Physician

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A physician could...

Overview Listen to this section

Physicians work to ease physical and mental suffering due to injury and disease. They diagnose medical conditions and then prescribe or administer appropriate treatments. Physicians also seek to prevent medical problems in their patients by advising preventative care. Ultimately, physicians try to help people live and feel better at every age.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Physician?

1. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
3. Social Perceptiveness: ? Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
4. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
5. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

6. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
7. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
8. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
9. Science: ? Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
10. Monitoring: ? Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Physician might do:

• Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.
• Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.
• Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
• Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
• Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.
• Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
• Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.
• Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.
• Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.
• Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
• Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
• Provide consulting services to other doctors caring for patients with special or difficult problems.
• Advise surgeon of a patient's risk status and recommend appropriate intervention to minimize risk.
• Immunize patients to protect them from preventable diseases.
• Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.
• Prepare government or organizational reports on birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or the medical status of individuals.