You Want To Be A Doctor, But Do You Know Which Type?
General Practitioner
When people think of a doctor, they’re usually thinking of a general practitioner. A general practitioner is a doctor that is usually the first port of call for patients. If you think that there is something wrong, you go to see them and they will examine you and then refer you to a specialist if needs be. If you are a GP, you will see a lot of the same patients on a regular basis, and you may deal with members of the same family. Building good relationships with your patients is a big part of the job, so if you’re a people person, this is the ideal career choice for you. There are also a lot of roles available because most people will visit a GP on a regular basis, so they are in demand. However, to be an effective GP, you need a broad knowledge of a lot of different areas of medicine so you can diagnose all problems and refer people to the right specialists. That’s why a lot of doctors work in a few different areas before becoming a GP later on in their career. That experience will serve you well, so this may not be the best choice for your first job in the medical field and it may be better to specialize first.
Pediatrician
A pediatrician is like a GP but they only deal with children (some will see patients until the age of 21). They are the first port of call when a child is sick and they also deal with things like administering vaccines and giving general health checkups for babies. Just like a GP, you will need a good broad knowledge of different health issues, however, it is a bit more limited because you are only dealing with children. There are a lot of potential jobs out there for a good pediatrician, so if you like children, this is a good area to specialize in.
Endocrinologist
An endocrinologist is a doctor that specializes in glands and hormones, and the diseases related to them. They often deal with patients that have diabetes but they can also help with reproductive issues that are caused by hormone imbalance. Some endocrinologists specialize further and deal with one certain area of the body. For example, you may see a specific fertility doctor if you are having trouble conceiving. If you look at endocrinology job listings, you’ll find that they tend to pay a bit higher than GP positions because it is a more specialized area. This is especially true if you are working with fertility treatments.
Surgeon
Being a doctor is always a high pressure job because you are dealing with people’s lives, but no job is more stressful than being a surgeon. When you are a surgeon, you cannot afford to make any mistakes and every tiny error is judged harshly. This is particularly true for female surgeons and it’s one of the barriers that women face when trying to become a doctor. There is also a larger emotional toll to bear if you are a surgeon because sometimes, you are going to lose patients. That’s something that all doctors have to deal with, but it can be a lot more difficult for a surgeon because you are operating directly on them and it’s difficult to separate yourself from that when you come away from work. All of these difficulties are reflected in the salary of a surgeon and you will earn a lot more than any of the other types of doctor that are listed here, but you have to be able to deal with the negative aspects of the job. If you specialize in a specific area of surgery, your earnings will increase even more.
There are a lot of different things to consider when deciding what kind of doctor you want to be, but hopefully, this list has given you some things to think about.