Career: General Practitioners
Have you ever wondered how general practitioners (GPs) know so much? How they are able to recognize health problems as different as strep throat, pulled muscles, allergic reactions, ulcers, and
asthma -- sometimes all before lunch?
GPs are trained to both see the big picture and zoom in on the problem’s cause. And if they can’t fix the problem, it’s their job to refer the patient to a specialist who can.
General practitioners, also known as family doctors, are often a patient's main doctor. They perform yearly checkups, treat a variety of conditions, and refer patients to specialists.
Did You Know?
- HMOs (health maintenance organizations) often require members to see a GP or internist before seeing other types of doctors.
Are You Ready To...?
- Spend years studying and training, and a lifetime keeping up with advances in medicine
- Help patients maintain their health and prevent illness
- Spot and treat a wide range of health problems
- Give some patients bad news
- Balance heavy workloads with your personal life
It Helps to Be...
A self-motivated, compassionate decision maker and a crack investigator. Curiosity and conviction are often what keep GPs going -- that and the constant process of learning from and helping their patients.
Make High School Count
- Take plenty of challenging math and science classes, including AP® courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus.
- Enhance your communication skills through English composition, speech, and drama classes.
- Sign up for psychology to learn about human nature and explore the mind-body connection.
- Volunteer at a health clinic, a hospital, a women’s clinic, or an eldercare facility.
- Explore summer study programs like the University of Massachusetts’ High School Health Careers Program or the Health Careers Opportunity Program at the University of Montana.
Did You Know?
- In 2002, almost one in three doctors worked sixty or more hours a week.
Outlook
Government economists expect jobs for doctors, including GPs, to grow faster than the average for all careers through 2016. A growing and aging population means that more people will need more medical services.
However, changes in health care coverage and advances in technology could potentially limit some demand for doctors. Rural and low-income areas will have the most opportunities because of less competition for jobs in these locations.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that family and general practitioners earned an average yearly income of $153,640 in 2007.
