Although it’s hard to say when the first Medical School was created, it’s well known that they have been around for hundreds of years. The first medical schools are guessed to be around 1100 – 1200 AD, and were located in Italy, France, and the UK. In the United States, the first medical school was the College of Philadelphia and it opened in 1765. Harvard opened next in 1782. The American Medical Association was created in 1847. There are now 154 MD schools and 38 DO schools in the United States today. There are over 29 thousand new medical school students every year with over 21 thousand going the MD route and over 8 thousand going the DO route. 

– A bachelor’s degree is necessary

– Specific prerequisite classes are necessary

– MCAT 

– See ‘Prerequisites’ for more details

– Family Practice: This position is the backbone of the medical community. Family practice physicians are responsible for preventing, diagnosing, and treating a wide variety of conditions present in all ages. Their knowledge must be broad, and be able to recognize when a pt needs certain tests or imaging. They’re also responsible for referring the pt to specialists when necessary. Those who choose to be a Family Practice Physician will need to complete a 3 year residency. They can choose to do a 1 year fellowship in geriatrics or sports medicine. This is one of the lower paying positions, however they are eligible for loan repayment programs in many cases, and the residency competitiveness is considered low.  

– Pediatrics: Pediatricians are responsible for caring for children from birth until 18 years old. They must be able to recognize what is normal and what is not normal for all of the different age groups. They are the Family practice providers for kids. This involves preventative medicine along with diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic conditions. Residencies are 3 years and the competitiveness is considered low. Possible fellowships after residency are Adolescent Medicine, Allergy & Immunology, Cardiology, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Critical Care Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hematology & Oncology, Infectious Disease, Medical Genetics, Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, Nephrology, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Pulmonary Disease, and Rheumatology. 

– Obstetrics/Gynecology: OBGYN’s are responsible for care of women, both pregnant and non-pregnant. They are not only responsible for preventative medicine measures, but diagnosis and treatment of all conditions unique to women as well as delivering babies. They must be able to perform a variety of procedures and surgeries as part of their job. They care for women of all ages, and sometimes act as a woman’s primary care provider. The residency is 4 years long and and competitiveness of it is considered intermediate. Possible fellowships after residency are Family Planning, GYN Oncology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Reproductive Endocrinology, Urogynecology, and Pediatric/Adolescent GYN.

– Psychiatry: Psychiatrists are responsible for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders which includes mental, emotional, and behavioral health. They deal with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and more. They are primarily responsible for the medication management for those conditions, and will often have their patients talk with a therapist or counselor as part of the treatment. The residency is 4 years and the competitiveness is considered low to intermediate. Possible fellowships after residency include Addiction Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Pain Management, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. 

– Emergency Medicine: This requires a broad medical knowledge and the ability to work in a high-pressure, fast paced setting. Most of these physicians work in emergency departments. These doctors are responsible assessing, diagnosing, and treating those with acute illness and injury. This ranges from minor issues like lacerations, sprains, etc., to those who are critically ill or injured. They stabilize the patients, consult with specialists if necessary, and decide whether to send the pt home, admit them to the hospital, or transfer them to a more appropriate facility. They must be comfortable with performing serious, life-saving procedures including central line insertion, intubation, chest tubes, and more. This requires a 3-4 year residency, and the competitiveness is considered low to intermediate. Possible fellowships offered afterwards are Disaster Medicine, Emergency Ultrasound/Imaging, EMS-Prehospital, Medical Toxicology, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Critical Care. 

– Dermatology: This specialty includes disorders and diseases of the skin, hair, and nails which can range from purely cosmetic problems to life threatening skin cancer. This is a procedure heavy specialty including scrapings, excisions, cryotherapy, laser surgery, hair transplants and more. Dermatologists must have a great understanding about many body systems, because even though they’re focused on the skin, there are many conditions that aren’t skin problems, but problems with other organ systems which they are expected to recognize. They must understand cancers, hematological conditions, autoimmune conditions, vitamin deficiencies, rheumatological conditions, infectious disease, and more. Those who choose to do dermatology must complete one year of broad based clinical training after medical school followed by a 3 year residency. The competitiveness for residencies is considered high. Residents can further specialize by completing a fellowship afterwards in Dermatopathology, Pediatric Dermatology, and Procedural Dermatology. 

– Urology: Urologists are clinical and surgical providers that specialize in the urinary tract and surrounding structures of both males and females. This includes the urethra, bladder, ureter, prostate, kidneys, and adrenal gland. They also treat sexual dysfunction and infertility. This is a procedure/surgery heavy specialty. It is a 5 year residency and the competitiveness is considered high. Only one fellowship exists which is Pediatric Urology. 

– Ophthalmology: Ophthalmologists are responsible for the eye and visual system. Medical, surgical, and rehabilitative treatments are all used. Usually these doctors will have patients for many years. One transitional year is necessary after graduation followed by a 3 year residency. There are several fellowships available which include Anterior Segment Surgery, Cornea/External Disease, Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Ophthalmic Pathology, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Retina/Vitreous, and Uveitis/Immunology. 

– Otolaryngology: ENT’s are responsible for problems of the ears, nose, mouth, throat, and neck (not spine). They have both clinical and surgical time. They have a 5 year residency and the competitiveness is considered high. The two fellowships that are available after residency are Pediatric Otolaryngology, and Otology/Neurotology. 

– Neurology: This involves the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders involving the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves. They often deal with strokes, seizures, headaches, and more. They are often consulted with in the hospital but do have their own patients as well. Those who choose this path will have to go to 1 transitional year after graduation of medical school followed by a 3 year residency. Competitiveness for Neurology residency is considered low. You can also choose to further specialize. Fellowships include Child Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, Critical Care Medicine, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Pain Management, and Vascular Neurology. 

– Radiology: Image interpretation and image guided procedures are the main responsibilities for Diagnostic Radiologists. They are responsible for interpreting X-Rays, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), ultrasound, mammography, fluoroscopy, Positron Emmision Tomography (PET), and other forms of Nuclear Medicine Imaging. There are also a wide variety of procedures that they perform including biopsies, drainages, stent insertion, nerve root blocks, and more. Those who choose to be radiologists must do a year of clinical medicine after medical school and then do a 4 year residency. The competitiveness of the radiology residencies are low. They can choose to specialize by doing a 1-2 year fellowship in abdominal radiology, cardiothoracic radiology, endovascular surgical neuroradiology, muskuloskeletal radiology, neuroradiology, nuclear radiology, pediatric radiology, and vascular & interventional radiology. 

– Allergy and Immunology: An allergist/immunologist investigates, diagnoses, and treats different allergic or immune responses in the body of people of all ages. In order to be an allergist/immunologist, one must do an internal medicine or pediatric residency, followed by a 2 year fellowship in allergy/immunology. 

– Anesthesiology: Anesthesiologists are responsible for managing patients while sedated or unconscious. These patients may be getting a procedure done, getting major surgery, or may be in the ICU due to critical injury or illness. They are masters of intubation and the ability to manage pt’s health with IV medications while they are sedated. This requires 1 transitional year of education after graduation followed by a 3 year residency. The competitiveness for the residencies is considered low. You may choose to do a Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship afterwards. 

– Podiatry: A podiatrist or podiatric surgeon is responsible for diagnosing and treating disorders, diseases, and injuries of the lower extremity. Podiatrists are the only physician that gets specialized medical training, meaning they don’t go to a medical school for all medical students. They go to a medical school just for podiatry. The residency is 2-3 years. You can specialize in sports medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, radiology, geriatrics, or diabetic foot care. 

– Preventive Medicine: General Preventive Medicine and Public Health Physicians deal with preventing illness and injury in a certain population, whether it be a community, an organization, a company, etc. They can hold a variety of job positions. Direct patient care is usually limited as their focus is usually on implementing policies that benefit the health of a group of people. They will often be responsible for providing resources to the group of people so they have guidance on exercise, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits. One must complete a hospital-based preliminary clinical year after completing medical school, followed by a 2 year residency. The two year residency includes getting a Master in Public Health. 

– Physical Medicine/Rehab (Physiatry): Physiatrists are responsible for helping restore function in those with physical limitations because of illness, injury, impairment, or disability. They not only use therapeutic exercises for treatment, but use durable medical equipment including prosthetics, orthotics, and more. This requires 1 year of transitional training after graduation followed by a 3 year residency. The competitiveness of the residency is considered intermediate to high. Possible fellowships afterwards are pain management, spinal cord injury, and sports medicine.

– Internal Medicine: This is a broad specialty that focuses on overall treatment of patients while they’re admitted into the hospital. They are in charge of the patient’s care while in the hospital as a Family Practice Provider would be in charge of a patient’s care out of the hospital. Family Medicine Providers historically took care of their own patients when they got sick and had to stay in the hospital. That is becoming less and less common. Now Internists, or more commonly known as Hospitalists, will take over a patients care while in the hospital. They are in charge of treating that pt and making sure they are healthy enough to go home or to a rehab/step-down facility. They will often consult with physicians from other specialties including gastroenterology, cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, pulmonology, hematology/oncology, infectious disease, pathology, rheumatology, and more. The internal medicine residency is 3 years. Those that stop there are considered Internists or Hospitalists. However all of the specialties that are listed below this until the surgery section have to do an internal medicine residency as well, then complete a fellowship in their specialty. So this is a very popular residency and competitiveness for residencies is considered low. 

– Gastroenterology (GI): Gastroenterologists are responsible for diagnosis and treatment of conditions concerning the digestive system and associated organs including the esophagus, stomach, gall bladder, pancreas, bile ducts, liver, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum. They don’t usually perform surgeries but they do perform advanced procedures such as endoscopy, colonoscopy, and ERCP/MRCP. This career would require a residency in internal medicine followed by a 2-3 year fellowship in gastroenterology.

– Cardiology: Cardiologists are responsible for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart conditions. They are not surgeons but are responsible for deciding when specialized procedures or surgeries are necessary. They can get additional training to be able to perform balloon angioplasty and stent placement, echocardiography, and electrophysiology. In order to become a cardiologist, one must do an internal medicine residency, followed by a fellowship that lasts at least 3 years. An interventional cardiologist can performs catheter based procedures for balloon and stent procedures (for heart attacks or to prevent heart attacks) as well as patching heart defects. This would require another 1-2 year fellowship.

– Endocrinology: Endocrinologists are responsible for recognizing and fixing hormonal imbalances in the body. Some of the more common conditions they treat are diabetes and thyroid problems. One must first complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 2 year fellowship in endocrinology.

– Nephrology: Nephrologists are responsible for treating acute and chronic conditions of the kidneys. They are often consulted with for patients who have poorly functioning kidneys or renal failure. They treat blood pressure problems, fluid and electrolyte imbalances, dialysis patients, and are integral parts of the kidney transplant process. One must first complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 2 year fellowship in nephrology. You can further specialize with 1 year fellowships in a variety of areas including kidney transplantation, critical care, palliative care, among others.

– Pulmonology: Pulmonologists are responsible for assessing, diagnosing, and treating problems of the cardiopulmonary system. They treat conditions like asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and more. One must complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 1-3 year residency in pulmonology. You may also choose to sub-specialize with fellowships in sleep disorders, allergies, and critical care. 

– Hematology/Oncology: Hematology is the study of blood and oncology is the study of cancer. Hematologists/Oncologists are responsible for diagnosing and treating blood disorders and cancers such as different types of anemia, hemophilia, leukemia, and lymphoma. One must complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 2-3 year fellowship in hematology/oncology.

– Infectious Disease: Known as “Medical Detectives”, these physicians are experts in the treatment of communicable diseases. Whether they be casused be viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites, ID specialists are responsible to diagnosing and determining the best treatment plan for the patient. Conditions they treat vary widely from skin infections and pneumonias, to HIV and global pandemics. One must complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 2-3 year infectious disease fellowship. 

– Critical Care: A Critical Care Specialist or Intensivist is a physician that specializes in the care of the critically ill/injured. They generally are hospital based and most commonly are in the ICU (intensive care unit). Many of these patients are on ventilators and have multiple medications being administered through IV pumps at the same time. One must complete an internal medicine residency followed by a 2-3 year fellowship in critical care. It’s not uncommon to do a 3 year fellowship that includes critical care and pulmonology. 

– Rheumatology: Rheumatologists specialize in musculoskeletal problems and autoimmune conditions that are caused by rheumatic diseases. These disease processes can present with problems to the skin, joints, bone, and muscle which can cause mild impairment to serious disability. There are two general paths to be a rheumatologist. Those who want to treat adults do an internal medicine residency followed by 2-3 years of a rheumatology fellowship. Those who want to treat pediatrics do a residency in pediatrics followed by a fellowship in rheumatology. 

– Pathology: Pathologists specialize in the testing of specimens from patients to diagnose illness and disease. They are one of the few types of physicians that don’t work directly with patients. One must complete a 4 year residency in Pathology. The competitiveness is considered low for these residencies. Available fellowships include blood banking/transfusion medicine, chemical pathology, cytopathology, forensic pathology, hematology, immunopathology, medical microbiology, neuropathology, and pediatric pathology. 

– Sports Medicine: Sports Medicine Physicians are what they sound like, physicians who specialize in the care of the musculoskeletal system in regards to sporting events or physical activity. They can be surgical or non-surgical. This is a little different than most of the other specialties because this doesn’t have a specific residency one must complete. One may do a residency in family practice, emergency medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, and more. They then have to complete a 1-2 year fellowship.

– Medical Genetics: Medical Geneticists specialize in genetic and hereditary abnormalities. They diagnose and treat those who currently have them but they also investigate future risks for family members. They check cancer risks for members of the family, they evaluate risk of fetal abnormalities of someone was to choose to get pregnant, and more. This works different than other specialties. This is considered a primary specialty, not a sub-specialty of another field. One must complete at least one year in a residency such as internal medicine, pediatrics, OBGYN, or others, followed by at least 2 years in a Clinical Genetics residency. 

–Geriatrics: Geriatricians focus on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in those of advanced age. As people age, unique challenges and health problems arise in which it would be advantageous to see someone who specializes in geriatrics. There’s a wide variety of settings that geriatric specialties may be in such as outpatient clinics, hospitals, rehab centers, long-term living facilities, and sometimes in patient’s homes. This specialty is becoming an increasingly higher demand field as the population of the US is aging. One must complete a residency, usually in internal medicine or family medicine, and then complete a 1 year fellowship in geriatrics. 

SURGICAL SPECIALTIES

– General Surgery: General surgeons are responsible for evaluating, diagnosing, and treating a wide variety of medical illnesses or injuries which require surgery. They are in charge of the surgery itself as well as post-surgical care. They’re usually who are called for emergency surgeries including severe trauma. However many of them do preventative medicine as well such as EGD’s and colonoscopies. Many of the surgical specialties must complete a general surgery residency first. The residency lasts anywhere from 4-6 years and the competitiveness is considered intermediate. Possible fellowships are breast surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, critical care medicine, hand surgery, minimally invasive surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical critical care, surgical oncology, transplant surgery, plastic surgery, burn surgery, vascular surgery, and more. 

– Orthopedic Surgery: Orthopedic surgeons work on the musculoskeletal system, dealing with injuries for the most part. Areas of focus are the extremities such as shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles. They often refer their patients to physical therapy as part of their treatment. They get patient history, do physical exams, interpret imaging, perform diagnostic and therapeutic injections, and of course do surgery. This is considered to be one of the hardest residencies to get. The Residency lasts 5 years. You can go on to further specialize if you want, which would require a 1 year fellowship. Options are Foot & Ankle, Hand & Upper Extremity, Joint Preservation, Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery of the Spine, Orthopedic Trauma, and Pediatric Orthopedics. 

– Vascular Surgery: Vascular Surgeons are responsible for diagnosing and treating conditions related to the vasculature, meaning the arteries and veins. They treat relatively minor conditions such as spider veins and varicose veins, but also take care of those with life-threatening issues including aortic aneurysms. One must complete a general surgery residency followed by a 2 year vascular surgery fellowship. 

– Cardiothoracic Surgery: Cardiothoracic surgeons are responsible for advanced surgery involving the heart. Cardiologists don’t perform surgery on patients, but they often refer them for surgery. Interventional cardiologists perform surgical procedures using a catheters to open blockages in the heart, fix valves, or other things. Cardiothoracic surgeons are different, they surgically open the chest and perform open heart surgery on patients. The most common surgery being a cardiac bypass. One must complete a general surgery residency followed by a 2-3 year cardiothoracic surgery fellowship. You may further specialize with another year of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. 

– Pediatric Surgery: Pediatric surgeons are general surgeons for kids. Due to the unique challenges that performing surgery on pediatrics presents, a surgeon trained for pediatrics is necessary. One must complete a general surgery residency followed by a 2 year pediatric surgery fellowship. 

– Surgical Oncology: Surgical Oncologists are specialized in performing surgery on those with cancer. They are also usually involved in cancer diagnosis and non-surgical treatment options. One must complete a general surgery residency followed by a 2-3 year fellowship in surgical oncology. 

– Neurosurgery: Neurosurgeons are responsible for treatment of operative and nonoperative conditions of the brain, skull, spine, peripheral nerves, and more. They are commonly considered one of the highest paid physicians. The residency is 7 years and the competitiveness of the residencies is considered high. Possible fellowships are endovascular surgical neuroradiology, functional, pediatric, spine, skull base, neuro-oncology, epilepsy, radiosurgery, and more.

– Plastic Surgery: Plastic Surgeons are responsible for the skin and underlying structures. Through means of resection, repair, replacement, and reconstruction, the appearance of defects or unwanted features are improved. They work on those with congenital abnormalities, those who have had injuries/burns, and those that would just like to improve their appearance in some way. The residency is 6 years and the competitiveness is considered intermediate. Possible fellowships are Craniofacial Surgery and Hand Surgery.

The following are yearly averages for the profession…

– Allergy and Immunology: $229K – $275K

– Anesthesiology: $392K

– Cardiology: $430K

– Critical Care: 349K

– Dermatology: $419K

– Emergency Medicine: $353K

– Endocrinology: $236K

– Family Practice: $231K

– Gastroenterology (GI): $417K

– Infectious Disease: $239K

– Internal Medicine (Hospitalist): $243K 

– Nephrology: $305K

– Neurology: $267K

– Obstetrics/Gynecology (OBGYN): $303K

– Oncology: $359K

– Ophthalmology: $366K

– Otolaryngology (ENT): $461K

– Pathology: 308K

– Pediatrics: $225K

– Physical Medicine/Rehab: $306K

– Podiatry: $205K

– Psychiatry: $260K

– Public Health/Preventative Medicine: $209K

– Pulmonology: $331K

– Radiology: $419K

– Rheumatology: $259K

– Urology: $408K

SURGICAL SPECIALTIES

– General Surgery: $362K

– Orthopedic Surgery: $482K

– Vascular Surgery: $484K

– Cardiothoracic Surgery: $584K

– Pediatric Surgery $449K

– Surgical Oncology: $338K

– Neurosurgery: $616K – $710K

– Plastic Surgery: $471K

It is now standard to get a Master’s degree. There are physician assistants currently practicing without a Master’s but all new PA’s have a Master’s degree. There are also post graduate doctorate programs that you can take to get Doctor credentials, but you still will not be considered a Medical Doctor. 

Physician Assistants (PA’s) are newer to the medical scene, they are considered “Mid-level practitioners”. The first PA class graduated from Duke University in 1967. It was noted by many medical providers during the 1960’s that there was a shortage of primary care physicians. There were also many military members and veterans who had significant medical training already. They began PA programs for people who already had medical background, which would shorten the needed time for education and training.

– You will need a bachelor’s degree. There are about 40 programs that have programs where you can earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree within 5 years total. They are difficult to get in to and there are obviously limited spots.

– Prerequisite classes, see prerequisite tab for more details

– Many schools require you to take the GRE exam. There is a brand new exam called the PA-CAT which is more similar to the MCAT, but it is still very new and there’s not a lot of information on it. 

– Most schools require hands-on experience with patients, usually between 500 and 3,000 hours

– Physician Assistants can work in most any specialty that a doctor can. A majority of the time they are trained on site for the specific specialty. However there are a number of residencies and fellowships out there, usually lasting 1 year. See “Specialties” under the “Physician” tab for more details.

 AVERAGE SALARY  *There is limited info on salaries for some of the less common specialties*

– Allergy and Immunology: 

– Anesthesiology: 

– Cardiology: $105K

– Critical Care: 

– Dermatology: $115K

– Emergency Medicine: $115K

– Endocrinology: 

– Family Practice: $95K – $105K?

– Gastroenterology (GI): $95K

– Infectious Disease: 

– Internal Medicine (Hospitalist): $105K

– Nephrology:

– Neurology: $95K

– Obstetrics/Gynecology (OBGYN): $95K

– Oncology: $105K

– Ophthalmology: 

– Otolaryngology (ENT): $105K

– Pain Management – $105K

– Pathology: 

– Pediatrics: $95K

– Physical Medicine/Rehab: $95K

– Podiatry: 

– Psychiatry: $105K

– Public Health/Preventative Medicine: 

– Pulmonology: 

– Radiology: 

– Rheumatology: 

– Urology: $105K

SURGICAL SPECIALTIES

– Surgical specialties – $115K

– Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery – $125K

– General Surgery – $105K

– Neurosurgery – $115K

– Orthopedic Surgery – $115K

Nurse Practitioners generally obtain either a Master’s or Doctorate degree. While there isn’t much difference in ability to treat, more opportunities open up for leadership positions and teaching positions if you obtain a Doctorate degree. 

Nurse practitioners came on the scene about the same time as Physician assistants, and for the same purpose, being a need for more primary care providers. The first program was started at the University of Colorado in 1965. A master’s option first became possible in 1967. By 1973, more than 60 NP programs were available nationwide. By 1989, 90% of NP programs were either Master’s degree or post-Master’s degree programs. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of NP’s in the United states. In 2001 there were about 82,000 whereas in 2019 there were 270,000.

– One must already be a Registered Nurse (generally)

– One must already have a bachelor’s degree unless their NP program includes that.

– There is an option for those who have a lot of college credit or bachelor’s degree to go straight into NP school without being a RN first. However these students generally need prerequisites that nursing students would have already taken.

– NP school generally takes 1.5 to 3 years depending on the track and school you choose. There are part time schooling options too which can take longer. 

NP’s can practice in virtually any field of medicine that a doctor can. One difference between PA’s and NP’s is that NP’s have different specialty schools that one could attend. Some of these limit you to that specialty and others have a little more freedom. For example, if you go to NP school to be a midwife, you can only be a midwife. If you go to NP school for anesthesiology, you can only be a Nurse Anesthetist. However if you go to NP school for family practice, you can work in family practice, pediatrics, geriatrics, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and more. Acute Care focuses on treatment of the critically sick and injured, so they will most likely be in the ICU, however they may be Hospitalists or Emergency Medicine providers as well. Options include…

– Family Practice

– Geriatrics

– Pediatrics

– Acute Care

– Psychiatry

– Midwifery

– Anesthesiology

– Emergency Medicine

AVERAGE SALARY *They don’t gather data by specialty, they mostly gather data by the type of environment one works in which complicates the data. The salary can very widely depending on the area you live, your experience, and several other factors. Please don’t take these numbers as perfect as there is a lot of data that shows different numbers.

– Family Practice: 107K

– Geriatrics: $90K

– Pediatrics: $105K

– Acute Care: $127K

– Psychiatry: $102K

– Midwifery: $97K

– Anesthesiology: $157K

– Emergency Medicine: $135K

Dentistry has been around a very long time. Information on tooth decay was recorded for the first time around 5000 BC. The first official book on dentistry was written in 1530. Pierre Brouchard is considered the father of modern dentistry and he organized dentistry into a comprehensive system for how to treat problems with the teeth.  The First dental school in the United states started in Ohio in 1828 although some say it was in Baltimore in 1840. In 1873 the first mass produced toothpaste came into market which is still a well known brand today named, Colgate. 

Currently there are 67 Dental schools in the United States and 10 in Canada. There are now over 200,000 dentists in the United States.

– A Bachelor’s degree is necessary prior to enrollement in dental school.

– See ‘Prerequisites’ for more details on things that need to be done before dental school.

– Dental school is 4 years, no residency or fellowship is necessary in order to start practicing but you will need to pass a board exam test.

– In order to specialize in orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, oral radiology, periodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, and dental public health, more education is required. You must get this extra education through residencies. One difference between these residencies and medical school residencies are that you must pay for these whereas medical school residencies pay you. 

– Dentist: Deals with the general health of teeth. They diagnose and fills cavities, pull teeth, repair teeth, apply crowns, and maintain general dental health including gums. 

– Dental Anesthesiology: These specialists are in charge of anesthesiology during dental procedures and oral/facial surgeries. They must be able to be in control of pain and sedation in all patients, from very young to very old, those with co-morbid conditions, and those with special needs. 

– Orthodontics: Orthodontists diagnose and treat structural problems with the jaw and teeth. Their specialty is fixing the position of the teeth and jaw to be more functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. 

– Pediatric Dentistry: Pediatric Dentists specialize in treating children. Children present unique challenges in dentistry because of separation anxiety, fear, and confusion about what they need to do. These dentists are better able to treat children, including those with special needs. 

– Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Dental Pathologists are responsible for research and diagnosis of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. Different means are used to accomplish their goals but they specialize in detecting viruses, bacteria, fungi through testing.

– Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology: Dental Radiologists specialize in producing and interpreting images of the oral and maxillofacial region.

– Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: These surgeons specialize in surgical treatment of problems affecting the jaw and surrounding structures. Responsibilities include removal of impacted/infected teeth, removal of cysts/tumors, fixing congenital malformations, and surgically fixing mandibular fractures. These specialists are both dentists and medical doctors. They go to 4 years of dental school followed by a 6 year oral/maxillofacial surgery residency which includes getting their MD and generally a whole year of general surgery. 

– Periodontics: These specialists focus on preventing, diagnosing, and treating problems associated with the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. Periodontitis is one of the leading cause for loss of teeth in adults.

– Prosthodontics: Prosthodontists specialize in constructing and applying hardware in the mouth. Sometimes this is to replace teeth, the hardware can be fixed or removable. Sometimes they set up hardware to fix congenital malformations like cleft palate. 

– Endodontics: Endodontists specialize in treating diseases located inside teeth. Their most common procedure is a root canal.

– Dental Public Health: These specialists are normally hired through organizations or governmental programs to help educate a certain population on the importance of dental health and how to prevent dental disease.

Dental Salaries by Specialty *The dental profession is one that has a lot of variability from year to year depending on how the economy is doing so again, take this with a grain of salt.

– Dentist: $175K

– Orthodontist: $284K

– Oral Surgery: $465K

– Pediatric Dentistry: $284K

– Oral Radiology

– Periodontics: $291K

– Prosthodontics: $262K

– Endodontics: $327K

– Dental Public Health

Unofficially physical therapy is said to be started by Hippocrates. There was mentions of him performing massage, movement therapy, and hydrotherapy. More modern physical therapy is said to be started by a Swedish Gymnastics coach in the early 1800’s. The first PT program in the United States was 1914 at Reed College. PT really gained steam after world war 1 when injured soldiers came back from the war and women would work with them to help them become functional and strong again. The first PT organization in the United States started in 1921 and was called “American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association which is now called the “American Physical Therapy Association” or APTA. They became more popular as they were important in treating those with polio. Specializations became an option in the 1970’s. 

– One must have a bachelor’s degree to go to Physical Therapy school.

– See ‘Prerequisites’ for further information

– Physical Therapy programs are usually 3 years full time, no summer breaks like medical school. 

– No residency or fellowship is required although they are options when considering a specialty. There are also options to become certified in a specialty without a program. You may study on your own and take a test to become certified on a specialty.

– General Physical Therapy: Every PT that goes through school comes out treating a little bit of everything. Some never specialize. Sometimes you have to wait a year to specialize. 

– Orthopedics: Orthopedic PT’s treat those with musculoskeletal issues such as broken bones, strained/torn ligaments, arthritis, joint replacement recovery, etc. There is some confusion between orthopedic PT’s and Sports Medicine PT’s. Orthopedic PT’s focus on the normal population, helping them back to their normal life again, whereas Sports Medicine PT’s are focused on getting athletes back to competition. This is the most popular specialty for PT’s. 

– Cardiopulmonary: Cardiopulmonary PT’s treat those with cardiac or pulmonary conditions such as previous heart attack, congestive heart failure, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and more. They may focus on the heart, the lungs, or both. They help the pt’s perform exercise to improve their endurance, reduce stress, breath easier, and improve day to day life. 

– Geriatrics: Geriatric PT’s treat the elderly population by helping them remain as functional as possible with the least amount of pain possible. This is a growing field as the elderly population is growing. Common conditions that are treated are arthritis, osteoporosis, joint stiffness, and weakness in general.

– Women’s Health: Women’s Health PT’s specialize in caring for women during all stages of life. They are experts in the musculoskeletal system of a woman and how it differs from a man’s. Common conditions they treat are lymphedema, urinary incontinence, osteoporosis, and pelvic pain. 

– Pediatrics: Pediatric PT’s work with children of all ages from newborns to teenagers for a wide variety of conditions that limit function or growth. Examples include cerebral palsy, scoliosis, traumatic brain injury, cystic fibrosis, physical disabilities, and more. This can be very rewarding but often times progress is slow, educating family members is critical to helping the pt long term. 

– Sports Medicine: Sports Medicine PT’s work with those involved in athletics who have had an injury which has prevented them from playing. Obviously there’s a very wide variety of injuries that could be on this list including ligament strain/tear, bone fracture, concussion, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, etc. The difficulty of this specialty is being able to work an athlete back to peak condition where they can compete competitively again, whereas a general physical therapist may just work someone back to being functional with day to day activities like sitting, walking, dressing, driving, etc. Stress can be high as the athlete, their family, and their coach all may have certain expectations for the patient’s recovery. 

– Clinical Electrophysiology: Electrophysiology PT’s focus on the use of electrotherapy to prevent and to treat certain conditions. Use of electromyography is often utilized to dermine health of muscles and nerves. Electrotherapy can be used to help with wound healing, improve circulation, reduce pain, prevent/treat muscle spasms, and even prevent blood clots. 

– Neurology: Neurology PT’s treat conditions associated with the spine and nervous system. They may treat patients for spinal injuries, sciatica, cerebral palsy, neuropathy, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and more. These PT’s help pt’s regain or improve some of of the deficits associated with these problems. 

– Oncology: Oncology PT’s help those patients that have been diagnosed with or are recovering from cancer. There are unique complications with cancer patients that these PT’s are qualified to handle such as joint stiffness, weakness, fatigue, neuropathy, pain, loss of endurance, decreased bone density, and more. 

Notable things that can improve salary

– Time in the profession, willing to relocate, willing to work in nursing facilities or home health, being a travel PT, and specializing in something

Difference in salary between a new grad and an experienced PT

– New Graduates: $67K

– PT’s with over 10 years of experience: $89K

Data is gathered by environment that the PT works in rather than the specialty.   *There was a lot of variability on salary depending on the source*   

– Acute Care Hospital: $89K

– Academic Institution: $90K

– Skilled Nursing Facility: $95K

– Home Health: $90K

– Hospital Based Outpatient: $85K

– Private Outpatient Clinic: $80K

– School System: $72K

– Inpatient Rehab: $82K

One will obtain a Doctorate degree when finished with school. Although the chiropractors in the US have the title of “Doctor”, they aren’t considered medical doctors. They are considered a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). This takes 4 years of schooling, after which they can immediately go into practice, just as a dentist could. There are specialties that can be obtained through residencies.

The founder of Chiropractic was Daniel David Palmer and he began in the late 1800’s. He noted that there had been many types of physical manipulation done for hundreds or even thousands of years but there was no organized consensus on using it for treatment or scientific evidence for its effectiveness. He studied anatomy and physiology in depth and studied any information available to him at the time on the past use of physical manipulation. He was given credit for unifying the art, philosophy, and science into its own area of chiropractic. He performed the first manipulation in 1895 on a janitor who had lost his hearing many years before. The janitor reported a return of his hearing after adjustment. 

Palmer started teaching students in 1897 at Palmer College of Chiropractic. The the first state law officially recognized licensed chiropractors in 1913. Now there are 19 Chiropractic schools in the US and 20 schools outside the US. The chiropractic profession is recognized in the United States, US territories, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, and a few more. 

– One needs 90 credits of undergraduate coursework along with certain prerequisites to get into a chiropractic program. In the programs that allow you to do that, they will expect you to finish your Bachelor’s degree there.

– See ‘Prerequisites’ for more information

There are a few specialties that chiropractors can pursue which normally involve a 1-3 year residency. They are usually paid residencies like MD/DO residencies.

– Chiropractic Diagnostic Imaging Specialist – Receives additional training on interpreting imaging including xray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and more.

– Chiropractic Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Specialist – Receives additional training in treatment of those who have had musculoskeletal injuries.

– Chiropractic Acupuncture Specialist – These specialists learn acupuncture techniques to broaden their abilities to treat patients. Acupuncture can be used for a variety of problems.

– Chiropractic Nutrition Specialist – These specialists receive further training on how to implement nutrition education into their treatment to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease.

– Chiropractic Diagnosis and Management of Internal Disorders Specialist – These specialists receive extra training to be considered holistic primary care providers. They focus on preventative medicine and natural therapeutics

– Chiropractic Orthopedist Specialist – Specializes in conditions involving the musculoskeletal system, joints, tendons, ligaments, and how those interact with the nervous system. 

– Chiropractic Clinical Neurologist Specialist: Specialize in diagnosing and treating problems associated with the central and peripheral nervous systems.

– Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Professionals – These are specialists in analyzing information, examining in detail, and coming up with certain conclusions so they can be used as expert witnesses in legal proceedings. 

– Chiropractic Sports Physician Specialist – Receives additional training in chiropractic sports medicine to be able to help athletes return to peak physical performance. 

– Chiropractic Occupational Health Specialist – These specialists are trained to help people be able to perform their jobs again after an injury. They will also sometimes be hired by companies to help with injury prevention.

– Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Acupuncture – These are experts in acupuncture that promote its usefulness in chiropractic care.

– Diplomate in Clinical Chiropratic Pediatrics – These providers support the chiropractors who are treating pediatrics and also promote the treatment of pediatrics with chiropractic techniques to help it become more accepted.

– The average salary is $71K

– If you make over $99K, you are in the top 25% of the profession

– They haven’t collected large-scale information on salary by specialty

– There is a significant pay difference between those chiropractors who own their own practice vs associates, or those who are hired as employees.