Medical doctors and physicians are highly appreciated both in the United States of America and outside the country. Becoming a medical training takes a lot of hard work, as in addition to completing college, these professionals must also go to the med school and complete a residency period. All these professionals must be licensed and they must undergo continuing education in order to keep their license and/or certification valid. No matter if you choose to specialize in paediatrics, obstetrics, internal medicine or family practice, it is important to know that the median yearly wage of a medical doctor in the USA can vary anywhere between $135,000 and as much as $420,000 a year, depending on your subspecialty and your geographical location.
Pay Scale In Different Parts Of The United States of America
As mentioned above, the area of expertise of medical doctors is the main factor that influences their median yearly wage. That, and the state where they are licensed to work. One of the most generous states when it comes to medical doctor salary is Minnesota, where these professionals tend to have a starting yearly salary of around $220,000, followed by Indiana with around $212,000, Georgia with $210,000, and the states of South Dakota, Alabama, New Hampshire and Nevada which pay these professionals well-over $200,000 a year.
Medical Doctor Job Description
Medical doctors can specialize in many different fields, but generally speaking it is their duty and responsibility to diagnose patient conditions with the help of various tests and examinations. After putting a diagnosis, the medical doctor must devise a tailored treatment plan for each patient, to prescribe the necessary medications or therapies and then to closely monitor the evolution of these professionals.
Nowadays, medical doctors can be found in a variety of different settings, from private clinics and state hospitals to private practices. Commonly referred to as allopathic physician, the medical doctors usually work closely with MD assistants who specialize in different medical areas, be it psychology, internal medicine, cardiology or anesthesiology.
How To Become A Medical Doctor?
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If you have decided to become a medical doctor, it is important to understand that not only does this require several years of thorough study, but also a demanding residency and internship where you will gain all the hands-on experience that is vital for your future career as a medical doctor. Sometimes it takes up to 15 years from the moment you graduate from high school and until you are fully licensed and allowed to practice as a medical doctor. However, all the stress and hard work will eventually pay off, given the very high salary that medical doctors tend to earn in the United States of America, and not only.
The steps you need to follow are the same for every future medical professional: you must firstly enroll in a four-year training program that will result in a Bachelor’s Degree. Only after that you need to take and pass the Medical College Admissions Test that will get you into the med school. The med school training will take four more years, and it is extremely important to enroll in an accredited training program. At the end of the training, you will get either an Allopathic Medical Degree or a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine.
At the end of the med school, you will need to research and enroll in an accredited medical residency training program that can take three to five extra years of training. Then you need to pursue the fellowship training which can take 36 more months, depending on the medical specialty in which you choose to work. Some of the specialties, such as gastroenterology or cardiology, require more training than others. The final step is getting licensed by the state where you wish to work.
Certification
Certification is very important for medical doctors these days, and getting certified requires you to pass a rigorous test and peer evaluation. The certification is then provided by the ABMS member board, and you need to renew it after six or ten years.
Medical Doctor Salary In Canada, Australia And UK
In Canada, the median yearly wage for a medical doctor is of around CAD$118,000, in the UK it typically ranges between 40,000 and 70,000 pounds while in Australia it varies anywhere between Au$150,000 and as much as Au$350,000.
Verdict On Medical Doctor Salary
To conclude, the salary of a medical doctor depends a lot on the chosen specialty, but it tends to be more than rewarding for most of the medical professionals.
