What is a resident physician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Janet Williams Ph.D.

A resident physician is a medical school graduate who takes part in a graduate medical education (GME) training program in a specialized field of medicine. Throughout their residency program, they work under the direct supervision of a doctor. They undertake duties such as diagnosing conditions, performing medical procedures, recording medical histories, assisting in surgery, and arranging discharge and aftercare. Resident physicians are expected to fully participate in the educational activities of the program.

Resident physicians usually work in hospital departments such as emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units and general patient wards. They may choose to specialize in areas like neurology, cardiology, anesthesiology, pediatrics, oncology, or obstetrics. A successful resident physician should be flexible, willing to learn, and detail oriented.

Resident physicians do not have a regular work schedule. They usually work in shifts and are expected to be on call 24/7 in case emergencies arise.

What general advice would you give to a Resident Physician?

Janet Williams Ph.D.Janet Williams Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Professor of Biology, College of Our Lady of the Elms

Students who wish to continue their education in healthcare (MD, DO, DMD, DVM, PA, PT, OT, and many other areas), should ensure that they have plenty of experience in healthcare by becoming certified as an EMT or CNA, and spend at least 1-2 years working or volunteering in that capacity. Students should graduate with strong GPAs, over 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and should have taken all of their prerequisite courses. Students should be prepared to take standardized admissions exams, and plan to do well in them.
ScoreResident PhysicianUS Average
Salary
9.3

Avg. Salary $164,598

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 7%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 23.53%

Black or African American 4.98%

Hispanic or Latino 9.32%

Unknown 4.42%

White 57.58%

Gender

female 46.87%

male 53.13%

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
9.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

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Resident Physician career paths

Key steps to become a resident physician

  1. Explore resident physician education requirements

    Most common resident physician degrees

    Doctorate

    47.2 %

    Bachelor's

    36.9 %

    Master's

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific resident physician skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Patients23.69%
    Family Medicine12.99%
    Medical Education5.88%
    Primary Care5.63%
    Internal Medicine5.00%
  3. Research resident physician duties and responsibilities

    • Provide overall quality prenatal health care, gynecological services, patient triage, refer patients with complications, provide patient education service
    • See CTO position with Vocada above.
  4. Prepare your resident physician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your resident physician 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 resident physician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Resident Physician Resume templates

    Build a professional Resident Physician 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 Resident Physician resume.
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  5. Apply for resident physician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a resident physician 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 Resident Physician Job

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Average resident physician salary

The average Resident Physician salary in the United States is $164,598 per year or $79 per hour. Resident physician salaries range between $78,000 and $344,000 per year.

Average Resident Physician Salary
$164,598 Yearly
$79.13 hourly

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How do resident physicians rate their job?

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Resident Physician reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023
Pros

Money and also working in a hospital I also love biology

Cons

watching babies die and dealing with the emotional trauma of staring in to dead eyes


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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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