This paper will highlight and explain in detail the various qualifications and skills required to become a physician, and practice as one effectively. Areas covered will include an in depth description of the career including; duties and responsibilities, education and training, employment, salary and job outlook, and characteristics and qualities that make a good physician. A physician is a career of choice for many people seeking a well-paying and reliable job. Also, the benefit of helping to improve countless lives must be taken into account. Medical Doctors have a vast amount of duties and responsibilities they must perform daily in order to ensure a superlative level of care for all patients. Commitment to professional competence …show more content…
Undergraduate education consists of four years at a college or university to earn a BS or BA degree, usually with a strong outlook on basic sciences, such as biology, chemistry, and physics. After the four year degree is earned, one then goes on to medical school. This is an additional four years of education at one of the U.S. medical schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). After completing medical school, students earn their doctor of medicine degrees (MDs). Although, they still must complete additional training before practicing on their own as a physician. This additional practice is referred to as a residency program. Through a national matching program, medical graduates enter into a residency program that is three to seven years or more of professional training under the close eyes of senior doctors. The length of residency training is different from specialty to specialty. Family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics for example, require three years of training. General surgery requires a lengthier five years of training. Fellowship, takes an additional one to three years of additional training. This is a subspecialty option for some doctors who want to become highly specialized in a particular field, such as gastroenterology. After completing undergraduate, medical school, and graduate medical education (GME), a …show more content…
Physicians and surgeons hold about 691,400 jobs in the US. Many physicians work in private offices or clinics, and often with a small staff of nurses and administrative personnel. Some practice independently or with a small group of other doctors, while others practice in groups, healthcare organizations, or hospitals. The group setting allows physicians to have more time off and more room to coordinate care for their patients, but it gives them less independence than solo practitioners. Surgeons and anesthesiologists work in sterile environments while performing surgery and may stand for long periods of time. Most physicians and surgeons work full time. Many physicians and surgeons work long, irregular, and overnight hours. Physicians and surgeons may travel between their offices and hospitals to care for their patients. While on call, a physician may need to address a patient’s concerns over the phone or make an emergency visits to a hospital or nursing home. Wages for physicians and surgeons are among the highest of all occupations out there. According to the Medical Group Management Association’s Physician Compensation and Production Survey, total compensation for physicians varies with their type of specialty or practice. Physicians practicing primary care on average receive a compensation of, $220,942. Physicians practicing in medical specialties received an average a
Truth in medicine is a big discussion among many medical professionals about how doctors handle the truth. Truth to a patient can be presented in many ways and different doctors have different ways of handling it. Many often believe that patient’s being fully aware of their health; such as a bad diagnosis, could lead to depression compared to not knowing the diagnosis. In today’s society doctor’s are expected to deliver patient’s the whole truth in order for patients to actively make their own health decisions. Shelly K. Schwartz discusses the truth in her essay, Is It Ever Ok to Lie to Patients?. Schwartz argument is that patients should be told the truth about their health and presented and addressed in a way most comfortable to the patient.
Doctors are well respected within the realm of American society and are perceived with the highest regard as a profession. According to Gallup’s Honesty and Ethics in Profession polls, 67% of respondents believe that “the honesty and ethical standards” of medical doctors were “very high.” Furthermore, 88% of respondents polled by Harris Polls considered doctors to either “hold some” or a “great deal of prestige”. Consequently, these overwhelmingly positive views of the medical profession insinuate a myth of infallibility that envelops the physicians and the science they practice. Atul Gawande, in Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science, provides an extensive view of the medical profession from both sides of the operating table
Providers must act in the best interest of the patient and their basic obligation is to do no harm and work for the public’s wellbeing. A physician shall always keep in mind the obligation of preserving human life. Providers must communicate full, accurate and unbiased information so patients can make informed decisions about their health care. As a result of their recommendations, providers are responsible for generating costs in health care but do not generate the need for those expenses. Every hospital has both an ethical as well as a legal responsibility to provide care, even if the care may be uncompensated.
The article,”What is a Physician?” (2012) explains that being patient, tolerable, and being flexible are very important that benefit all health care workers. The article “What is a Physician?”, also goes to states that these traits are important because they provide a positive environment for everybody working with you. The article, “What is a Physician?” (2012) also goes on to state that optimism is very important for pediatrics because it can make a good relationship with your other health care workers. The article, “What is a Physician?” also states that these qualities can help your health care worker to gain reputation and even increase your salary in this profession.
It has been said by many experts that there has been a surplus of physicians in the past, but that there will soon be a shortage of physicians. This shortage will have been instigated by many factors, and is predicted to have various effects on society, both immediate and long term. There have been proposed solutions to this shortage, but there is a fine balance to be found with these many solutions and factors. However, once this balance is found, the long-term mending of the physician shortage may begin.
There is currently overpowering confirmation that significant amounts of patients are harmed from their health care providers bringing about perpetual harm, expanded length of stay in doctor's facilities and even death (Hellings, J. 2010). We have learnt in the course of the most recent decade that adverse occasions happen not on account of terrible individuals deliberately harm patients but instead that the arrangement of health care today is complex to the point that the effective medication and result for every patient relies on upon an extent of elements, not only the ability of an individual healthcare provider. At the point when such a variety of individuals and diverse sorts of healthcare providers are included this makes it exceptionally troublesome to guarantee safe consideration, unless the arrangement of care is intended to encourage opportune and complete data and considerate by all the health professionals. Patient safety is an issue everywhere that conveys health services, whether they are privately financed or specially made by the government (Singla, A. 2006). Ordering antibiotics without respect for the patient's underlying condition and whether anti-microbial will help the patient, or managing numerous medications without thoughtfulness regarding the potential adverse drug reactions, all have the potential for damage and patient harm. Patients are not just hurt by the misuse of technology, they can also be harmed by poor communication between different healthcare providers or postpones in getting medication (Bates, D. 2013). Patient-physician communication is a necessary some piece of clinical practice. Patients, who comprehend their specialists, are more inclined to recognize health issues, comprehend their medi...
There is nothing traumatizing in the world has adding pain to where it already exists. This is the hell situation which every medical error victim is exposed. As the statistics are currently showing, the fatalities are increasing day by day. The trend seems to be hiding on the old ideology of “man is to error”. However this is not being tolerated any more and the American medical facilities are being held 100% accountable for the mistakes they make in their service delivery. Professional diligence is not a matter of negotiation in this generation and probably future generations. If a medical facility cannot treat people diligently, then the only better option remaining for that facility is to be made to account for the losses they have caused on affected patients and be closed down immediately.
“We look for medicine to be an orderly field of knowledge and procedure. But it is not. It is an imperfect science, an enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information, fallible individuals, and at the same time lives on the line.” There is more to being a great physician than having intellect, clinical experience, and competence in the medical field. A doctor must be daring and genuinely driven to positively impact a patient’s life. A doctor needs stand tall, even in the face of uncertainty.
If you are a new student and are thinking about pursuing a career in the medical field, like me, you have a lot of options. You could become a Registered Nurse, a Physician, a Physician Assistant, a Dentist, an Audiologist, an Anesthesiologist or many other professions. In this article I am going to narrow it down for you between a Physician and a Physician Assistant and I am going to tell you why I would prefer being a Physician Assistant over the highly prestigious Physician career. Physician Assistant is a relatively new career and there are many misconceptions about what individuals with this title do in the medical field.
Among these programs are Speech and Debate, Business Professionals of America, Health Occupation Students of America, and all Advanced Placement classes will help prepare you for a career in the medical field. In order to work in a health care field you must be outgoing, able to work alongside others, and maintain a certain level of professionalism which all of the classes promote. “Doctors who display superior communication and leadership qualities advance to supervisory or managerial positions in hospitals and health networks. Those who start their own practices take on entrepreneurial roles and employ staff according to their needs. Some doctors join medical schools as faculty, and can gradually move into administrative roles” (Careers). By taking vigorious classes throughout your high school career you can be better prepared to achieve supervisory or managerial
As physicians, we are foundations for our patients. We become sources of strength and emotional security for them, in trying times. We do more than fix others back to health (spotting signs of illness, giving diagnoses, drugs or treatment). We must understand the concerns of those we help and be there for our patients—through pain and sorrow. ================
The summer after my freshman year in college, I went back to Honduras to volunteer with the children who had leukemia at the National Public Hospital. I have never been as intimidated as my first day, when I followed the attending oncologist, while he was showing me the pediatric unit. He also explained my duties, which were attending and playing with the children. When I was left to start my job, I felt almost as nuisance in the midst of that hectic hospital room. Unsure on how to approach the patients, I looked around and found a tender smiling face. Although I was nervous, the warmth of his expression gave me the confidence to walk towards his bed. After a long and pleasant talk, I learned that Diego was from a remote rural town, and that his father visited him three days a week because he had to work to support his family. Diego suffered from a severe form of leukemia and had been hospitalized for nine months. Due to his poor health, he was unable to walk or even sit up in his bed. Hence, he developed atrophy in his legs causing them to lose strength and mobility. Yet with a huge sparkle in his eyes, Diego shared with me his dreams of becoming a great soccer player. As I turned away to retrieve the board games that he requested, I was moved by his courage to dream despite the hardships he was enduring at such a young age. This encounter was the beginning of an important turning point in my life. What initially began as a job became a real duty for me. I felt compelled and obligated to the children whom I interacted with, gaining satisfaction in doing so. At first, it seemed I was doing them a favor but rather it was the children that made an impact in my life. After I left Diego’s bedside that day, I was heartbroken to see h...
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is projected to provide health insurance to 25 million Americans by 2016 (Congressional Budget Office, 2014). The U.S. demographics are also changing in a way that will cause an increased demand on the health care system. Both of these changes will result in an increased demand of health care in the US. Due to the limits in the supply of health care providers , a shortage of workers will result which will eventually drive up prices and costs. One method of preventing this shortage is to remove the barriers that limit the expansion of the health care provider supply.
The study of medicine is not like any other field of study. Throughout the years of medical practice the doctor-patient relationship has been defined in many different ways. The doctor-patient relationship is what most people refer too when discussing medical issues. It defines the interaction between a healthcare professional and patient. The interaction made with patients’ initiates the basis for compliance, trust, and communication. That being said, the work that is performed within the study of medicine has a direct impact on people’s daily lives. This reason results in why strict rules are conducted and structured within the Code of Conduct for every medical organization. For
Throughout my life, I have worked towards one goal which is to become a doctor. Medicine offers the opportunity for me to integrate different scopes of science while trying to improve human life. Medicine has intrigued me throughout all my life because it??s a never ending mystery and every answer has questions, and vice versa. Upon entering my career, I had assumed that professional and financial success would surely bring personal fulfillment. This realization triggered a process of self-searching that led me to medicine. The commitment to provide others with healthcare is a serious decision for anyone. As I examined my interests and goals, however, I underwent a process of personal growth that has propelled me towards a career as a physician. A career in medicine will allow me to integrate thoroughly my passion for science into a public-service framework. Since childhood, I have loved acquiring scientific knowledge, particularly involving biological processes. During my undergraduate studies, I displayed my ability to juggle competing demands while still maintaining my academic focus; I have succeeded at school while volunteering part time, spending time with family and friends, and working part-time. To better serve my expected patient population, I worked over my English and Korean language skills. I have come to discover that a job and even a good income, without another significant purpose, will not bring satisfaction. I planed to utilize my assets, namely my problem- solving affinity, strong work ethic, and interpersonal commitment, to craft a stimulating, personally rewarding career in medicine. I have taken stock of myself, considering my skills, experiences, and goals. I have looked to family and friends, some of whom are doctors, for advice. Because of this self-examination, I have decided to pursue a career in health care. The process has been difficult at times but always illuminating. Throughout it all, I have never lost confidence - the confidence that I will actively absorb all available medical knowledge, forge friendships with fellow students, and emerge from my training as a skilful and caring physician.