What is a doctor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
John Colclough
introduction image

A doctor is responsible for diagnosing, treating, and preventing illnesses, injuries and diseases in patients. Doctors work in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. Their duties include ordering and interpreting tests, prescribing medication, performing surgeries, and examining and counseling patients. They also collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide the best possible care. Overall, a doctor's primary goal is to help people maintain their health and improve their quality of life.

What general advice would you give to a Doctor?

John Colclough

Professor, Marshall University

Be patient and stay informed. Many performers think their career is about the work in the rehearsal hall or in performance-not so, the real work is in the management of your business. Being an authority of WHO, WHAT and WHERE is key. WHO are the players in your market? The directors, actors, casting people, producing organizations, etc...these are who you need to know-your network. WHAT opportunities exist in your market? The theatres, video companies, universities (if you have an MFA you may be able to teach a class or two), Improvisation groups, any opportunity that allows you to grow your brand is worth your attention. And finally, WHERE are the opportunities-knowing your community and having a sense of how each company fits into the fabric of the community. Having a sense of where the company resides both geographically and virtually (web sites) and having a solid knowledge base of details of each company can inform your marketing tactics as well as provide you with specific details unique to each organization. Careers develop over time and keeping expectations realistic over the first year can be challenging. Be practical and methodical in your approach: save money (there's never enough), find a place to live (the best you can afford), find a side hustle (you're going to need money and routine), find out the lay of the land (WHO, WHAT, and WHERE), develop your skill set (take a class and meet colleagues), go to productions, screenings, workshops, document your growth (keep a journal or calendar to track your progress), celebrate your successes and be patient with your stumbles-Hard knocks are the best teachers!
ScoreDoctorUS Average
Salary
10.0

Avg. Salary $208,582

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 18.64%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 9.52%

Unknown 4.44%

White 62.18%

Gender

female 54.20%

male 45.80%

Age - 48
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Doctor?

Pros

  • High job satisfaction from seeing the positive outcomes of your work

  • Opportunities for career advancement and specialization

  • High earning potential and job stability

  • Respect and prestige within the community

  • Flexibility in scheduling and work arrangements

Cons

  • Long hours and demanding workloads, leading to burnout and high stress levels

  • High student loan debt from medical school and ongoing education requirements

  • Emotional toll of dealing with sick or dying patients

  • Potential for malpractice suits and legal liability

  • Administrative tasks such as paperwork and insurance claims can detract from patient care

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Doctor career paths

Key steps to become a doctor

  1. Explore doctor education requirements

    Most common doctor degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.1 %

    Doctorate

    30.3 %

    Associate

    9.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific doctor skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients33.15%
    Customer Service11.81%
    Emergency Medicine4.74%
    Surgery4.73%
    DR3.99%
  3. Research doctor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
    • Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
    • Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
    • Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
  4. Prepare your doctor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your doctor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a doctor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Doctor Resume templates

    Build a professional Doctor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Doctor resume.
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    Doctor Resume
  5. Apply for doctor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a doctor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Doctor Job

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Average doctor salary

The average Doctor salary in the United States is $208,582 per year or $100 per hour. Doctor salaries range between $106,000 and $408,000 per year.

Average Doctor Salary
$208,582 Yearly
$100.28 hourly

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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