: </p> <ul><li>Obtaining a patient's medical history </li><li>Updating charts with new medical information </li><li>Ordering and reviewing tests </li><li>Making determinations based on assessments of tests </li><li>Developing and recommending a plan of care </li><li>Educating patients </li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatHappensAfterMedicalSchool">What Happens After Medical School?</h3> <p>Graduating from an accredited medical school is a requirement for taking an examination and becoming licensed as a medical doctor. You will often start taking a licensing examination in medical school and complete the process during your first year of residency. Contact your state's medical board for specific licensing requirements. You can enroll in a residency program to fit the medical specialty that you want to work in at a university-sponsored hospital. The length of these residency programs varies between specialties. </p> <h3 id="section---HowMuchWillIMakeAsADoctor">How Much Will I Make as a Doctor?</h3> <p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that in 2021 there were 761,700 physicians and surgeons working in the country. The wages for medical doctors vary widely depending on the medical specialty. In 2021, the BLS reported that the median annual wage for physicians and surgeons was equal to or greater than $208,000, while internists made an average annual wage of $242,190. The pay for physicians and surgeons is expected to grow by 3% from 2021 to 2031, which is slower than average.</p>