Types of Physicians

Physicians are categorized by a variety of factors including medical specialty, or patient population. Learn more about the different types of physicians you could become.Primary Care - Family MedicineFamily medicine is one of the options of primary care physicians. Learn more about how to become a Family Practice physician and average income. Family practice physicians see patients of all ages and provide basic care for a variety of more common ailments.Primary Care - Internal MedicineInternists also can provide primary care, or they can also sub-specialize into a variety of other areas such as gastroenterology or endocrinology, to name a few of many sub-specialties.
Internists usually have more hospital-based training than family practitioners, and internists do not typically see children under the age of 18.HospitalistHospitalists only see patients in the hospital. Most hospitalists are physicians who trained in internal medicine, but prefer hospital work over more clinic-based primary care. Some hospitalists may be trained in family practice, but that's not as common.SurgeonSurgeons can also be trained in general surgery, or more specialized types of surgery such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, or cardiac surgery. Surgeons spend a great deal of time in the Operating Room of a hospital or outpatient surgery center. The training to become a surgeon is typically several years longer than primary care and some medical sub-specialties. Cardiologist (Sub-specialty of Internal Medicine) Cardiology is one of many sub-specialties of internal medicine. Cardiologists focus on treatment of the heart and blood vessels of the cardiovascular system. There are many different types of cardiologists, focusing on different aspects of the field. Training to become a cardiologist is fairly extensive, as several years of fellowship are required after completing three years of internal medicine residency. Therefore, a minimum of six years of residency and fellowship after medical school is typical for cardiologists in training.DermatologistDermatology is one of the most competitive fields for physicians. Typically, only the very top medical students are accepted into dermatology residency programs. Why the desire for dermatology? Because dermatologists are very well compensated (due to aesthetic and cash-pay elective procedures such as botox, lasering, and more). Plus, the quality of life is excellent, with little to no on-call time required, due to the nature of the work. Endocrinologist (Sub-specialty of Internal Medicine)Endocrinologist treat the endocrine system: the glands that produce and secrete hormones that control and regulate nearly all of the body's functions. Diabetics are often treated by an endocrinologist, as are patients with various thyroid issues. Gastroenterologist (Sub-specialty of Internal Medicine)Gastroenterologists treat the digestive system. This field attracts physicians who enjoy doing procedures, but who also enjoy seeing patients in an outpatient setting as well. Infectious Disease (Sub-specialty of Internal Medicine)Infectious disease physicians have been very busy lately, dealing with swine flu, bird flu, as well as HIV/AIDS, among other communicable diseases. Infectious disease physicians may practice some primary care internal medicine in addition to their infectious disease patients, depending on the needs of the community or employer.Nephrologist (Sub-specialty of Internal Medicine)Nephrologists study internal medicine and then sub-specialize in nephrology via additional 2-3 years of fellowship training. Nephrologists treat kidney disease, and prescribe dialysis for those experiencing kidney failure.

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