Physicians
In surveys, physicians are one of the most trusted professionals in society. Generally speaking, physicians in all specialties diagnose and treat disorders and diseases as well as injuries. Such a main role involves a variety of other related tasks from taking medical histories, ordering and then analyzing test results, prescribing treatment protocols to counseling patients and their families on preventive healthcare.
Physicians can choose a specialty based on body part, population sector and area of treatment. Thus, the classifications of anesthesiology, ophthalmology, general internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, family and general medicine, general pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, psychiatry and surgery, to name just a few of the possible specialties, are available.
Undoubtedly, physicians have the most demanding medical job in the healthcare industry. Their education and training are as demanding as the medical work that they must perform- 4 years in a premed course, 4 years in medical school, and then topped with a 3 to 8 years of internship and residency. Keep in mind, too, that physicians must be on a career-long continuing education.
Still, the sacrifices are well worth them on both psychic and financial rewards. Physicians are among the highest paid in any profession with a medial annual wage of $186,044 with specialists earning $339,738 and many celebrity physicians earning in the millions.
Pharmacists
Other important professionals in the healthcare industry are the pharmacists whose main job is to distribute and dispense the prescribed and over-the-counter drugs to the individuals. Other responsibilities include providing advice on the selection and interactions as well as dosages and side effects of the medications to both patients and healthcare professionals.
Contrary to popular notion, pharmacists can specialize in certain areas like oncology, geriatric pharmacy and psychiatric pharmacy. The work environment is often clean and well-lighted as is the case with hospital and community pharmacists with 40-hour workweeks.
Nowadays, the Bachelor of Pharmacy degree has been replaced by the 4-year Pharm.D. program. The individual must have completed at least two years of professional study before admission to the new degree program, in addition to the 3 or more years as a college undergraduate. Individuals may also choose to undergo a 1 to 2 years residency training program for the completion of a fellowship requirement as well as obtain an additional degree in public health or public administration. Others may even go for a master's degree in business administration.
Before engaging in this medical job, the individual must secure a license as a pharmacist by passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) or the equivalent thereof depending on the state and territory.
Psychiatrists
Yet another medical work that saves lives is psychiatry, which focuses on the treatment of mental disorders in patients. The responsibilities of psychiatrists include conducting physical examinations, prescribing psychiatric medications, and interpreting laboratory tests and electroencephalograms, all with the aim of correctly diagnosing the medical disorder of the patient and then providing the correct treatment.
Just like physicians, psychiatrists have spent at least 12 years in education and training before assuming the title. Thus, four years of undergraduate studies, four years of proper medical school, and then another 4 years in residency are compulsory for all psychiatrists. The purpose of such a long study program is to ensure that the professional has comprehensive training in diagnostic evaluation, psychopharmacology and psychotherapies, to name a few subject matters. It must be noted that lives are at stake with psychiatry, too.
The median wage for psychiatrists will vary depending on the place of practice. Generally speaking, psychiatrists who work in outpatient care centers earn the highest at more than $181,000 per year while those in offices of other health professionals earn the least at just $131,000 annually.
No matter which of the three medical jobs you choose, the important thing is that you recognize the lifesaving importance of the job. At the end of the day, it is not how much one earns in terms of money but how much one makes mankind a better species and the world a better place to live in.
