Career Outlook Employment of physicians will grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2006 due to continued expansion of the health care industries. The growing and aging population will drive overall growth in the number of physicians. Duties Physicians diagnose illnesses and prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease. Physicians examine patients, obtain medical histories, and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests. They counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive health care.
Many physicians work long, irregular hours.
They must travel frequently between office and hospital to care for their patients. Physicians who are on-call deal with many patients' concerns over the phone, and may make emergency visits to hospitals. Qualities Strong desire to serve people. Must be able to survive the pressures and long hours of medical education and practice. Good bedside manner.