Physician Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Physician? Can a person just become a Physician or do they have to become a certain type of doctor: podiatry, psychiatry, etc. ?

Answer: I'm not sure what you mean. Can you please be a little more clear with this question? Most doctors fresh out of med school go into internal medicine which is the "default." Later on in their careers, they can choose to specialize in a field (such as cardiology, oncology, OB-GYN, surgery, etc.) or remain in internal medicine. To be a physician, one must get into medical school. Before that, one must fulfill the pre-medical requirements: one year each of: general biology general chemistry organic chemistry physics college level math (i.e. calculus) one semester of biochemistry (for some med schools) liberal arts courses with emphasis on writing throughout your college career Plus one has to take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). Again, I'm not so sure what you mean, but I hope I helped!

Question: How does a physicians assistant compare to a physician? I have a bachelors degree in biology and decided not to go to medical school. However, I have heard about physician's assistant programs. How does a physician's assistant compare to a regular doctor (training, requirements, cost, salary etc)? I want to know if this is something worth looking into.

Answer: The bureau of labor statistics will give you all the information worth looking into - such as training, employment outlook, salary, etc.

Question: What is the difference between a physician and a physician assistant? What do physicians do that a physician can not do. I going to go to college to become a physician assistant, but then was thinking that I may as well just do the physician program if there was not that much of a difference.

Answer: I do know that a physician goes through a lot more school and gets paid very well. BUT at the same time a physicians assistant does not have to be in school well into their 30's, they still make a very excellent paycheck AND they don't have to deal with all of the lawsuits that physicians have to deal with. Your best bet is to be a PA. Good luck!

Question: Can physician assistants work internationally for NGOs or volunteering as a practitioner? I'm currently a physician assistant student and I would really like to work internationally giving aid to third world nations. I'm concerned though, that PAs really can't do anything legally internationally because it is such a US specific career. I know you can work in England and Australia now, but I really want to work in underserved parts of the world, please let me know if you know if its possible to work internationally as a PA.

Answer: Yes, many of the journals have articles about PAs working on the medical missions to various countries. Try Doctors without Borders etc and ask at your school & look at the PA journals. You work under the auspices of the agency not the country so you do not have to be "legal" in that country per se. However, you will need to get some experience first--that is mandatory because you are working without xrays & labs much of the time & without supervision. You REALLY have to know your stuff. I would not even consider this without 5 years ER or other failry intense experience.

Question: Can a physician revise a medical record for which he or she made the wrong diagnosis? The physician diagnosed the patient, a minor, as suffering from physical abuse, but the time frame when the injuries supposedly took place does not match up. Can a physician re-evaluate the case and change his diagnosis? Are there any penal codes that would refrain the physician from re-evaluating the case?

Answer: I don't know of any penal codes, but the original diagnosis cannot be removed, only added to and modified by an addendum.

Question: What kind of physician one should look for kidney related diseases? My friend is suspecting kidney stone by the kind of symptoms he read in net. He is confused whether to go to a general physician or some specialist. What such specialists are called as? Please suggest some to help him out. Thanks in advance.

Answer: He should be able to just go to his personal physician and they will either do a sonogram or cat scan to test for kidney stones. A physician who specializes in kidneys is a Nephrologist. My daughter goes to one at Scott and White medical center in Temple, Tx.

Question: What does the physician do when a patient is waiting for him in a consultation room? I think most patients have such experience of long waiting (often more than 45 minutes) in a consultation room after the nurse completed blood pressure taking, screening and other procedures. During that time, what does the physician do in the other room?

Answer: He doesn't book multiple patients for one time slot..that's absurd. He books patients in 15-20 minute slots, but often one or two patients take a little longer and suddenly he's running behind. Add a toilet break or a cup of tea and there's more delay. But he may get a couple of cancellations so by the end of the day he may "break even" time-wise. It just depends on what time of day your appointment is, and your luck, really! Also, he may be reading your chart (doctors know absolutely nothing about their patients until they read the chart), or reading up on your condition (if you have one) to freshen his mind a bit...

Question: How can licensed doctor in Philippines become a Physician assistant here in America? My mom is a doctor in Philippines, and 12 years ago we moved to America. The license didn't transfer in America she's been a medical assistant instead. so after 12 years, both of her kids are college now, and she's interested in becoming a Physician's assistant. How does she go about becoming a PA? Does she still have to take the two year training to be a PA? or can she just take the certifying exam? Thank you so much in advance!

Answer: I would suggest your mother contacts American Academy of Physician Assistants: http://www.aapa.org. Different states seem to have different requirements so the American Academy of Physician Assistants should be able to answer any and all questions that your mother has.

Question: How to become a sports medicine physician? I'll be heading off to college this fall (freshman) and am really interested in becoming a sports medicine physician after I graduate. But I'm really confused on how I become one and what steps I have to take to get there. Like what kind of courses should I take in college, what should I major in, do I have to go to a medical school after like doctors do, and any other requirements that I would need to become a sports medicine physician. Your help is greatly appreciated thank you

Answer: You have to take all of the prereq's for the medical school you are interested in. Generally, 8 hours of biology, 18 hours of chemistry (organic and inorganic), 8 hours of physics, 6 hours english, and a set amount of electives. As you can see, the science required is extensive, so it's easiest to major in biology. Also, most med school classes are biology...so it's best to "know the language" by majoring in it. Halfway through college, you need to take the MCAT and score high. Your GPA needs to be as close to a 4.0 as possible to stay competitive. Your last year of college (the June before) is when you apply online. First, you do a general application through AMCAS or AACOM (MD or DO programs) and then the schools send you secondary applications. Its an expensive process. Prepare for your med school interviews, and do well. Be able to account for any C's you made, bad semesters, lack of clinical experience, etc. Once in med school, it is 4 years. 2 years of classwork, 2 years rotations. Upon graduating, you will pick your residency program (or match to it, rather). This is where you will enter sports medicine. Now, sports medicine isn't actually a training program per say. You really enter orthopedics, and recieve a special certification for sports medicine. Many schools that offer the orthopedics residency have the certification for sports medicine. Your residency is up to 7 years. But, you are paid about $45,000 for it.

Question: How much does a physician assistant make? I want to know how much a physician assistant make? What type of degree does one have to have? Will it be difficult, in other words, will it be too hard to do? Thanks!

Answer: Median annual earnings of wage-and-salary physician assistants were $74,980 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $62,430 and $89,220. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,100, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $102,230. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of physician assistants in May 2006 were: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm