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Cherub Ami Ruiz
Professor Deborah Robinson
CEP 121.2225
Assignment: Career Research Project
The career I chose to research on is in the health field and its title is physician. According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website, this career is sub-divided into two categorizes:
Doctor of Medicine (M.D) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D. O). The physicians with the
title M.D. are also called allopathic physicians. Although both types of physicians are certified to
employ all accepted methods in health treatments, including drugs and surgery, the D.O.’s focus
is on the body’s musculoskeletal system including preventive medicine and providing holistic
patient care.
The demand for this profession is high, due to increasing population and pathogens in the
world. Moreover, BLS job outlook section website predicted that the market for this career will
grow 14% more than the average growth of all occupation from the year 2006 to 2016. This
increase may be attributed to the shortage of health care systems in rural areas and in low-income
sectors of the world. To support the continuous expansion of health care systems and its related
fields world-wide, subsequent job demands that the security for this position is assured.
Prospective physicians have all odds in their favor because they can fill the vacancies left by
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their predecessors as the latter retire. However, this career requires these professionals to keep up
with current technologies and modern treatment skills to ensure efficiency. In 2006 alone, about
633,000 physician positions were filled; about 15% of them being self-employed while 18%
were employed at the hospitals as wages earners. The rest practiced in both private and public
sectors in the Federal, State, and local governments, including colleges, universities, and
professional schools and outpatient care centers.
Physicians reap many benefits: personally, intellectually, and financially. Economically,
the typical annual income earned by entry level physicians ranges from $132,953.00 to
$259,948.00 and those with over a year of experience bring in from $161,331.00 to
$321,686.00.These salary range is far more than enough to meet most of their financial needs.
However, these salaries are awarded based on the physician’s area of expertise and location at
which they practice. Intellectually, this profession requires its members to have both extensive
and intensive educational training in their various disciplines. In so doing, these individuals
mature to become well rounded and knowledgeable people. Personally, physicians are esteemed
with the fact that they can improve another person’s health, physically and psychologically.
The minimum educational requirement for entry into the medical school is three to four
years of college preparation. According to the America Association of Medical Colleges website,
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the pre- medical student is required to have completed a year of physics, biology, mathematics,
English, and inorganic and organic chemistry. These students must also take courses in the
humanities and the social sciences and to gain some practical experiences through volunteering
at local hospitals or clinics. There are 146 medical schools in the United State as of date. 126
teach allopathic medicine and award a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree while the rest teach
osteopathic medicine and award the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. After
completion of the premedical prerequisites, students must take their Medical Admission Test
(MCAT) to gain admission into the highly competitive medical schools. When accepted into the
medical program, the students face four years of rigorous curriculum and thereafter, three to
eight years of internship and residency. Once residency is completed, the student is awarded with
an M.D. or D.O. degree and is now regarded as a physician. To be able to practice, a physician
needs to be licensed in every state and in the other U.S. territories. To be licensed, physicians
must graduate from an accredited medical school, pass a licensure examination, and complete
one to seven years of graduate medical education. Although physicians licensed in one state can
easily obtain a license to practice in another state without further examination, some states
restricts licensing. In addition, physicians who graduated from foreign medical schools must pass
the licensure examination and has to become a U.S resident to qualify for licensure.
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Physicians are responsible to diagnose illnesses and to prescribe and oversee treatment
for people suffering from injury or diseases. They examine patients, obtain medical histories, and
order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They also advise patients on their diets, hygiene,
and on preventive measures that must be met to ensure proper health care. Physicians who work
in small private offices or clinics work independently and are often assisted by a small staff of
nurses and other administrative personnel as consultants. However, those who practice in groups
or in organizations work as team players where they become each others consultants on most
important issues such as insurance coverage to have more time to themselves. Many physicians
are on call on odd hours and may work over sixty hours weekly. They are constantly travelling
between offices and hospitals to tend to their patients. They are required to deal with patients’
concerns over the telephone and to make emergency visits to hospitals or nursing homes.
The personal qualities, skills and competencies required in this field are numerous.
Prospective physicians must be willing to work with the sick and the aging; they must be
proactive, self motivated, be willing to work long hours around clock; they must be willing to
deal with the pressures and stress associated with medical schools. They must have good
communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, data skills and quick to make impromptu
decisions or life threatening situations in their line of work. They must never tire of studying to
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keep abreast with all the medical advances. They must be willing to sacrifice their immediate
social pleasures to meet the demands of this profession.
Over the last five to ten years, prospective physicians are constantly bombarded with
financial woes of paying for medical school. According to the American Association Medical
School, about 82% of medical students graduated with some significant educational debt
although, many received substantial financial assistance through programs that provide loans
guaranteed by the federal government. They also become isolated from their families and love
ones in favor of their quest to become a physician. Many physicians have been threatened with
law suits and some have lost their hard earned licenses as a consequence of malpractices. They
are placed into several unethical situations which may have resulted into physical, sexual or
emotional assault.
This career research project proved very useful to me, it enlightened me on what I did not
know about this career. I feel better armored to take on this challenge in this particular career
field. My desire to serve my motherland by providing excellent health care outweighs any
personal misconceptions I may have against this field of work. I am self disciplined, motivated
and more importantly very drawn and committed to this profession. What energizes most about
this job is the fact that I get to breathe life into patients who otherwise had no means of living. I
find comfort in that I will be able to provide adequate health care to a country that is in dire need
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of medical and financial attention. Although, I am greatly financial disadvantaged, I will take up
loans to fund my education because many lives literally depend on my becoming a physician. I
believe I will be great for this job because I strongly believe each human life is precious and their
financial standing should not deprive them of living their lives to the best of their abilities. I have
great people skills and I actually love going to school to be educated. I am not put off by the
learning aspect of this profession because I believe that education is the best gift I can give to
myself and nobody can take that away from me. Therefore, this career suffices me with all the
benefits and rewards I ever wanted; maximum education, a platform where I can give back to my
homeland the best selfless gift which is the gift of life. Besides, with this career I gain financial
freedom doing what I love most which is helping people by minimizing their pains and
sufferings.
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Work Cited
Retrieved October 10, 2008, from American Association of Medical Colleges, aamc.org Web
site: http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/careers.htm
Retrieved 0ctober 10, 2008, from Bureau of Labor Statistics, bls.gov website:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm#training
Retrieved 0ctober 10, 2008, from Onnet Center, Onnetcenter.org (http://online.onetcenter.org/)
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