Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Health Trade Show Alert
resource center
Listings by Business Type (M-N)
Medical Supplies Store: Trade Shows and Conventions
California Association of Hospitals and Health Care Systems Annual Convention and Exhibits
1201 K St., Ste. 800
Sacramento, CA 95812-1100 USA
(916)443-7401 Fax: (916)552-7596
Annual. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Oct.
National Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers Convention
625 Slaters Ln., Ste. 200
Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
(703)836-6263 Fax: (703)836-6730
Annual. AUDIENCE: Trade. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Home medical equipment. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1998 May.
North Carolina Medical Society Annual Meeting
222 N. Person St. / PO Box 27167
Raleigh, NC 27611 USA
(919)833-3836 Fax: (919)833-2023
Annual. AUDIENCE: Physicians. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment, supplies, and services. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Nov.
Southern Medical Association Annual Scientific Assembly
35 Lakeshore Dr. / PO Box 190088
Birmingham, AL 35219-0088 USA
(205)945-1840 Toll-Free: 800-423-4992 Fax: (205)942-0642
Annual. AUDIENCE: Doctors, students, residents, and related professionals. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment and pharmaceutical products. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Nov 05-09; Charlotte, NC * 1998 Nov 18-22; New Orleans, LA * 1999 Nov 10-14; Dallas, TX.
Wyoming Medical Society Annual Meeting
PO Drawer 4009
Cheyenne, WY 82003 USA
(307)635-2424 Fax: (307)632-1973
Annual. AUDIENCE: Physicians. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment, supplies, and services, including drugs, insurance information, and business information. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1998 Jun 11-13; Moran, WY * 1999 Jun 17-19; Moran, WY * 2000 Jun 08-10; Moran, WY.
Listings by Business Type (M-N)
Medical Supplies Store: Trade Shows and Conventions
California Association of Hospitals and Health Care Systems Annual Convention and Exhibits
1201 K St., Ste. 800
Sacramento, CA 95812-1100 USA
(916)443-7401 Fax: (916)552-7596
Annual. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Oct.
National Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers Convention
625 Slaters Ln., Ste. 200
Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
(703)836-6263 Fax: (703)836-6730
Annual. AUDIENCE: Trade. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Home medical equipment. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1998 May.
North Carolina Medical Society Annual Meeting
222 N. Person St. / PO Box 27167
Raleigh, NC 27611 USA
(919)833-3836 Fax: (919)833-2023
Annual. AUDIENCE: Physicians. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment, supplies, and services. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Nov.
Southern Medical Association Annual Scientific Assembly
35 Lakeshore Dr. / PO Box 190088
Birmingham, AL 35219-0088 USA
(205)945-1840 Toll-Free: 800-423-4992 Fax: (205)942-0642
Annual. AUDIENCE: Doctors, students, residents, and related professionals. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment and pharmaceutical products. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1997 Nov 05-09; Charlotte, NC * 1998 Nov 18-22; New Orleans, LA * 1999 Nov 10-14; Dallas, TX.
Wyoming Medical Society Annual Meeting
PO Drawer 4009
Cheyenne, WY 82003 USA
(307)635-2424 Fax: (307)632-1973
Annual. AUDIENCE: Physicians. PRINCIPAL EXHIBITS: Medical equipment, supplies, and services, including drugs, insurance information, and business information. DATES AND LOCATIONS: 1998 Jun 11-13; Moran, WY * 1999 Jun 17-19; Moran, WY * 2000 Jun 08-10; Moran, WY.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Today's Top 10 Jobs in Healthcare - AOL Find a Job
Today's Top 10 Jobs in Healthcare - AOL Find a Job
Today's Top 10 Jobs in Healthcare
Love the idea of working in healthcare, but can't stand either the sight of blood or several more years of school? The good news is jobs in the healthcare industry are wide-ranging and cater to a variety of professional levels and skill sets. Better yet, these jobs are also growing at a rapid pace.
Wherever your particular interests lie, from analysis to administration, chances are there's a healthcare job for you.
1. Physician Assistants
What they do: Provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive healthcare services as delegated by a physician.
What they need: Accredited educational programs usually last two years and are full-time. Once they complete one of these programs, physician assistants will need to take a national exam to obtain a license.
What they earn: $63,675/year* With benefits and bonuses: $75,861
What they do: Provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive healthcare services as delegated by a physician.
What they need: Accredited educational programs usually last two years and are full-time. Once they complete one of these programs, physician assistants will need to take a national exam to obtain a license.
What they earn: $63,675/year* With benefits and bonuses: $75,861
2. Medical Records Technicians
What they do: Maintain and evaluate the accuracy of patients' medical records, including exam results, X-ray reports, lab tests and past diagnoses.
What they need: Most often, an associate's degree from a community or junior college, with coursework in science and medicine.
What they earn: $31,837/year With benefits and bonuses: $36,575
What they do: Maintain and evaluate the accuracy of patients' medical records, including exam results, X-ray reports, lab tests and past diagnoses.
What they need: Most often, an associate's degree from a community or junior college, with coursework in science and medicine.
What they earn: $31,837/year With benefits and bonuses: $36,575
3. Social Workers
What they do: Help people and families who face life-threatening diseases, domestic troubles or social problems function the best way they can in their environments, deal with relationships and solve personal and family problems.
What they need: Although a bachelor's degree in social work is sufficient for entry into the field, a master's degree in social work is becoming the standard and is typically required for positions in health settings and clinical work.
What they earn: $52,119/year With benefits and bonuses: $59,554
What they do: Help people and families who face life-threatening diseases, domestic troubles or social problems function the best way they can in their environments, deal with relationships and solve personal and family problems.
What they need: Although a bachelor's degree in social work is sufficient for entry into the field, a master's degree in social work is becoming the standard and is typically required for positions in health settings and clinical work.
What they earn: $52,119/year With benefits and bonuses: $59,554
4. Clinical Laboratory Technicians
What they do: Perform tests that result in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. They analyze the results and relay them to physicians.
What they need: The usual requirement for an entry-level position is a bachelor's degree in medical technology or one of the life sciences; however, a combination of education, on-the-job experience and specialized training may suffice.
What they earn: $27,861/year With benefits and bonuses: $32,070
What they do: Perform tests that result in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. They analyze the results and relay them to physicians.
What they need: The usual requirement for an entry-level position is a bachelor's degree in medical technology or one of the life sciences; however, a combination of education, on-the-job experience and specialized training may suffice.
What they earn: $27,861/year With benefits and bonuses: $32,070
5. Mental Health Counselor
What they do: Work with individuals, families and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and promote optimum mental health, using a variety of therapeutic techniques.
What they need: A master's degree is typically required to be licensed as a counselor, which may entail 48 to 60 hours of graduate study.
What they earn: $40,338/year With benefits and bonuses: $46,206
What they do: Work with individuals, families and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders and promote optimum mental health, using a variety of therapeutic techniques.
What they need: A master's degree is typically required to be licensed as a counselor, which may entail 48 to 60 hours of graduate study.
What they earn: $40,338/year With benefits and bonuses: $46,206
6. Medical Scientists
What they do: Research human diseases to provide the information necessary to develop solutions to human health problems, such as vaccines and medicines. They may also perform clinical investigations, technical writing, drug application reviews and patent examinations.
What they need: A doctorate in a biological science is the minimum education required for most prospective medical scientists. Medical scientists who perform invasive procedures on patients must obtain licensure by graduating from an accredited medical school, passing a licensing exam and completing up to seven years of graduate education.
What they earn: $88,281/year With benefits and bonuses: $103,638
What they do: Research human diseases to provide the information necessary to develop solutions to human health problems, such as vaccines and medicines. They may also perform clinical investigations, technical writing, drug application reviews and patent examinations.
What they need: A doctorate in a biological science is the minimum education required for most prospective medical scientists. Medical scientists who perform invasive procedures on patients must obtain licensure by graduating from an accredited medical school, passing a licensing exam and completing up to seven years of graduate education.
What they earn: $88,281/year With benefits and bonuses: $103,638
7. PharmacistsWhat they do: Distribute drugs prescribed by health practitioners, inform patients about medications and their use and advise health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions and side effects of medications. What they need: A degree from an accredited college of pharmacy and successful completion of the state-required licensing exam. What they earn: $81,439/year With benefits and bonuses: $102,792
8. Physical Therapists
What they do: Provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries and physical ailments.
What they need: A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited physical therapist educational program, as well as a state-required license.
What they earn: $53,410/year With benefits and bonuses: $67,229
What they do: Provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries and physical ailments.
What they need: A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited physical therapist educational program, as well as a state-required license.
What they earn: $53,410/year With benefits and bonuses: $67,229
9. Medical transcriptionists
What they do: Transcribe dictated recordings made by healthcare professionals into medical reports, correspondence and other administrative material that eventually become part of patients' permanent files.
What they need: Postsecondary training in medical transcription from a vocational school, community college or distance-learning programs is often preferred by employers. Certificate programs often last a year and associate's degrees last two.
What they earn: $27,602/year With benefits and bonuses: $31,776
What they do: Transcribe dictated recordings made by healthcare professionals into medical reports, correspondence and other administrative material that eventually become part of patients' permanent files.
What they need: Postsecondary training in medical transcription from a vocational school, community college or distance-learning programs is often preferred by employers. Certificate programs often last a year and associate's degrees last two.
What they earn: $27,602/year With benefits and bonuses: $31,776
10. Medical and Health Service Managers
What they do: Plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the delivery of healthcare.
What they need: A master's degree in health sciences or administration (health services, long-term care, public or business) is the standard; however, a bachelor's degree is adequate for some entry-level positions.
What they earn: $55,380/year With benefits and bonuses: $68,860
What they do: Plan, direct, coordinate and supervise the delivery of healthcare.
What they need: A master's degree in health sciences or administration (health services, long-term care, public or business) is the standard; however, a bachelor's degree is adequate for some entry-level positions.
What they earn: $55,380/year With benefits and bonuses: $68,860
*Salary information from CBsalary.com
Copyright 2007 CareerBuilder.com.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction, Doctors: Specialties and Training, Medicine, Medical Specialties Medical Reference Medical Encyclopedia Information
Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction, Doctors: Specialties and Training, Medicine, Medical Specialties Medical Reference Medical Encyclopedia Information
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Medicine > Medical Specialties > Doctors: Specialties and Training
Medical Encyclopedia Info on Doctors: Specialties and Training
Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction
Becoming a fully trained physician is a long and arduous task. It usually begins with the completion of 4 years of college followed by 4 years of medical school. This is followed by residency and sometimes fellowship training in a particular specialty (and sometimes a subspecialty) that may last as long as 10 years. Once the initial training is completed, a doctor continues the task of lifelong learning to maintain the skills necessary to practice medicine.
Although the training to become a physician is long and demanding, the reward of being able to help people and have an intellectually stimulating career is something that most physicians feel is more than worth the effort.
Medical School Training
Most medical schools require a minimum of 3-4 years of college to apply. Most require college graduation, although a few programs combine college or graduate school and medical school. In the United States, medical school lasts 4 years and includes 2 years of basic science courses such as the following:
Anatomy
Neuroanatomy
Histology
Embryology
Behavioral Sciences
Genetics
Physiology (Neurophysiology)
Biochemistry
Microbiology
Pharmacology
Pathology
This is followed by 2 years of clinical sciences in which the medical student sees and treats patients under the close supervision of fully trained physicians. During these 2 years, the medical students usually spend 1 year of 2-month-long rotations in specialties such as the following:
Pediatrics
Internal Medicine
General Surgery
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Psychiatry
Family Practice
Emergency Medicine
A year of elective choices follows in any of about 50 specialties and subspecialties such as the following:
Orthopedic Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Ophthalmology
Neurosurgery
Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Cardiology
Nephrology
Neonatology
Pulmonology
Endocrinology
In the United States, medical students are required to pass national board exams that assure they have a firm grasp of basic and clinical sciences. When students have graduated from medical school and received their medical degree, and passed these tests, they advance to residency training. The first postgraduate year of residency is often referred to as internship.
There are 2 types of medical schools in the United States: allopathic and osteopathic. Students from both medical training programs must pass the same national board exam and may choose to pursue careers in any medical specialty or subspecialty. In the US, both types of graduates are equally qualified to practice medicine.
Allopathic students receive a medical doctorate (MD).
Osteopathic students receive the equivalent medical degree, a doctorate in osteopathic medicine (DO). Medical schools that train doctors of osteopathic medicine tend to place a greater emphasis on training physicians to be family physicians, although any specialty residency (such as those listed above) can be entered after graduation. Their education is the same as allopathic (MD) school, but in addition it includes courses in musculoskeletal manipulation and nutrition, with emphasis on the whole person.
Residency Training
Near the end of medical school, each medical student selects a specialty for residency training. There are currently 24 medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Medical specialties include the following:
Allergy & Immunology
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Family Practice
General Surgery
Internal Medicine
Medical Genetics
Neurological Surgery
Nuclear Medicine
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat or ENT)
Pathology
Pediatrics
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Plastic Surgery
Preventive Medicine
Psychiatry & Neurology
Radiology
General Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Urology
After graduation from medical school, these individuals have earned the right to be called doctor, but they are a long way from completing the skills necessary to safely practice medicine.
Fully trained physicians must now supervise them for a period of 3-5 years. The majority of the training occurs in teaching hospitals and hospital-affiliated clinics. Specialty training is a long and difficult process. These young physicians regularly work more than 100 hours a week for a very modest salary. Every third or fourth day, they work all night and may continue to work throughout the following day. These long 36-hour workdays, though difficult on the mind and body, are felt to be necessary in many training programs so the physicians get to see the full spectrum of a patient’s care, from arrival in the emergency department, through admission, and into the first 36 hours of care when the most difficult decisions are made.
At the completion of residency training, physicians are considered to be specialists and are board eligible. Most graduates elect to take these difficult additional written and oral board exams, often with pass rates as low as 50%, that certify their knowledge base and skills. Physicians who pass these exams are allowed to state that they are a board certified practitioner in their chosen specialty.
Fellowship Training
After completing a 3-5 year residency, about 30% of the fully trained physicians elect to pursue additional training to become subspecialists.
Subspecialty training may last an additional 1-4 years. Usually the focus of subspecialty training is fairly narrow and allows the physician to obtain knowledge and skills needed to perform additional procedures or focus on treating patients with a particular type of problem. Most subspecialties have additional board exams at the end of their training qualifying the physician to be a board certified subspecialist.
The most common specialties and subspecialties, as well as the years of training required, are listed here. In some cases, more than one specialty training may qualify a physician for fellowship training.
Dermatology - 4 years
Dermatopathology - 1-2 years
Emergency Medicine - 3-4 years
Pediatric Emergency Medicine - 2 years
Sports Medicine - 1-2 years
Toxicology - 2 years
Family Practice - 3 years
Geriatrics - 2 years
Neurology - 4 years
Electromyography (EMG) - 1-2 years
Neuromuscular Diseases - 1-2 years
Electroencephalography (EEG) - 1-2 years
Epilepsy - 1-2 years
Behavioral Neurology/Dementia - 1-2 years
Cerebrovascular Diseases/Stroke - 1-2 years
Movement Disorders - 1-2 years
Neuroimmunology - 1-2 years
Neuro-Oncology - 1-2 years
Pain - 1-2 years
Headache - 1-2 years
Neuro-Ophthalmology - 1 year
Critical Care Neurology - 1 year
Neuroimaging - 1 year
Sleep - 1 year
Ophthalmology - 4 years
Neuro-ophthalmology - 2 years
Retina - 2 years
Glaucoma - 2 years
Oculoplastics - 1 year
Plastic Surgery - 5-6 years
Hand Surgery - 2 years
Internal Medicine - 3 years
Allergy & Immunology - 2 years
Cardiology - 3 years
Critical Care - 2-3 years
Endocrinology - 2 years
Gastroenterology - 3 years
Geriatrics -2 years
Hematology and Oncology - 2-3 years
Infectious Diseases - 2 years
Nephrology - 2 years
Pulmonology - 2-3 years
Rheumatology - 2 years
Obstetrics/Gynecology - 4 years
Infertility
General Surgery - 5-6 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Pediatric Surgery - 2 years
Thoracic Surgery - 2-3 years
Transplant Surgery - 2-3 years
Trauma - 2 years
Vascular Surgery - 2 years
Colon and Rectal Surgery - 2 years
Urology - 5 years
Pediatric Urology - 1-2 years
Psychiatry - 4 years
Child Psychiatry - 3 years
Forensic Psychiatry - 2-3 years
Neurosurgery - 6 years
Pediatric Neurosurgery - 1-2 years
Physical Medicine - 3 years
Pediatric Physical Medicine - 2 years
Radiology - 4 years
CT - 1 year
MRI - 1-2 years
Ultrasound - 1 year
Interventional - 1-2 years
Neuroradiology - 1-2 years
Breast - 1 year
Chest - 1 year
Musculoskeletal - 1 year
Pediatric - 1-2 years
Nuclear Medicine - 1-2 years
Orthopedic Surgery - 5 years
Hand - 2 years
Spine - 2 years
Hip - 2 years
Foot and Ankle - 2 years
Anesthesiology - 4 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Pediatric Anesthesiology - 2 years
Pathology - 5 years
Forensics Pathology - 2 years
Aerospace Medicine - 2 years
Pediatrics - 3 years
Allergy and Immunology - 2 years
Behavioral and Developmental - 2 years
Cardiology - 2 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Endocrinology - 2 years
Gastroenterology - 2 years
Genetics - 2 years
Hematology and Oncology - 2 years
Infectious Diseases - 2 years
Neonatology - 2 years
Nephrology - 2 years
Pulmonology - 2 years
Rheumatology - 2 years
Continuing Medical Education
Most states require a minimum of 25-50 hours of continuing medical education credits each year. In addition, most physicians regularly read 2-3 medical journals each month and attend hospital Grand Rounds lectures and other training and certification courses for new procedures, therapies, and regulations.
Specialty Board Certification
To be certain you and your family and loved ones receive the best medical care available, you may want to check to see if your doctor is board certified in his or her specialty. To do this, you may contact any of these groups:
At the American Board of Medical Specialties you can check on your doctor's credentials or you can call the ABMS at (866) ASK-ABMS.
Contact the American Osteopathic Board of Medical Examiners at (800) 621-1773.
Contact your state's medical licensing board.
Call the American Medical Association at (800) 621-8335.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is an organization of 24 approved medical specialty boards. The ABMS serves to coordinate the activities of its Member Boards and to provide information to the public, the government, the profession, and its members concerning issues involving specialization and certification of medical specialists.
For More Information
American Board of Medical Specialties1007 Church St, Suite 404Evanston, IL 60201-5913Phone Verification (866) ASK-ABMS
Synonyms and Keywords
doctors: specialties and training, medical school, internship, residency training, fellowship training, doctor, physician, becoming a physician, becoming a doctor, medical doctorate, MD, allopathic, osteopathic, doctorate in osteopathic medicine, DO, allopathic school, osteopathic school, medical specialty, AmericanBoard of Medical Specialties, ABMS, medical education credits
References
1. American Board of Medical Specialties. What is the ABMS?. What is the ABMS?.
2. Plantz SH, Lorenzo NY, Cole JA. Getting Into Medical School Today. 4th ed. Arco; 1998.
Authors and Editors
Author: Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM, Research Director, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.Editors: Joseph A Salomone III, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Truman Medical Center, University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine; Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine; James S Cohen, MD, Consulting Staff, James Cohen, PC.
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Medicine > Medical Specialties > Doctors: Specialties and Training
Medical Encyclopedia Info on Doctors: Specialties and Training
Doctors: Specialties and Training - Introduction
Becoming a fully trained physician is a long and arduous task. It usually begins with the completion of 4 years of college followed by 4 years of medical school. This is followed by residency and sometimes fellowship training in a particular specialty (and sometimes a subspecialty) that may last as long as 10 years. Once the initial training is completed, a doctor continues the task of lifelong learning to maintain the skills necessary to practice medicine.
Although the training to become a physician is long and demanding, the reward of being able to help people and have an intellectually stimulating career is something that most physicians feel is more than worth the effort.
Medical School Training
Most medical schools require a minimum of 3-4 years of college to apply. Most require college graduation, although a few programs combine college or graduate school and medical school. In the United States, medical school lasts 4 years and includes 2 years of basic science courses such as the following:
Anatomy
Neuroanatomy
Histology
Embryology
Behavioral Sciences
Genetics
Physiology (Neurophysiology)
Biochemistry
Microbiology
Pharmacology
Pathology
This is followed by 2 years of clinical sciences in which the medical student sees and treats patients under the close supervision of fully trained physicians. During these 2 years, the medical students usually spend 1 year of 2-month-long rotations in specialties such as the following:
Pediatrics
Internal Medicine
General Surgery
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Psychiatry
Family Practice
Emergency Medicine
A year of elective choices follows in any of about 50 specialties and subspecialties such as the following:
Orthopedic Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Ophthalmology
Neurosurgery
Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Cardiology
Nephrology
Neonatology
Pulmonology
Endocrinology
In the United States, medical students are required to pass national board exams that assure they have a firm grasp of basic and clinical sciences. When students have graduated from medical school and received their medical degree, and passed these tests, they advance to residency training. The first postgraduate year of residency is often referred to as internship.
There are 2 types of medical schools in the United States: allopathic and osteopathic. Students from both medical training programs must pass the same national board exam and may choose to pursue careers in any medical specialty or subspecialty. In the US, both types of graduates are equally qualified to practice medicine.
Allopathic students receive a medical doctorate (MD).
Osteopathic students receive the equivalent medical degree, a doctorate in osteopathic medicine (DO). Medical schools that train doctors of osteopathic medicine tend to place a greater emphasis on training physicians to be family physicians, although any specialty residency (such as those listed above) can be entered after graduation. Their education is the same as allopathic (MD) school, but in addition it includes courses in musculoskeletal manipulation and nutrition, with emphasis on the whole person.
Residency Training
Near the end of medical school, each medical student selects a specialty for residency training. There are currently 24 medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Medical specialties include the following:
Allergy & Immunology
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Family Practice
General Surgery
Internal Medicine
Medical Genetics
Neurological Surgery
Nuclear Medicine
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ophthalmology
Orthopaedic Surgery
Otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat or ENT)
Pathology
Pediatrics
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Plastic Surgery
Preventive Medicine
Psychiatry & Neurology
Radiology
General Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Urology
After graduation from medical school, these individuals have earned the right to be called doctor, but they are a long way from completing the skills necessary to safely practice medicine.
Fully trained physicians must now supervise them for a period of 3-5 years. The majority of the training occurs in teaching hospitals and hospital-affiliated clinics. Specialty training is a long and difficult process. These young physicians regularly work more than 100 hours a week for a very modest salary. Every third or fourth day, they work all night and may continue to work throughout the following day. These long 36-hour workdays, though difficult on the mind and body, are felt to be necessary in many training programs so the physicians get to see the full spectrum of a patient’s care, from arrival in the emergency department, through admission, and into the first 36 hours of care when the most difficult decisions are made.
At the completion of residency training, physicians are considered to be specialists and are board eligible. Most graduates elect to take these difficult additional written and oral board exams, often with pass rates as low as 50%, that certify their knowledge base and skills. Physicians who pass these exams are allowed to state that they are a board certified practitioner in their chosen specialty.
Fellowship Training
After completing a 3-5 year residency, about 30% of the fully trained physicians elect to pursue additional training to become subspecialists.
Subspecialty training may last an additional 1-4 years. Usually the focus of subspecialty training is fairly narrow and allows the physician to obtain knowledge and skills needed to perform additional procedures or focus on treating patients with a particular type of problem. Most subspecialties have additional board exams at the end of their training qualifying the physician to be a board certified subspecialist.
The most common specialties and subspecialties, as well as the years of training required, are listed here. In some cases, more than one specialty training may qualify a physician for fellowship training.
Dermatology - 4 years
Dermatopathology - 1-2 years
Emergency Medicine - 3-4 years
Pediatric Emergency Medicine - 2 years
Sports Medicine - 1-2 years
Toxicology - 2 years
Family Practice - 3 years
Geriatrics - 2 years
Neurology - 4 years
Electromyography (EMG) - 1-2 years
Neuromuscular Diseases - 1-2 years
Electroencephalography (EEG) - 1-2 years
Epilepsy - 1-2 years
Behavioral Neurology/Dementia - 1-2 years
Cerebrovascular Diseases/Stroke - 1-2 years
Movement Disorders - 1-2 years
Neuroimmunology - 1-2 years
Neuro-Oncology - 1-2 years
Pain - 1-2 years
Headache - 1-2 years
Neuro-Ophthalmology - 1 year
Critical Care Neurology - 1 year
Neuroimaging - 1 year
Sleep - 1 year
Ophthalmology - 4 years
Neuro-ophthalmology - 2 years
Retina - 2 years
Glaucoma - 2 years
Oculoplastics - 1 year
Plastic Surgery - 5-6 years
Hand Surgery - 2 years
Internal Medicine - 3 years
Allergy & Immunology - 2 years
Cardiology - 3 years
Critical Care - 2-3 years
Endocrinology - 2 years
Gastroenterology - 3 years
Geriatrics -2 years
Hematology and Oncology - 2-3 years
Infectious Diseases - 2 years
Nephrology - 2 years
Pulmonology - 2-3 years
Rheumatology - 2 years
Obstetrics/Gynecology - 4 years
Infertility
General Surgery - 5-6 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Pediatric Surgery - 2 years
Thoracic Surgery - 2-3 years
Transplant Surgery - 2-3 years
Trauma - 2 years
Vascular Surgery - 2 years
Colon and Rectal Surgery - 2 years
Urology - 5 years
Pediatric Urology - 1-2 years
Psychiatry - 4 years
Child Psychiatry - 3 years
Forensic Psychiatry - 2-3 years
Neurosurgery - 6 years
Pediatric Neurosurgery - 1-2 years
Physical Medicine - 3 years
Pediatric Physical Medicine - 2 years
Radiology - 4 years
CT - 1 year
MRI - 1-2 years
Ultrasound - 1 year
Interventional - 1-2 years
Neuroradiology - 1-2 years
Breast - 1 year
Chest - 1 year
Musculoskeletal - 1 year
Pediatric - 1-2 years
Nuclear Medicine - 1-2 years
Orthopedic Surgery - 5 years
Hand - 2 years
Spine - 2 years
Hip - 2 years
Foot and Ankle - 2 years
Anesthesiology - 4 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Pediatric Anesthesiology - 2 years
Pathology - 5 years
Forensics Pathology - 2 years
Aerospace Medicine - 2 years
Pediatrics - 3 years
Allergy and Immunology - 2 years
Behavioral and Developmental - 2 years
Cardiology - 2 years
Critical Care - 2 years
Endocrinology - 2 years
Gastroenterology - 2 years
Genetics - 2 years
Hematology and Oncology - 2 years
Infectious Diseases - 2 years
Neonatology - 2 years
Nephrology - 2 years
Pulmonology - 2 years
Rheumatology - 2 years
Continuing Medical Education
Most states require a minimum of 25-50 hours of continuing medical education credits each year. In addition, most physicians regularly read 2-3 medical journals each month and attend hospital Grand Rounds lectures and other training and certification courses for new procedures, therapies, and regulations.
Specialty Board Certification
To be certain you and your family and loved ones receive the best medical care available, you may want to check to see if your doctor is board certified in his or her specialty. To do this, you may contact any of these groups:
At the American Board of Medical Specialties you can check on your doctor's credentials or you can call the ABMS at (866) ASK-ABMS.
Contact the American Osteopathic Board of Medical Examiners at (800) 621-1773.
Contact your state's medical licensing board.
Call the American Medical Association at (800) 621-8335.
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is an organization of 24 approved medical specialty boards. The ABMS serves to coordinate the activities of its Member Boards and to provide information to the public, the government, the profession, and its members concerning issues involving specialization and certification of medical specialists.
For More Information
American Board of Medical Specialties1007 Church St, Suite 404Evanston, IL 60201-5913Phone Verification (866) ASK-ABMS
Synonyms and Keywords
doctors: specialties and training, medical school, internship, residency training, fellowship training, doctor, physician, becoming a physician, becoming a doctor, medical doctorate, MD, allopathic, osteopathic, doctorate in osteopathic medicine, DO, allopathic school, osteopathic school, medical specialty, AmericanBoard of Medical Specialties, ABMS, medical education credits
References
1. American Board of Medical Specialties. What is the ABMS?. What is the ABMS?.
2. Plantz SH, Lorenzo NY, Cole JA. Getting Into Medical School Today. 4th ed. Arco; 1998.
Authors and Editors
Author: Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM, Research Director, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.Editors: Joseph A Salomone III, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Truman Medical Center, University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Medicine; Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine; James S Cohen, MD, Consulting Staff, James Cohen, PC.
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