Physician & Surgeon

What is a Physician?

A physician or surgeon is a medical professional whose job it is to diagnose patients of illnesses and prescribe medication or administer treatment for said illnesses.  Also known as a doctor, physicians use diagnostic tests and examine medical histories and symptoms to come to a diagnosis.  The two types of physicians: M.D. and D.O both use all methods of treatment.  An M.D., or Doctor of Medicine, are also known as allopathic physicians.  A D.O., or Doctor of Osetopathic Medicine, focuses on the body’s musculoskeletal system, preventive medicine, and holistic care.  Physicians and surgeons primarily work either in group practice or private offices or clinics.  Most surgeons work in hospitals or surgical outpatient centers.

Physicians often work long hours, especially those of which work in private practice.  In 2006, over 1/3 of full-time physicians and surgeons worked 60 hours or more per week.  The percentage of physicians and surgeons that work part-time is nearly half of that of all other occupations.  They are also required to travel often between office, home, and hospital.

Different types of Physicians:

There are many different specialties that physicians work in.  Some of the largest specialties include family medicine, pediatrics, general internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, anesthesiology, and surgery.  Each of these specialties serve a particular medical issue or population.  For example:

An anesthesiologist is a physician who specializes in anesthesiology, or the pain relief of surgical patients.  The are also responsible, like other physicians, for the care and treatment of their patients.  These specialists are responsible for the maintenance of vital life functions, including: heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and breathing during surgery.

Working with anesthesiologists are surgeons.  A surgeon, specifically, focuses on operations.  They work with patients under anesthesia with a number of surgical instruments.  Common responsibilities include correcting deformities, repairing bone or tissue, or performing preventive surgeries on patients.  There are many different surgical specializations as well, including neurological, cardiovascular, and plastic surgery.

There are other physicians and surgeons that work as medical specialists, including pathologists, gastroenterologists, dermatologists, allergists and many more.

How to become a physician:

Becoming a physician is no easy task.  A typical student will have to undergo a minimum of 11 years of education and internships to be licensed.  Many specializations require significantly more education than others.  A prospective physician will likely undergo 4 years of undergraduate study, 4 years of medical school, and from 3 to 8 years of internship and residency.  While some medical schools offer an accelerated program, many prospective doctors will have to study for 11 years.

Typical pre-med classes include physics, biology, English, mathematics, and chemistry.  The physician occupation is one of the most complex occupations in the world, as it requires a large amount of knowledge and social skills to become a good physician.

Gaining acceptance to a medical school is a long process and highly competitive.  All prospective medical students must take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), as well as gather transcripts and recommendations.  An interview with the admissions board is usually required as well.

The curricula in medical schools usually consists of 2 years taking relevant medical courses and 2 years of hands-on experience.  Most recently, however, medical schools have taken to changing their curricula to adapt to the changing cultural and professional needs.  Now, instead of being forced to cut open a cadaver or take tough anatomy and pharmacology classes in the first year of school, medical students are expected to take courses that focus more on the culture and ethics of medicine.  These changes are expected to encourage more of the top tier students to consider a medical career, as well as better preparing prospective physicians to succeed both in medical school and their future careers.

After they graduate from medical school, prospective physicians enter a residency of their choosing.  Residency is essentially paid training, often in a hospital.  A residency usually last from 2 to 6 years.

All states require a physician to become licensed before they begin practice.  A prospective physician is required to graduate from an accredited medical schools, pass an exam, and complete 1 to 7 years of graduation medical education.  The length of graduate education is dependent on the specialty.  In order to obtain certification by either the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), one must pass another examination.

It should be said that being a physician is more than just having the right education.  Physicians deal with real people in tough situations multiple times a day.  They must have qualities conducive to being a good physician, including: self-motivation, patience, and quick decision-making.  They also must be conscientious learners, as physicians are required to keep up with medical progress with continuing education.

Medical school statistics

- Out of the 146 medical schools in the United States, only 20 teach osteopathic medicine (D.O.).  The 126 other schools teach allopathic medicine (M.D.).

- As medical school is very expensive, more than 80 percent of graduates were in debt.

- In 2008, total enrollment stood at 76,070 in all schools across the U.S.  39,608 were males and 36,462 females.  The number has been growing, as there were 70,169 total enrolled in 2003.

- In 2008, 16,167 medical students graduated — compared to 15,676 in 2003.

- California had the most matriculants to U.S. medical schools in 2008 with 2,051.  Wyoming had the least, with only 22.

- The average age of applicants at anticipated matriculation to U.S. medical schools for both men and women is 24.  American Indians or Alaska Natives were the oldest demographic, with an average age of 26.  The youngest demographics were Asian men and women and Cuban or Puerto Rican with an average age of 23.

- Asians made up 8,279 out of 42,231 total medical school applicants in 2008.  The next highest minority represented was Hispanic or Latino, with 3,086 applicants.

- Out of 42,231 total applicants in 2008, the average MCAT VR score was 9.0; average MCAT PS was 9.3; and average MCAT BS was 9.8.  Average total GPA was 3.5 with science GPA at 3.40 and non-science GPA at 3.63.

Physician Employment

Physicians and surgeons can either work as self-employed physicians or wage-and-salary physicians.  About 15 percent of 633,000 jobs were self-employed physicians.  About 18 percent worked in hospitals.  Approximately 50 percent of physicians worked in the offices of physicians.

- Approximately 40% of total physicians worked in primary care, with the rest working in specialties.  Surgical specialties make up 11% of the total distribution of physician jobs.

- 64% of male physicians worked in specialties; 30% of male physicians worked as primary care.  Conversely, only 45% of women work in specialties, with 47% of women working in primary care.

- Whites made up 55.8% of total physicians.  Asians were the highest represented minority, making up 12% of physicians.  American Native/Alaska Natives were lowest represented, with only .02% of total physicians.

- Asian females made up 16.1% of total female physicians, much higher than the 10.8% represented by total Asian males.  Minorities made up 49% of female physicians, male minorities made up only 42.4% of total male physicians.

Physicians are among the highest paid professionals in the United States.  Self-employed physicians tend to have higher incomes than salaried physicians.

- The specialty with highest total compensation were anesthesiologists, who made a median $321,686 of total compensation per year for professionals with over one year of experience.  Family practice physicians with over one year of experience made a total compensation of $156,010 per year.

Job Outlook

Job opportunities for physicians and surgeons look to be very good, especially for those in specialties.  The industry is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, at 14 percent from 2006 to 2016.  Health care is expected to grow and, therefore, jobs in the industry will continue to grow.  In addition, the growing age of the baby boomer generation will lead to more demand for medical services.

Some specialties are experiencing a shortage.  A few specialties include family practice, general practice, internal medicine, and OB/GYN, especially in low-income areas.

For further Information on Becoming a Physician please call Physician.com- Student Center at (201) 247-8553

Medical Schools Change Up Their Curricula

When people think of the first year of medical school, they often think about new doe-eyed medical students fearfully cutting up a cadaver in their first week.  Now, medical school curricula is continually changing to keep up with changing scientific and cultural demands that doctors face.

For example, at Georgetown, students take a few months of more hands-off courses before they begin dissecting.  These classes include “Social and Cultural Issues in Health Care” and “Physician-Patient Communication.”

Johns Hopkins has implemented a new case-based teaching method, where students study cases to understand the intricacies of the disease, medication options, the pros and the cons of certain treatment options and more.  The case-based teaching method is similar to those employed in law schools.

The idea behind the new teaching methods was that medical students were not able to apply subjects such as anatomy until they started doing clinical rotations.

The Association of American Medical Colleges has suggested scrapping the list of undergrad course requirements for pre-med students.  These courses would be replaced by a set of ideas that students will have to understand before entering medical school.

Classic courses such as organic chemistry, anatomy, and physiology have been questioned as necessary pre-med or early medical school courses.  The new changes in the curricula can encourage potentially strong doctors to pursue a medical career without being disenchanted or deterred by an inability to perform admirably in some subjects — organic chemistry, for example.

Drop Out of Medical School

Medical School is a daunting experience. There are ups and downs, and everyone entering Medical School knows that; expects that. Every new medical school student has that dream of being called Doctor Somebody. However, how does one really know when enough is enough? How does one really know if the medical path is not the right path to follow… for them? Yes, it may be the right path for that guy, or that girl; but, is it really for you?

This article attempts to investigate three reasons that might be evident signs prompting you to drop out of medical school… now. It is in no way meant to be derogatory toward the medical profession, as it has its unparalleled benefits, both in salary and human reward. Instead, this article was written to provide some insight into three reasons, among many other reasons, why medical school might not be for certain people.

You should probably drop out of medical school if…

1)      You plan on having a family during your “earlier” years. If you have always dreamed of raising your own family at a relatively young (in your twenties) age, then you might want to consider the “drop out” option of attending medical school. It definitely is possible to have your own family throughout your medical school years, but!… the more important question you should be asking yourself is how much time am I willing to sacrifice away from my family? Precious time spent away from one’s family, especially in the beginning years, is precious time you may never get back. Do you really want to be a “stranger” to your kids at this extremely important time in their lives?

2)      You’re still in it just for the money. Yes, you may be able to keep up with the work that is required of medical school students. However, is being a doctor really what you have a burning desire to do for the rest of your life? Sure, the money is great – few other occupations are on par with the yearly salaries of medical professionals, but consider what the trade-off is. Are you willing to work hard during a great chunk of your life just for a little more green paper flowing in? Think about it for a little bit.

3)      Your cherished relationships are suffering because of it. As a general rule in life, you should drop out of anything that does not bring you the happiness you deserve; the happiness you are meant to experience. Some medical students undergo much stress, but their perspective is clear: “I want to be a doctor, and if this is what it takes, nothing’s going to stop me.” However, if you fall into the category of those that wake up dreading the day, day after day; then, you probably should drop out of medical school.

It seems as though all the arrows to drop out of medical school point toward what makes a person happy.

As a matter of fact, it is not difficult to distinguish whether or not medical school is for you. All you have to do is be honest with yourself.

Do you really want to be a doctor?

Whether your answer is yes or no, you can find out right now if you just allow yourself to be completely honest.

Minorities in Medical School

In the United States, all medical schools are non-discriminating in their acceptance of new students: they give an equal opportunity for both white and minority applicants. However, while grades of the two main groups are on par throughout most of the educational periods, there is a noted difference when it comes to the medical school years. The groups that we are focusing on are mainly Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians.

The first two years of medical school involve mainly intense and in-depth test-taking, while the third and fourth years involve more hands-on situational work. While there is not much of a difference between medical school performance between the white medical school student population and the minority medical school student population throughout the first two years of this schooling period, there is a reportedly significantly greater difference in grades during the third and fourth years.

The difference, says many researchers of the topic, lies in the cultural values and habits of the two mentioned groups. While the white students observe and therefore imitate the assertiveness of doctors in the real life situation, the minority groups lack in their exertion of assertiveness, especially during these critical training periods.

Cultural terminology defines this situation as power distance. In certain cultures, the populations regard their authority figures with considerably more power than themselves. As a result, they are brought up to act a certain way towards all authority figures, including doctors. For example, if a doctor makes a mistake and the mistake is evident to the minority groups, then the chances that they will actually speak up and correct the doctor are noticeably less, as opposed to the white population, who will immediately point out the error.

In order to correct this problem, which affects the minority group from succeeding to a certain point, it is essential for the medical community to raise their awareness of cultural differences. If this issue is targeted directly and brought up to all involved parties, then minorities can be properly educated in all aspects of being a doctor – especially that involving doctor-student relationships.

Tips

The Medical School Personal Statement is thought by many to be the single most important factor in the application process. Aside from the interview, in which you personally come in to meet and converse with the admissions officer(s), the personal statement is your opportunity to distinguish yourself from the hundreds, or even thousands, of other medical school applicants.

There is a lot of freedom in what you write. Most of the time, there are few guidelines to follow. The main idea of the medical school personal statement usually revolves around the reason why you chose to become a medical professional. While it is advisable to be creative with your writing, make sure not to go overboard with your writing styles, ideas, or themes.

In preparation for writing your medical school personal statement, take into consideration the following tips I’ve gathered from speaking to several medical school applicants:

1)      Exercise your creativity. As mentioned briefly above, make sure you are creative enough to be unique in the eyes of the person or persons reading your personal statement, but do be careful of standing out too much: as in a negative way. Provide an insight into your own personality and mix it with your medical ambitions, or goals. It is important to tell the admission officer(s) who you are and why you are applying to medical school.

2)      Theme. Choose a simple, but powerful and memorable theme. The theme of your medical school personal statement can help direct the flow of your personal statement. Similar to my tip on creativity, be careful with your choice of theme as well. Make it personal; which leads us to my third tip:

3)      Personal story. A popular (and attractive) technique in writing medical school personal statements is something called a “personal story.” People of all ages and backgrounds always enjoy a good story. If you decide to write your entire personal statement in story form, make sure to keep in mind the plot! The plot is what your entire story revolves around. Making your story personal does not mean making it overly emotional – such as a tear-dropper or a comedy skit, so make sure it has the right balance of… you.

In addition to the above tips, keep your medical school personal statement straight to the point. Don’t beat around the bush. You want to have your statement read as fluidly and coherently as possible. Make it easy and enjoyable for the admissions officer(s) to read.

Also, if you should mention your weaknesses, do so in a fashion that ends the positively. For example, you can mention a weakness that you currently possess, but follow it up with some ways in which you are working to improve in those particular weak areas.

And as for my last word of advice, remember to put yourself in the seat of the admissions officer or officers. They are reading hundreds if not thousands of different personal statements, so it is wise to be a little different… a little more like… you.

Medical Professional

Becoming a medical professional is a challenging, daunting, and expensive path to follow. There are so many different paths that a person could follow – speaking in terms of different medical schools a person can attend – but they all lead to the same place. Regardless of the medical school that you choose, a person who graduates from medical school (and completes residency) will become a medical professional. After all, a medical professional from one school is still a medical doctor in another school. So, what’s the big deal in attending a top medical school, anyway?

For starters, reputation has a lot to do with contemporary society. Most people , including patients, have no idea what the rankings are of the top medical schools in the nation. As a result, even if you graduated from one of the Top Ten medical schools, St. Louis’ Washington University, your patients (and the general public) might not regard that accomplishment as being anything close to a doctor that graduated from a more popular prestigious medical school, such as Yale’s. In other words, how impressed an outsider is about your credentials, unfortunately, to a certain extent, on the popularity of the top medical school that you attended. From this perspective, usually possessed by a person that desires and relies on having graduated from a highly reputable medical school, then attending a top medical school might very well be a great decision.

Building on the idea of reputation, attending a top medical school has its perks. From the simple fact that the general public’s lack of knowledge about what the top medical schools are, people prefer more popular-named schools that those that are a little less known, however highly ranked that medical school may be.

But, what about the extremely lesser-known medical schools? Why would anyone want to attend medical schools that are not nationally ranked? For one, different people have different goals. If an individual wants to start up his or her own practice, then graduating from a top prestigious medical school is not as important an factor as for an individual who wants to be a plastic surgeon for famous celebrities. In the latter example, the patients that this particular doctor has might rely on his nationally ranked medical school credential to drive more patients to his office.

So, the main point is this: a medical professional from any medical school is still a medical professional. These doctors will more or less, depending on the specialty, make about the same annual salary. However, attending a top nationally ranked medical school can help satisfy a person’s reputation-related goals. It’s all a matter of perspective; and more importantly, it’s all a matter of personal preference.

Scholarships

It is a well-known fact that becoming a medical professional is typically an expensive educational journey. Attending Medical School is a necessary step in the process. Therefore, it is wise to plan ahead of time the most cost-efficient route through Medical School. As part of their preparation for properly financing Medical School, scholarships offer perhaps the best solution to related money concerns.

The following points offer some insight into certain aspects of Medical School Scholarships that are important to keep in mind:

1) It never hurts to apply. If you apply for a Medical School Scholarship, you really have nothing to lose. The more scholarships you apply to, the greater your chances of being awarded “free money” for the hard work that you have been doing. Moreover, statistics prove that people have a greater chance of receiving smaller scholarships – but, everything counts. The application process for different scholarships differ only slightly, so it is advised to apply to as many scholarships for which you fit the qualifications. On the other hand, larger scholarships usually result in national recognition, which can definitely benefit you with added credentials.

2) What kinds of Scholarships are out there? Many Scholarships opportunities sound very attractive to the inexperienced. An important idea to constantly keep in mind when searching for Medical School Scholarships is to always look at the fine print! Find out absolutely everything there is to know about the scholarships in focus. For example, some scholarships require a certain exchange, such as Military Scholarships that usually require service of one year of active duty for every year of received scholarships.

3) Where should I search for Medical School Scholarships? The answer is simple: everywhere. Ask around at your university’s financial departments, go online, speak to your peers, professors, and advisors. Anywhere you look, you are bound to find scholarships opportunities, or at least connections to others that can offer helpful insight.

The three points covered above are more or less generalized because they are intended to instill the ideas of being resourceful when looking for Medical School Scholarships opportunities. Be curious: with the amount of scholarships being awarded in this country, you have a fair shot at getting a scholarship – whether big or small. Even the small steps count in properly and responsibly financing your Medical School journey.

The Cost Is Necesary for Graduate

Medical School is a necessary part in the process of becoming a medical professional. Tied to the process is are the costs. This article will help you get a clearer picture of what financial strings are involved. Aside from costs of medical school, itself, there are several other notable costs that, too, are a necessary part in taking you steps closer into becoming a medical professional.

The following covers the some of the required costs you can expect to encounter:

1) Costs of Applying to Medical School involve utilizing the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) to process applications. This service is extremely helpful and simple. You submit your information and application materials to them, and in return, they will send these applications to the Medical Schools that you specify. Considering the time and energy it takes to send applications to different medical schools, the costs are arguably reasonable. $160 for the first school and $30 for each additional school.

2) Medical School Costs vary from school to school, also considering different regions, and whether or not they are public or private. However, based on certain recent statistical reviews, state Medical School costs range from $24,000 – $44,000 a year for state residents and about $44,000 for out-of-state residents. At a private Medical School, tuition and fees typically run at about $41,000 (state residents) to $43,000 (out-of-state residents). The costs significantly add up. In 2008, the median debt was about $150,000 per Medical School student.

3) External Medical School Costs include room and board, books and supplies, etc. Room and board ranges too dramatically for accurate estimates to be presented, as they differ between the Medical Schools. Books and supplies costs are presently between $1,000 to $3,000 a year. In addition, health insurance throughout Medical School costs between $1,300 to $2,000.

As it is evident from the aforementioned information, Medical School costs can sometimes be more daunting than the Medical School course load itself. As an advisable solution, newly accepted students should consult their Medical School financial aid officer to plan out a financial plan specific to the student’s situation.

Medical School Interview

You are a medical school applicant. This is the big moment that can determine your foot in the door or out the door. All your grades are in. All your work experience and accomplishments are written on a piece of paper called a resume. You, in the eyes of an admissions officer, are represented by that piece of paper. Based on this little, though significant information, the decision to ask you in for an interview is made.

So, what do you do now?

Let’s start off by examining what it means to be asked in for an interview by a medical school admissions officer. Being asked to “come in” means that you looked interesting enough on paper to be considered as a prospective student at their medical school. Furthermore, you, among few others, are given the great opportunity to shine; to stand out.

This opportunity of an interview calls for much preparation. It is essential to know as much as you can: from the medical school to the person conducting the interview. Furthermore, it is wise to plan the details of how you will get to the interview. If the medical school is far enough, you should try to book the necessary flights/hotels in order to ensure a fluid experience. Eating and dressing comfortably, but professionally, will help you feel confident and in control of the interview. Evidently, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with honest answers to possible questions that the interview may entail. For example, some common questions include: “Why do you want to be a doctor?” “Why did you choose to apply to this medical school?” or “What real-life experiences do you have in your field of interest?”

Also, keep in mind that there are different types of interviews. Some consist of you and a single person conducting the interview. Others consist of you and an entire panel of interviewers. The main point is to first do research on what to expect, and then to prepare appropriately in a way that you somewhat know what to expect. Being in control is oftentimes the best indicator of predicting how an interview will turn out.

As a final note, it is extremely important to be honest, courteous, and yourself. The last thing you want to do at a medical school interview is to lie. Do not think about or attempt to answer questions in the way you think the person or persons conducting the interview want to hear; rather, answer the questions with absolute honesty. Remember, you were called into an interview so that the medical school can know who you are. Also, people often forget to follow up with a simple “thank you letter.” Just think about it: out of the dozens of individuals that come in for a medical school interview, how many applicants actually express their sincere gratitude even just for the fact that the medical school wanted to know them better.

You, after all, are more than just a piece of paper. You are a future medical school student. More importantly, you are a future doctor. The medical school interview is a necessary part of your becoming just that. Final word of advice: prepare!

Medical School International

In considering international medical schools, students usually have two common things in their minds: (1) to someday transfer back into a United States medical school, or (2) to attain a United States medical residency. Aside from these two mentioned reasons for choosing to attend an international medical school, some students simply want to experience a different environment altogether. In some ways, the decision to go international is wise if the student seriously has it in their plans to be a doctor outside of the United States. However, it is important to note that American students that attend an international medical school fall into the over 50% of international students that stay outside of the country to pursue their respective medical careers. So, before making the decision to pack your bags and jet out into an international medical school, consider the following point:

The United States is home to some of the world’s top medical schools. In addition, these top medical schools give priority to students within the United States. So, the chances of you receiving an excellent medical school education are far greater if you do decide to remain within United States borders and study here. (Also, on a side note: International students from certain South American medical schools have an extremely difficult time getting accepted into United States medical schools because their schools have a comparably high admittance rate – compared to those in the United States).

It is highly advisable to United States medicals school applicants to remain within the United States to receive a medical education. While many other international students are trying hard to receive acceptance into United States medical schools, it would simply seem strange if you would want to leave the place where everyone else is trying to get into.

In other words, it is best to stay within the boundaries of our country in order to study to become a medical professional. Resort to a carefully researched international medical school of your choice only if it is your last resort. Other than that, just simply “soak in” the facts and make an educated decision.