Medical physician jobs are divided into two types: 1) Medical Doctor (M.D.) or allopathic physicians and 2) Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Both M.D.'s and D.O.'s use all accepted treatment methods, including surgery and drugs, but D.O.'s give special emphasis on the musculoskeletal system of the body, holistic patient care and preventative medicine. D.O.'s are mostly specialists in primary care, although they are found in all hospital job positions. Around half of D.O.'s are in family or general medicine, general internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general pediatrics, surgery and psychiatry.
As of 2008, there were a total of around 662,000 physicians in the United States, of which about 12 percent were self-employed. 53 percent of employed physicians worked in physicians' offices and doctors' hospital employment was 19 percent. Others were employed by Federal, State or local governments, outpatient care centers or educational services. Most medical physician jobs demand long and irregular working hours.
As of 2011, the top 5 medical physician jobs are in:
- Internal medicine - More than 20 percent of physicians today have this specialization. They diagnose and provide non-surgical treatment for problems affecting the internal organs, including the stomach, digestive tract, kidneys and liver. They use various diagnostic tests to find out the condition of the patient in order to give them the appropriate medical procedure or treatment. They usually act as primary care specialists. They can also treat patients referred by physicians from other specializations and, in turn, refer their patients to other specialists if they think the patient requires more complex procedures such as surgery
- General practitioners / Family medicine - Around 13 percent of physicians are in this category. General practitioners are usually whom people first go to when they need medical attention, often in the position of a traditional family doctor. They also diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments, from respiratory tract infections to broken bones. Family physicians rely on a base of long term and regular patients.
- General pediatricians comprise around 10 percent of all physicians. They specialize in the treatment of all children including teenagers and young adults. They diagnose and treat various ailments specific to young patients and keep medical records of patients as they grow to adulthood. Pediatricians work with physicians in other specializations and other healthcare workers to diagnose and treat various ailments, mostly common day to day illness like infectious disease such as flu, colds and cough common to young people. They also deal with minor injuries and immunization. Some pediatricians specialize in pediatric surgery or other serious medical conditions afflicting young people, such as autoimmune disorders and serious chronic ailments.
- Obstetrics and gynecology - Around 6 percent of physicians have this as their specialization. They specialize in women's health and are responsible for women's general medical care including care related to pregnancy and the reproductive system. They attempt to prevent, diagnose and treat health problems specific to female anatomy, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, urinary tract infections, hormonal disorders, to name a few. They also specialize in childbirth, including counseling and treating female patients throughout their pregnancy, from prenatal diagnosis to delivery and postpartum care.
- Anesthesiology - Around 5 percent of physicians chose this specialization. They focus on caring for surgical patients to relieve their pain. They also evaluate and treat patients, like other physicians. They continually monitor patients' vital signs like blood pressure, body temperature, breathing and heart rate during surgical operations. They also provide pain relief outside the operating room, such as in the intensive care unit (ICU), the delivery room and also for those suffering chronic pain. They confer with surgeons and other physicians on the appropriate treatment before, during and after surgical procedures.
