661,400 physicians and surgeons were employed in the U.S. in 2008.
General practice doctors are a first-stop source of medical attention and advice for most people. Because a doctor acts a general caregiver, he must be knowledgeable about all types of conditions and treatments, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from setting broken bones to diagnosing respiratory infections. Self-employed general practitioners tend to earn the highest wages in the industry, reports the bureau, though many doctors prefer the stability of working for an hourly wage with an established practice.
Required Education
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the educational requirements for becoming a doctor as "among the most demanding of any occupation." A minimum of three years of undergraduate schooling is required to enter medical school, though many students have a bachelor's degree. Acceptance into medical school is highly competitive and lasts four years, though a few schools are now combining undergraduate school with medical school, for a total of six to seven years of training.
Residency
Upon graduating from medical school, nearly all doctors must participate in a residency program, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Residency is paid training in which the doctor works with patients in a clinical setting, but with supervision. Residency lasts between two and six years, as of 2010. Some doctors also participate in a 12-month rotating internship before entering residency.
National Average Salary
A doctor's education is quite expensive, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with more than 80 percent of graduates currently in debt as of 2010. Yet PayScale reports a doctor's average salary ranging from $92,000 to $152,000 a year. As of 2010, PayScale's figures show self-employed physicians earning as much as $169,000, and the bureau reports that doctors who choose to specialize earn as much as $330,000 annually.
Job Outlook
Opportunities for physicians is expected to grow 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As technology allows doctors to see more patients than was previously possible, and as an aging population has a greater need for a doctor's services, job growth expands.
Tags: Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics, medical school, 2010 PayScale
