Medical Careers

You probably work in hospital or doctor’s office with physicians, obstetricians or gynecologists, podiatrists, chiropractors or optometrists.

Job Description

You help doctors by answering the phone, keeping appointments, and organizing records. You might take vital signs, perform basic laboratory tests or even draw blood.

Academic Requirements

A high school diploma is sufficient to gain employment as a medical assistant, with on-the-job training occurring. Programs also are offered at vocational and technical schools, community or junior colleges and universities.

Job Description

You work under a physician’s supervision. You perform tasks that only doctors used to perform. You give physical exams, and diagnose and treat illnesses. You may give treatments, order tests and X-rays, or teach people about their health.

Academic Requirements

Employment as a physician assistant requires training at an accredited physician assistant program. More than 140 programs currently exist in the United States. Applicants to a physician assistant program should have a background in patient care and often have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. After two years of study and training, graduates earn an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or a certificate of completion, depending on the program. Forty-nine states require a certification exam for employment as a physician assistant-certified (PA-C).

Job Description

You practice the ancient profession of medicine and help your patients keep or restore their health. Physicians are also called doctors. Often, you must figure out what is causing your patient’s illness, so you use your knowledge and study the science of medicine to diagnose and treat your patient. Your job requires a deep understanding of academic disciplines, such as anatomy and physiology, and also skill in the practice of medicine. If you are a surgeon, you perform surgery on patients by cutting into their bodies. The reason may be to remove an organ that isn’t working or repair something that is wrong inside the body.

Academic Requirements

Students seeking a medical degree usually obtain a bachelor’s degree and must submit Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, along with transcripts from undergraduate institutions. Competition is fierce for admission to the 133 allopathic medical schools in the United States, where a four-year curriculum is followed by a three- to eight-year residency, depending on the physician’s area of specialization. Physicians are licensed by the state after passing an examination.