The Importance Of Medical Education

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At many points of a person’s life, they entrust their health and lives with a doctor. But has one ever once found themselves sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, asking the questions “who is this person that is going to examine me, what exactly they do, and what is a physician?” According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They often counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive healthcare” (2). Physicians handle day to day care, checkups and mandatory immunizations and tests. They are usually referred to as the family doctor. These doctors are the first person patients go to see when there is something …show more content…

This lengthy education includes an undergraduate education, a medical school education and then a graduate medical education which is a residency program (American Medical Association, 1). An undergraduate education is the standard four years at any college or University to receive a bachelor’s degree. Students undergoing undergraduate school in hopes of getting accepted to medical school for this career path tend to usually major in biology and or chemistry to better their chance of acceptance, but this is not necessary. Many students with this career path enter medical school with other areas as majors as well. After receiving a bachelor’s degree, medical school is next. Medical school is another four years, this is including the preclinical and clinical part. When medical school is completed, students will earn their doctor of medicine degrees. Then comes a residency program. A residency program is where graduates of medical school undergo three to seven years (the number of years, depending on the graduate’s specialty) of professional training under supervision of senior physician educators (American Medical Association, 1). This is equaling a total of 11 years of education, including residency or more depending on specialty. In addition to all the education, it is required by the state that physicians obtain a license to practice medicine. This is only after completing a series of exams and reaching the …show more content…

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic, as of 2012 physicians held about 691,400 jobs. (3) Some chose to start their own practice and work independently or along with a small staff and nurses, others may also work in group practices, and others also may choose to take salaried jobs such as those in hospitals, clinics, government, and privately owned industries. It is noted that in 2007 one third of physicians were involved in solo practices while the other 60% of physicians were involved in group practices (American Academy of Family Physicians, 5). There is an increasing number of newly licensed physicians working in group practices where multiple doctors share a large number of patients. This is due to the fact that the group setting allows them more time off and allows them to coordinate care more efficiently for their patients. Gaining experience in this field and developing a good reputation among patients can drastically help a doctor advance in their career no matter what kind of practice they are involved in. The best opportunities to grown and gain experience are presented in the in rural and low-income areas. They can improve their skills in general medicine or in special fields. Physicians work long, irregular and sometimes overnight hours. Most physicians work full time hours spending more than 40 hours a week on the job, including when and/or if they are on call. When on call, they may

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