Doctors are...made by chance?

What is this job like?

Doctors make people healthier. When people get sick, doctors figure out why. People are
examined and listened to by them. Doctors describe people’s health problems, and do tests to see
what is wrong. They give people medicine and other kinds of treatment. Patients are advised
about doing diet, exercise, and sleep.

There are many kinds of doctors. Family and general practitioners are often the first doctors that
people go to when they get sick. These doctors treat common problems. Patients are sent to visit
other doctors by other doctors. These are normally called specialists. Specialists are experts in
specific types of health problems.

For example, internists focus on problems with internal organs. Pediatricians care for children and
babies. Surgeons perform operations, like fixing broken bones or transplanting organs.

Most doctors are doctors of medicine (M.D.). They treat all kinds of diseases and injuries. Some
doctors are doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.). They focused on muscles and bones.

Long hours are worked by doctors, at all times of day and night. About 3 out of 10 physicians
worked more than 60 hours a week in 2008. But doctors who work in small offices often have
more time off. Doctors sometimes have to hurry up to the hospital to deal with emergencies.

How do you get ready?

Becoming a doctor requires more training than most other jobs. At least 11 years are taken in
order to become a doctor: 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 3 years working in a
hospital. For some specialties, doctors may have to work in a hospital for up to 8 years before they
are fully trained.

To become a doctor, you should study biology, chemistry, physics, math, and English. It is not easy
to get into medical school. You have to do very well in college and on medical school entrance
tests.

Students spend most of the first 2 years of medical school in labs and classrooms. Lots of science
courses are normally taken by students who pretend to be professionals. They also learn to ask
patients the right questions and how to examine them. They learn how to tell what sickness a
patient has. In the last 2 years, students work with patients and doctors in hospitals and clinics.
After medical school, doctors go to work in a hospital for a few years. They are called residents. To
be a resident, you must pass a test.

If you want to be a doctor, you should like to help people. You should also be willing to study a lot.

You have to know how to talk to sick people. And you should be able to make decisions and
handle emergencies.

How much does this job pay?

Of all jobs, being a doctor usually pays the most money. According to the Medical Group
Management Association's Physician Compensation and Production Survey, median wages
depended on what kind of doctor a person was. The median yearly wages of general practitioners
were $186,044 in 2008. Specialists usually made more, about $339,738 per year. How much they
earn also depended on how long they had been doctors and where they lived. It also depends on
how many hours are worked and how good a doctor is.

What about the future?

The number of jobs for physicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all
occupations through the year 2018. This is partly because new machines and tools are letting
doctors treat more health problems. It is also partly because the population is growing and getting
older, so they will need more health care.

Job opportunities for doctors are expected to be good, especially in rural and low-income areas.
Some of these areas do not have enough doctors.