They also advise patients on how to prevent disease and keep fit through proper diet and exercise. During the last 2 years of medical school, through rotations in internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery, students gain experience in the diagnosis and treatment of illness. All states license physicians. To be licensed, physicians must graduate from an accredited medical school, pass a licensing examination, and complete 1 to 7 years of graduate medical education.
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 or nursing homes.