Urgent care workers have a variety of responsibilities.
Urgent care refers to centers that provide extended hour walk-in access for patients with acute illnesses, injuries or other medical emergencies serious enough to warrant immediate care beyond the scope of a primary care clinic but not serious enough to require a trip to an emergency room. There are more than 8,500 urgent care centers currently open in the United States, and just like any clinic or hospital they are operated and staffed by doctors and physicians.
Important Characteristics and Traits of an Urgent Care Physician
As with any profession, people considering becoming an urgent care physician should ask themselves whether it is truly the job for them. Even though a physician employed at an urgent care facility won't be expected to work late hours and treat life-threatening injuries and illnesses, the job itself can still be stressful. Urgent care physicians are required to diagnose and treat medical problems quickly, much like any medical professional trained in emergency medicine. Empathy toward patients and bedside manner are always important traits for anyone in the medical profession, and an urgent care physician must by nature work quickly with a patient while still providing the level of care and kindness expected of a health-care professional.
The Duties of an Urgent Care Physician
The job duties of an urgent care physician are much like those of a physician working in an emergency room although the medical emergencies treated in urgent care are considerably less serious than those treated in an emergency room. Some of the more common ailments treated by urgent care physicians include fevers, upper respiratory infections, sprains, lacerations and acute back pain. Many centers are equipped to treat fractures, provide IV fluids and have X-ray labs onsite.
Urgent Care vs. Emergency Room Care
Urgent care centers are not freestanding emergency departments, and staff is not equipped to treat life-threatening injuries or assist in labor and childbirth. Despite the differences, there are still many skills that translate between the two jobs. Urgent care physicians are trained in emergency medicine, but any scenarios like the ones described above require a trip to an emergency room. Urgent care centers also do not operate 24 hours a day like a hospital does. They usually open between 7 and 9 a.m. and close between 8 and 10 p.m. Treatment from an urgent care physician is also not a replacement for a visit to a primary care physician.
Training of an Urgent Care Physician
As with any medical specialization, urgent care physicians must undergo their own specialized training before they can operate or work in an urgent care clinic. First of all, a physician must earn his doctorate before specializing in urgent care or any area of medicine. There are programs such as the Urgent Care Fellowship at the University of Illinois that provide training to medical professionals interested in working in urgent care. These programs typically last about one year and include training in a number of medical specializations, such as dermatology, emergency medicine and radiology. Management skills are also important since most urgent care centers are owned and operated by physicians.
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