There are many types of doctors.
There are few careers that provide both the satisfaction and compensation that comes from practicing medicine. The types of doctors listed here are well compensated with the lowest median salary being $161,410. But before you can don your white coat and put on your latex gloves, take a moment to review this list of medical careers to gauge where your interests lie and what you can expect to earn.
Primary Care Physicians
Primary care physicians are the first line of defense for patients seeking answers to their health issues. These physicians treat a variety of conditions including respiratory infections and minor injuries and refer patients to specialists for more extensive care as necessary. This type of doctor also provides ongoing care and monitoring of any diagnosed illnesses or health concerns. In order to become a primarycare doctor, a student has to finish post-graduate work in the fields of either family medicine, internal medicine or pediatrics in addition to the completion of medical school. The average annual salary for primary-care physicians is $168,550.
Internal Medicine
Doctors who practice internal medicine are sometimes called internists. Internists use non-invasive measures such as prescribing medication to treat their patients conditions. Types of doctors who practice internal medicine include gastroenterologists (digestive system), dermatologists (skin), cardiologists (heart and cardiovascular system) and nephrologists (kidneys). The average annual salary for doctors who practice internal medicine is $183,990.
Pediatricians
Pediatricians treat a particularly important demographic: children. Their patients include infants,toddlers, teenagers, and young adults in need of treatment for specific conditions that affect their age group such as improper bone growth and vitamin deficiencies. This type of doctor also records the child's development over a period of several years, provides immunizations and treats infectious diseases. Specialties within pediatric medicine also exist. The average annual salary for a pediatrician is $161,410.
Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists specialize in providing mental health-care services to patients suffering from conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. These physicians use a combination of discussion and medication to treat their patients. Some psychiatrists choose to specialize in certain areas such as drug counseling, child and adolescent therapy and occupational psychiatry to assist employees in workplace settings. Psychiatrists earn an average of $163,660 annually.
Surgeons
Surgeons perform operations on patients in order to correct deformities or prevent disabling disorders and diseases from worsening, such as in the case of the removal of a tumor to stop the spread of cancer. Surgeons use specialized tools to repair damaged bones, tissues and organs during operations that may take hours to be completed. Many surgeons specialize in a particular field of surgery including orthopedic surgery, neurological brain and nervous system surgery and plastic (reconstructive) surgery. Surgeons earn an average annual salary of $219,770.
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