What Is a Physician
What Is a Physician
The term doctor refers to anyone with a medical degree who is responsible for maintaining, promoting, and restoring health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries and diseases.
There are six core skills that physicians must possess:
1.Patient care. A physician’s role is to promote patient health and treat health problems by providing compassionate, appropriate, and effective care.
2.Medical knowledge. To provide the best possible care for patients, physicians must be experts in traditional and emerging biomedical, clinical, and cognate sciences.
3.Practice-based learning and improvement. It is the responsibility of physicians to constantly examine and evaluate their own care and find ways to improve it.
4.Interpersonal and communication skills. Patients, their families, and other health professionals must be able to communicate effectively with physicians.
5.Professionalism. In order to be a professional, one must adhere to ethical principles, perform professional responsibilities, and be sensitive to the needs of a diverse patient population.
6.Systems-based practice. It is essential for physicians to understand and be responsive to the broader context and system of health care. They must also be able to find and utilize resources effectively.
What Does a Physician Do?
A physician diagnoses and treats injuries and illnesses. Other responsibilities include:
- Giving advice on diet, hygiene, and preventative care
- Examining patients
- Prescribing medications
- Ordering, giving, and interpreting diagnostic tests
- Taking and keeping medical histories
Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DO) and medical doctors (MD) are generally two types of physicians. While DOs use the same treatment methods as MDs, they also emphasize prevention, preventative medicine, and holistic care of their patients.
Physicians can be classified into the following types:
- Anesthesiologists
- Family and general physicians
- Internists
- Pediatricians
- Obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYNs)
- Psychiatrists
- Surgeons
Education and Training
Doctors study and work as interns or residents for several years before becoming certified. This process can take between seven and fifteen years, depending on the type of physician. Physicians go through the following stages:
Deciding where to focus
Based on personal interests, clinical experience, and other factors, students select a field of medicine to practice during their last year in medical school.
Reasons to See a Physician
Family doctors are the most common type of physician. They’re trained to treat a variety of conditions and coordinate care in one location. They handle a variety of issues, including:
- Issues related to the circulation, such as hypertension and high blood pressure
- Disorders of the immune system, metabolic diseases, and diabetes
- Ear infections
- Migraines
- Pink eye
- Diseases caused by parasites and infections
- Muscle aches or joint disorders
- Anxiety, depression, and attention deficit disorder (ADD)
- Injuries or poisonings
- Issues associated with the respiratory system, such as asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis
- Rashes or bumps on the skin
- Infections of the bladder or urinary tract